Mrinal Jha the renowned Writer, Screenwriter and Producer has been part of phenomenal work on TV and has covered literally every genre possible as Writer. With many accolades and appreciations highlighting her career, Mrinal Jha along with her husband Abhigyan Jha is now looking at a bigger picture of telling unique stories and coming up with entertaining content for the web platform.
Under their banner Mrinal & Abhigyan Jha Productions (MAJ), they are working on two amazing concepts in the musical The Socho Project and the web version of the hit TV show, Qubool Hai 2.0 with Karan Singh Grover and Surbhi Jyoti.
In an exclusive chat with Mrinal Jha, we at IWMBuzz.com get in-depth knowledge on the two series, the idea of the production house, and future plans.
Excerpts:
From being a Writer / Creator in the TV medium, how defining was the moment to take the plunge into the web world. How has the experience been so far with the OTT medium?
It has been a year since I decided to make OTT shows and today we are into our second show. We finished shooting all 9, one-hour episodes of The Socho Project despite the pandemic and also have finished shooting approx 50% of Qubool Hai 2.0 for Zee5 Premium. So yes…so far the experience has been truly exhilarating! OTT allows you the luxury of time to dole out an airtight product although it costs heavy. The trick is to use the cost/time trade-off wisely.
You have been a master at romance and horror as a writer. What is the genre that comes naturally to you?
I wouldn’t call either Naagin, Divya Drishti or Nazar, horror but rather fantasy in the Superhero genre. For over two decades now, I have been fortunate to have written shows across Detective, Horror, Social Drama, Soap Opera, Drama, Muslim Social, Romance, Fantasy, Comedy – every possible genre. I have always believed that my creativity and imagination lead me to fiction effortlessly. I love the idea of creating fictional worlds.
How different is shooting for the webspace when compared to TV?
At first glance – we have more time. We don’t have to shoot 20 mins a day. But there are no ratings or feedback with all episodes releasing together – so the interactivity with the audience that a daily series writer and creative team have – is missing in OTT. I would prefer not to shoot the entire series at a time and releasing one episode at a time may be on a weekly basis. Also, the length of the show is starkly different. For a writer like me who is story-driven – 9 or 10 episodes of 25 mins show on OTT is too less. I think the happy medium would be 26 episodes.
The Socho Project your first biggie as a Producer on the web platform. Take us through the uniqueness in concept?
The Socho Project is a true blue musical web series – the first of its kind on any OTT platform. There are 28 original songs in 9 episodes from 9 different characters. And the songs are the essence of the story. Also, we have employed a whole new structure of writing (well new for India, in the US – shows like Suits, etc always had it) for The Socho Project. Each episode has a new title and follows a new theme and the story moves forward through the thematic structure. I think it’s a beautiful show with absolutely unforgettable characters. Anyone who loves music would fall in love with TSP – A story where the underdogs find a way to do what they love.
It is our tribute to what Berry Gordy achieved with Motown. As a complete outsider, he single-handedly changed the musical sound of America. And there is love. Lots of love!
Qubool Hai 2.0 will bring the loyal fans of Asad and Zoya alive again. How has this shoot experience been?
Absolutely amazing! One of the reasons to take the show to shoot in Belgrade was to bring a new spark to the chemistry of Asad and Zoya. The warmth of their relationship set against the wintry charm of Europe – castles and rivers and quaint pedestrian streets – even the interiors are all so fresh and unique – I am sure that fans will love every bit of it.
Do you believe the web will outpace TV in popularity?
The moment web shows have longer story arcs and release episodes on a daily or at least weekly basis and last 3-6 months per season – they will outpace TV. Otherwise, there is no alternative to the universes that TV offers on a more regular basis. If you could go to your favorite restaurant only once every year versus being able to go to another restaurant as many times as you like – think which one will be more popular?
As a maker what are your company’s thoughts for the future?
At Mrinal & Abhigyan Jha Productions (MAJ) we want to make stories that are totally unique. Both our shows in the first year are away from the typical web series space – of crime, politics, underworld, blood and gore, sex, cuss words etc. And yet they are nothing like any TV show either. QH 2.0 is not like any TV romance you have seen. It opens up a whole new genre. So does TSP. This is the kind of differentiated storytelling I want to do hereon.
How do you look forward to 2021?
First and foremost hope and prayer for 2021 are for it to be kinder to the world – to transform our lives back to the Covid free era when you greeted one another with a warm smile and not an obnoxious mask clad face!
Further on, at MAJ we look forward to TSP finding a beautiful home with a platform that will showcase the series with love and spread its fantastic music far and wide …and of course, QH2 smashing all OTT viewership records.
