Escaype Live is the debut work of ace Producer and Creator, Siddharth Kumar Tewary. He is a visionary, a master when it comes to telling mythological and historical concepts. Escaype Live, on Disney+ Hotstar, is his first baby as a content creator in the digital space.
A very novel idea, Escaype Live, throws before the audience the world set around a live-streaming app, where you have contestants from varied parts of India, looking to cash in and grow rich. However, they are not aware of what they are getting into!!
In an exclusive chat with IWMBuzz.com, Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary gets talking about this enriching journey of making Escaype Live.
Excerpts:
From the stage of planning to shoot to execution, how will you sum up this fruitful journey of Escaype Life?
This is one of the most exciting challenges of my life. It has taken quite a long time to reach this stage. I am quite happy about the work we have been able to do with it. I want the world to see my work now. For me, I can rest in peace only when I am finished with the project and it reaches the audience. This is a story that I wanted to tell. It is a diverse series, we have shot for it all across the country. We have built characters, with every character having his /her world. Every human being is grey, and not just black or white and this is what we show here. So overall, it has been a great ride.
After being a master at mythos, why and how did you choose such a subject for your debut in the digital medium?
When we did Mahabharat or any mythology or historical for the matter of fact, I was talking to the younger India. I have always tried to tell it to the younger audience. Whether it is Escaype Live or Mahabharat, the beauty of it is to say my stories differently. It is about social media here, there is a thought behind every character. This is completely out of my comfort zone. We have one life, so I believe in telling stories that I believe in. I do what I love to do.
How did the idea of Escaype Live originate?
Four years back I was talking to my friend who shared thoughts on a live-streaming app. This was such an exciting shift that I could see. I could see different personalities, which represented a different India. I did my research with an anonymous account and tried talking to the different influencers. When I started working on the concept, I had to look into the business aspect of it too. We had to bring in the app world, and explore the individual lives of the characters. So this is how the work started.
Does the web series convey the message of the pros and cons of being social media savvy?
What the viewers take out of this, is entirely dependent on the individual itself. From my point of view, I am telling a story by looking at the world of social media, and understanding what it is all about. It is for you to decide whether it is good or bad. Nobody will get into social media with the idea of spreading unhappiness. Anything in excess is bad. Even excess oxygen is bad. Similarly, there are certain situations where you don’t even understand when and where you cross the line. Consciously, nobody wants to hurt anybody else. It is only the situations, only when lines get blurred, that you realize that it is too late. So there can be a good and a bad that you get to see on social media. It depends on the story and the character you are talking about. Right and wrong are very subjective. Even the biggest and the best of things have happened on social media. Here for us, this series is all about human behaviour, a peek into their lives.
How was it to work with the South star Siddharth?
Siddharth is a great actor and a fun-loving personality. He is too much in love with his craft. He has been a dream to work with. He plays the primary character Krishna Rangaswamy, who holds the whole game together. It has been a fabulous journey with him.
How was your first experience as a maker and creator on the web front?
Escaype Live is my first OTT series. It is a space that has made me learn a lot. Directing a series like this on such a scale has been a challenge in itself. There are way too many plusses in this. I am happy and blessed to have made Escaype Live. The intent to tell a great story has been there from my side. The younger audiences I believe will connect very well with this concept.
Are you feeling quite younger after making this series, which is mostly for the youth?
(Laughs), I am very young!! For me, television required a different narrative structure, where you are talking to the whole family. But in OTT, I am talking to the audience which is just me. I have not second-guessed the audience. Unless I am in love with a story, it does not excite me to give it that much time. Youth is moving on, this is a very exciting time. So it was great to tell this story.
What is the next move of One Life Studios now?
We are already working on certain projects for a while now. We have a docu-film, feature film, work on the animation front etc. When the right time comes, you will get to know the projects that are in the pipeline.
What are your personal expectations from Escaype Live?
When I look at the content, I never want to feel that I could have done it better. That is what I expect from myself. Mahabharat has taught me that nothing else beyond a point is in our control. You can only put your work out there for everyone to see. Post that, the feedback you get is not in one’s control. There is a reason why I have told this story. I am going ahead with this viewpoint. So let’s see how it goes.
All the best to the team of Escaype Live!