31012025-LSTL-01.qxd 1/31/2025 12:46 AM Page 1 c m y b ANUJA ON NETFLIX NOW Netflix has announced that the Oscar-nominated Indian short film Anuja will be available for streaming on February 5. The film has been directed by Adam J. Graves. For Munjya and The Secret of the Shiledars-fame filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar, escapism is not merely a break from one’s dull routine but also a fun trip to reimagine and re-examine the reality one inhabits TRIBUNE Wrap up Life Actress Shanaya Kapoor has wrapped up the shooting schedule for her debut film, Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan. The upcoming project marks Shanaya’s Bollywood debut. LUDHIANA | FRIDAY | 31 JANUARY 2025 In a realm of his own Nonika Singh U NIQUE is not just a word in USP (unique selling point) for filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar, it is a philosophy, a mantra he lives by. If telling unusual stories is his forte, so is touching base with roots—cultural as well as historical. Last year, his sleeper hit Munjya, which gave big-ticket films a run for money, was based on Marathi folklore, while today he is ready with a web show The Secret of the Shiledars with strong references to history. In case you are clueless about who exactly Shiledars were, well it’s a term ascribed to soldiers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Aditya informs, “Shiledars were like a sacred collective, gatekeepers of Shivaji’s kingdom.” But mind you, The Secret of the Shiledars is not a historical show or set in the past, but right in 2024 and can be qualified as a treasure adventure show. The culture you have been brought up in reflects in your cinema. The more rooted, the more niche you are, the more audiences you will find. Historical context Treasure hunt might seem like an idea borrowed from the western world, but he also elucidates how these films draw from their own cultural history, “With a history going right back to the Indus Valley civilisation, we have not cared to tap into the same space that lends itself as beautifully to such stories.” Since he grew up listening to the tales of c m y b the bravery of Shiledars, his interest was further piqued by the Marathi novel Pratipashchandra by Prakash Suryakant Koyade on which the show is based. An entirely fictional series, it asks tantalising questions like did Chhatrapati Shivaji have a treasure and was it hidden? If yes, where is it today and if people who have it are safeguarding it for a deeper purpose. Indeed, marrying history, culture and adventure with contemporariness isn’t the easiest job in the world. But Aditya says, “If you come from a personal space of conviction, if you believe in your idea and have on board performers like Rajeev Khandelwal, you can always convince your audience.” Can’t play safe anymore Yes, even if the world he intends to take them into is steeped in fantasy. If OTT has fuelled audiences’ appetite for new and different content, we wonder if filmmakers have kept pace? He replies, “They better. For you can’t play safe anymore. The year 2024 was a defining one in which ‘tried and tested’ was rejected and 2025 will reinforce this even more so.” Thus, it’s not just with The Secret of the Shiledars that he moves into a hitherto untried realm, but his big-budget upcoming film Thama too. Hold your breath and hearts too as Thama, for which he is currently shooting, will be a vampire drama, again a subject Hindi cinema has not attempted before or at least not well enough. Aditya shares, “Thanks to all those Hollywood films, we imagine vampires as these fantastical beings wearing black gowns, gelled hair and all. But Thama is going to envision vampires closer to our indigenous concept of betaals and will have a lot of our own cultural subtexts.” If that is not exciting enough, the unusual pairing of Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna is yet another reason for you to root for this love story set in a world far removed from our reality. Yes, like all Maddock films, there will be message, ‘not in your face’ variant but woven in between. The one big advantage of being a part of Maddock’s universe is, “They promote and harbour people with ideas that are not run of the mill, which is quite liberating.” But can he afford to be a risk-taker for he happens to be a fourth-generation filmmaker? He makes no bones about the privilege which comes with hailing from a family of filmmakers. He says, “It does give you more access and it’s always easy to make your first film.” But at the same time in his 16th year of filmmaking, he insists, “You find your voice along the way.” And as one will hear it resound once again in The Secret of the Shiledars, there are many rules like ‘no nudity, no profanity’ that he abides by. Collective experience Watching movies for him is a collective experience and for his web series The Secret of the Shiledars too he promises, “From a six year old to a nonagenarian, all can watch together.” What’s more, he assures, “It will tease your imagination and will pique your interest to know more about this period of history.” After all, cinema he believes is a tool to empower audiences and transport them to bigger and better worlds. “Escapism’, in his cinematic parlance ‘is not merely a break from your dull routine but a fun trip to reimagine and re-examine the reality you inhabit’. So, as The Secret of the Shiledars drops on Disney+ Hotstar on January 31, enter his world of dreams, one where you can feel great about yourself and your past.