Prakash Raj, Adil Hussain and Barkha Bisht Sengupta, in Amritsar to promote their upcoming spy thriller Mukhbir, share why OTT is a happy space for actors

Neha Saini

Minutes into the trailer of the upcoming web series by Zee5 titled Mukhbir, the actor playing Lal Bahadur Shastri states that India cannot afford another war. The time is 1965, when cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan are simmering and possibility of a war looms large. While Mukhbir will start streaming on Zee5 from November 4, the series takes one through how India’s intelligence and military might worked behind the lines to ensure that the nation wins a war without trotting guns and massive devastation.

Prakash Raj and Adil Hussain, two of the Indian cinema’s most versatile actors in recent years, headline Mukhbir, an eight-episode spy thriller that tells us the story an ordinary guy, who turns a spy and how. The team, including stars Barkha Bisht Sengupta, Hussain and Prakash Raj; director Shivam Nair, Jayprad Desai and producer Vaibhav Modi, along with co-writer Karan Oberoi, was in Amritsar on a promotional tour.

Booked for screen

The book is based on writer Malloy Dhar’s novel Mission to Kashmir. Prakash Raj plays the role of Murthy, an intelligence officer, who recruits a young man, played by Zain Khan Durrani, to spy for India in Pakistan. “The show is different as it is a plot-oriented story, with multiple layers and narrative. It’s not the usual thriller, but instead a slowly growing story that shows the war within, the dilemma of people who work behind the lines to avert war in a country that is economically weak and still emerging from its past,” shares Prakash. Adil Hussain, who plays an intelligence officer heading the operation, shares Mukhbir is a story about its characters rather than the enmity between two nations.

“What’s interesting is that before I signed up for the role, I had met a family member of the person whose role I am playing on screen,” he says. As an actor whose profile is full of power-packed performances and memorable roles, Prakash says playing the role of Murthy was enriching. “What pulled me towards Mukhbir was the intent behind its premise. Some characters stay with you and haunt you, but this one just made me grow and change as an actor. I got to live in the 1965 India, relive the historical moments and bring out so many nuances to a character that is vulnerable, yet dedicated towards performing his duty. It was beautiful journey for me.”

Back in time

The series has been shot extensively in Punjab, especially Amritsar, to depict the Lahore of 1960s. Barkha Bisht Sengupta, who plays the character of a Pakistani ghazal singer, says unlike many spy-thriller sagas, this one is about real-life inspired characters. “You connect with every character and details behind them, their story is what makes it different. I was the last one to join the cast and it was amazing to work with such a brilliant team,” she shares.

While all three have had different journeys in the entertainment industry, they agree that working in OTT space is extremely satisfying for actors, irrespective of language. “OTT platforms have changed the dynamics of the industry. Now stories can be made without restrictions of a two-hour window. In films, we are stuck because of the mafia. With OTTs, the mafia has been eliminated, audience and makers are directly connected. We have an opportunity to tell a story like Mukhbir, add nuance to every character. Any actor would be happy to do it,” says Prakash Raj.

Barkha, who transitioned from TV to films, adds, “Due to OTTs, actors like me, who come from TV, have been given an opportunity to explore new roles, perform to their full potential, unlike television. It is extremely satisfying.”

Adil Hussain, whose two films were recently screened at the Busan Film Festival, too agrees that because of OTT, everyday stories and characters, which one can easily relate to, are being encouraged.