Shashank Raai to make his directorial debut in Varanasi

Azamgarh resident and filmmaker Shashank Raai is all set to direct his first OTT series Country Mafia in Varanasi this month. Also, he will be completing the last leg of series Raktanchal2, for which he is a creator as well as a producer.

His new series is based on illegal country liquor trade. “Starring Ravi Kishan, Ayushmaan Pushkar, Soundarya Sharma, Satish Kaushik and Anitaa Raj, it’s based on the illegal trade that takes place through the porous borders of the adjoining states (from UP to Bihar). I have been part of several TV shows and directed a Bhojpuri film, but this is my ambitious project inspired by true events penned by Sanjay Masoom (dialogue writer for Aashram),” says the UPite.

After wrapping this project, Shashank will direct a gangster-love story Salim and Sonia. “We were supposed to start the shoot in Mumbai and Serbia last year but now it will finally start this winter. It’s based on writer S Hussain Zaidi’s book and is a real-life love story of a gangster from Azamgarh and a Bollywood starlet,” he says.

He along with his crew was the only one shooting in Uttar Pradesh in the thick of second wave. “We shot Raktanchal-2 in Varanasi till May first week till the state government announced partial corona curfew. I am blessed to have a team and actors who continued to work in such tough situation. Thanks to Almighty that all went well,” says the young producer.

Acting is not on his mind but music album certainly is.

“I have been directing plays since a very early age and have got to learn everything on the go. Many have suggested me to try my hand in acting but I am not very comfortable in front of the camera so it’s a no for now. But, this year surely I will come up with a private music album as I am trained in classical music and it’s my passion. But, I won’t feature in it, in fact it will have a professional cast.”