'Dupahiya' director reveals how Govinda inspired Prime Video series
What's the story
The recently released Amazon Prime Video series Dupahiya is inspired by actor Govinda, revealed director Sonam Nair.
In a recent interview with MoneyControl, Nair revealed Sparsh Srivastava, who stars in the lead role, used Govinda's movies as a reference for his character.
Nair sent Srivastava CDs of Govinda's early films like Love 86 and Street Dancer to capture the 80s vibe she wanted to reflect in the series.
Casting insights
Nair's casting decision and creative process for 'Dupahiya'
Interestingly, Nair revealed that she hadn't seen Srivastava's performances in Laapataa Ladies or Jamtara before casting him for Dupahiya.
She said, "I hadn't seen Laapataa Ladies when I was selecting Sparsh. I had shot for Dupahiya before Laapataa Ladies was released, so I didn't have that image of him in my mind."
"I directed him, and we did a real scene with the bike. After that, I was like, 'I don't need to meet anyone else; Sparsh is the one who can do this role.'"
Comparison
Nair's thoughts on comparisons with 'Panchayat'
Nair spoke about the similarities between Dupahiya and Panchayat.
"If someone finds our show similar, that's great. I didn't have any issue with it because we know that our show doesn't have any similarities in terms of story or characters."
"The type of comedy and performances in our show are also quirky and unique. It's a story about a village, and if you've seen other village-based shows, you'll know that village people are like this, and our show reflects that."
Reception
'Dupahiya' has received positive reviews
Meanwhile, Dupahiya, which dropped on Friday, has been winning the hearts of the audience.
The series boasts a stellar star cast of Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, and Yashpal Sharma.
Nair thanked everyone for the overwhelming response to Dupahiya, and said, "I've been completely overwhelmed. As soon as it dropped at midnight, it started, and till now, I'm still overwhelmed."