'Guilty Minds': Shriya Pilgaonkar-Varun Mitra talk about visiting real courts
Amazon Prime Video is all set to drop its first legal drama, titled Guilty Minds. And, the makers have not compromised, where presenting an authentic and well-researched picture of court trials was concerned. Apparently, both the leads, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra, who play lawyers in the series had physically visited actual courts to frame their on-screen personas. The show premieres on April 22.
Why does this story matter?
The series, announced earlier this month, has the potential of becoming a breakthrough in terms of Indian legal dramas. The recently-released trailer showcased the clash between two young driven lawyers, Kashaf Quaze (Pilgaonkar) and Deepak Rana (Mitra). While one is ethical, the other doesn't mind bending the rules. It co-stars Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Kaushik, Namrata Sheth, Sugandha Garg, and Benjamin Gilani.
Pilgaonkar, Mitra received help from creator
Creator/director of the web series, Shefali Bhushan hails from a family of lawyers, and both the actors admitted to having received ample help from her, as per a press release. But to further enhance their characters and understand the working of courts, Pilgaonkar (of Mirzapur fame) and Mitra (Jalebi) attended real sessions at courts in Delhi and Mumbai. Notably, Jayant Digambar Samalkar is co-directing.
Courts aren't always as dramatic as we've seen them: Pilgaonkar
"I spoke to my lawyer friends and visited [Delhi High Court] a few times for research," revealed Pilgaonkar in a media statement. "Clearly, the courts aren't always as dramatic as we have seen them represented on screen," she said, adding, "every lawyer brings their own personas." "The challenge was to not play into the stereotype of a lawyer but to perform with authenticity."
Mitra based his character on a real lawyer
"I went to the trial court in Mumbai with a lawyer friend before the shoot began," said Mitra. While he entered many sessions, he was especially impressed by a lawyer "who I was told was known to be theatrical and animated and also loved by the judges." The swagger of the lawyer helped him shape his character on Guilty Minds aka Deepak Rana.
