'Black Warrant': Inside Motwane's creative process for Netflix series
What's the story
Netflix India recently released a new series, Black Warrant, giving an in-depth look into the Tihar Prison in Delhi.
The show is inspired by the bestseller Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer by Sunil Kumar Gupta and journalist Sunetra Choudhury.
It revolves around an idealistic jailer who deals with corruption, violence, and moral dilemmas in the prison system for over 35 years.
In an interview with Variety, the makers spoke about their process for the show.
Insider view
'Black Warrant' offers insider's perspective on Tihar prison
The term "black warrant" is a jailer's permission to execute a convicted criminal.
The series draws from Gupta's first-hand experience as he oversaw notorious inmates like Charles Sobhraj (the Bikini Killer and The Serpent) and kidnappers Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa).
Created by acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and writer-director Satyanshu Singh, the show offers an authentic portrayal of life inside one of India's most notorious jails.
Process
The makers were drawn to the 'hooks' in the book
Motwane told Variety, "From a dramatic perspective, the book has hook after hook. The first hook is Charles Sobhraj getting in, the second hook is Ranga's hanging, and then you have hook after hook. I can't believe this is a real story."
Singh added, "It is sociology because it is jail, the society of jail, but also how it mirrors the society outside. It is political science because it is about resources, it is about liberty, it is about justice."
Supporting cast
How the supporting cast helped the narrative
Singh praised the supporting cast (who played warders and prisoners), saying, "They only had their presence. Many of them didn't even have lines."
"They were shooting with us every day, from morning to evening. So they created their own sense of awareness of their own inner life within the prison, and that made our job very easy."
Episodes
Each episode has different thematic elements
The team carefully planned the structure of the episodes.
"Episode one is fun and games, you're seeing the world of Tihar," Motwane explained. "Episode two is brutal. Three is hopeful. Four is emotional...Five is even more emotional. Six is gut-wrenching."
"I hope this series is one of those that can have legs in multiple kind of realms. It can appeal to people who like deep, interesting dramas. It can appeal to people who like a slightly voyeuristic, melodramatic, masala approach."
Team
'Black Warrant' cast and crew
Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Andolan Production and Confluence Media, the series is helmed by a team of directors including Motwane, Singh, Arkesh Ajay, Rohin Raveendran Nair, and Ambiecka Pandit.
It stars Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Anurag Thakur, Paramvir Singh Cheema, and Sidhant Gupta, among others.