Why Motwane chose Zahan Kapoor for Netflix's 'Black Warrant'
What's the story
Acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane has entered the territory of prison dramas with his latest Netflix release, Black Warrant.
The series is an adaptation of the book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer by journalist Sunetra Choudhury and former Tihar Jail superintendent Sunil Gupta.
In a recent interview with Mid-Day, Motwane spoke about his fascination with the jailer's perspective and revealed why he chose Zahan Kapoor to play the protagonist.
Lead selection
Casting Kapoor as the lead in 'Black Warrant'
Motwane revealed that he finalized Kapoor, the late Bollywood icon Shashi Kapoor's grandson, for the lead role within five seconds of his audition.
"The moment I saw him, I thought he was great. His audition was the first scene of the series, where his character is seen interviewing for a job."
"In a way, that was apt, because, like his character, he too was [applying for his job]. Zahan comes with a wealth of knowledge about characters and drama."
Unique viewpoint
Motwane's fascination with the jailer's perspective
Motwane said he was intrigued by the book.
"It's a riveting book and tells you something that you have no information about. It was interesting because no one has ever [considered a] jailer's perspective," he said.
"All the stuff we have seen about prisons is from movies [alone]. [When you read] Sunil Gupta's stories, and the incredible situations [he finds himself in], you are sold."
Adaptation challenges
Adapting a 35-year narrative into a series
Adapting the 200-page book, which covers over 35 years, wasn't an easy task for Motwane.
He initially thought of recreating the book "exactly as it is," but realized that would make the series too episodic.
Instead, they decided to build Sunil's life from scratch and explore various aspects of his life like his motivation for taking up the job, his family life, and his daily routine in jail.