"I look for stories that don’t allow me to sleep," says director Hansal Mehta

From his cookery show Khana Khazana to Scam 1992 and now Scoop, Hansal Mehta has come a long way. After the success of Scoop, Mehta answers some vital questions on the genesis and making of the series.

Scam 1992 was released during the pandemic at a time when we had lesser content for consumption. Its phenomenal success gave many of us a new life and so much to be thankful for. But to live on those laurels and to expect a repetition of the same is delusional, something I believe I’m not! Also, we are now in a post-pandemic world. A lot more content and some amazing, amazing work is happening all around me. In this climate, it feels fantastic to see this success.

We began working on Scoop much before Scam 1992’s shooting was even completed. Just like I am quite unfazed by failure, I try to be less affected by success. I get up in the morning, go to work and just want to keep working. I took a short break around the release of Scoop just to keep myself away from expectations and of course, the anxiety that precedes a release. But seeing its success and the amount of appreciation it is garnering, I do feel relieved and of course, very vindicated.

Vindicated for the choices I’ve made and the path I’m choosing.

The producers of the show Matchbox Shots shared Jigna’s book with me in 2020. I saw the potential to tell a story that went beyond the book. To tell a story of aspiration, to tell a story of a working woman in a male-dominated world — that’s how it still is at most workplaces — to tell a story about our times, to tell a story about courage, to tell a story about family and to engage with the audience on a story that is both a cautionary tale and an important chronicle of our times. In doing so I found a fantastic co-creator in writer Mrunmayee Lagoo and her team comprising Mirat Trivedi, Karan Vyas and Anu Singh Chaudhary.

I had followed Jigna’s case in 2011, but like all headlines, her story was replaced by some other headline. While her story got confined to the pages, she and her family bore the trauma of being labelled without judicial process. This story of the reporter becoming the reported and the reportage getting lost in the sands of sensationalism made me want to tell her story, and beyond. That is the reason we have dramatised and fictionalised so many elements of the story.

Stories find me, Subhash. I don’t find them. I prefer just telling stories. It just so happens that some amazing true-life stories come my way. In some way, I become the chosen one. But frankly, all I look for stories that don’t allow me to sleep, stories that I am compelled to tell.

Mukesh Chhabra has been a frequent collaborator and because of him, I am often lauded for the casting of my work since Shahid. We have a simple, instinctive process that puts character before the actor. We have been fortunate that producers, studios and platforms have most often supported our instincts. Scoop was no exception. Karishma Tanna, Harman Baweja, Mohhamed Ayub Zeeshan, Jaimini, Deven Bhojani, Sanat Vyas and the entire ensemble of Scoop are choices we made and are we glad we made those choices. Netflix supported these choices and that is why I find the success of Scoop such a vindication.

A lot of painstaking research was conducted by Mrunmayee and her team. Deepu Sebastian was leading the research effort while Ankur Pathak was in the writers' room and on the set helping us get the newsroom as correct as possible. A lot of research about the work of crime reporters in the field and the working of prisons, was conducted with the help of some really wonderful people. The work put in by Pratham Mehta, my wizkid Director of Photography, Tanvi Patil my production designer, Shivank Kapoor my costume designer along with my associates Rishabh and Gyas has lent this show its air of authenticity. An important aspect of my work has been the directing of the background artists that contribute so innately to the world I’m trying to create. Gyas, my first AD for the past five years, is a specialist at this. His work gives my frames that realistic energy.

We had the rights to Jigna’s book. She was interviewed during the research process. But I consciously did not meet her until the absolute end of our schedule. I did not want my interpretation or the interpretation of my team members to be coloured by too much interaction. We had to imagine, create and dramatise a whole new world. Straight replication would mean mimicry.

I’m just back from my vacation. Now, to complete post-production on my film featuring Kareena Kapoor and on to the shooting of Gandhi. In the meantime, I will await the release of Scam 2003 on SonyLIV directed by Tushar Hiranandani and Lootere, my son Jai’s ambitious debut on Hotstar. These are exciting times Subhash. And I’m glad to be a part of them!