Neerja (2016) and Aarya (2020) director Ram Madhvani, who is coming up with a new series The Waking of a Nation, recently spoke about his film influences.

“On one hand, there is Yash Chopra, and on the other, there’s Fellini and Shyam Benegal. I am a filmmaker trying to balance both worlds—remaining rooted in Indian storytelling while embracing international influences,” he said.

Elaborating on his vision, Ram said, “I am a filmmaker, who’s trying to be on one hand, international, on the other hand, Indian, and trying to be rooted within an international-Indian way of speaking. I want to be rooted, but at the same time, I’ve got all of these other influences, and I think that’s really what probably sets me apart from some of the other people who are also practicing that.”

Ram’s upcoming series The Waking of a Nation, stars Tarruk Raina in the lead and is set around the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The series will start streaming on Sony LIV from March 7.