Danish Sait: Nograj sequel will arrive on digital platform soon 

Danit Sait and Saad Khan are all set to leave you in splits. They are getting ready with a sequel to Humble Politician Nograj, which is now going to be on a yet-to-be-revealed streaming platform. The 10-episode series is being made by Applause Entertainment. The team has completed 95 per cent of the shoot and is left with two days of work. The content has been created by Danish Sait and the Applause team. It is co-produced by First Action and the producers include Sameer Nair, Danish Sait, Maaz Khan and Saad Khan. The latter has written the screenplay and is also directing it.

Meanwhile, the makers are working on the post-production too. The film is currently in the editing stages. Danish Sait, who had camped in Mysuru with the team for 45 days and completed the shoot, tells CE that the series has shaped up well with contribution from multiple actors and good storytelling. He says he is happy to learn from Bharat, the editor, that he is finding it difficult to use the scissors because he finds every scene funny. “Recalling the shooting of the entire episode in Mysuru, I find that the City of Palaces is so quiet and warm. It helped us complete the shoot in time. I did have withdrawal symptoms once I completed the shoot and came back to Bengaluru,” says the writer, actor, Radio Host, Emcee, and presenter.

Danish says it is unbelievable to see what Saad Khan has done with the series. “We realise that with Saad and me on the sets, and both of us being good with improvisations at the last minute, a lot of jokes happen during the shoot. Above everything we were full of motivation, and it will reflect on the screen. It is great to come back together and work as a team, with Vijay Chendoor, Disha Madan and 20 other artists who were part of the original cast,” says Danish, adding, “ When we did Humble Politician Nograj as a movie, it made us better, and everyone enjoyed the film. However, we enjoyed making the series more. Roles are more defined, and we had clarity. I remember, we had the film screened in the United States, and everyone gave inputs. But I gave the staple answer that there’s nothing I could edit at that point, and they have to just watch it for what it is. It was not a live play, it was a film, which cannot undergo any changes once we let it out on the silver screen.”

Ask him if Nograj will be released soon as people are hooked to home entertainment because of the coronavirus outbreak, and he says, “I don’t think so. Every single show with good content on the internet is thriving. Usually, when you make a show, which has a new episode out every Friday, people watch it the same night or the next day and the word is passed around. But good content does not need this particular push. The production house will take a call on the streaming date of the series soon.”

However, Danish is happy that unlike films, a web series does not make him face distributors. “There is a world of difference. Movies need a superstar or big presentation that can bring people. Though a lot of people watch the trailers, teasers and songs, not many go to the theatre to watch the film,” he says.

Danish also has a movie coming up. The yet-to-be-titled film, directed by Pannaga Bharana and made under PRK Productions, has been completed and is getting ready for release. “I am very nervous with my second feature film, and I am getting jitters. As I am possessive about my work, this film is giving me more tension. But somehow I don't feel the pressure when it comes to the series,” he signs off.

Everyone is turning towards digital platform: Saad Khan

Humble Politician Nograj created a good buzz. However, everyone is turning towards web series and digital platform for entertainment. Keeping this trend in mind, I think we made a good decision and made the sequel for the OTT platform,” says director Saad Khan, adding that Danish Sait is quite active on the social media. “When both of us talked about it, we reached a clear cut decision of venturing into web series.”

Saad Khan adds that he is excited about the film. “We are excited. I got a similar thrill when we did the feature film, but the treatment has changed quite considerably, keeping in mind the digital audience. The primary language of Humble Politician Nograj sequel is Kannada, but there are characters talking in Hindi and English too.”.