In the unpredictable world of snakes and ladders, there is no easy way to go up. The web of lies, deceit, and murkiness pulls down every opportunity. However, the scenario behind the scenes while shooting Prime Video’s upcoming web series, Snakes And Ladders, was anything but the story unfolding in front of them—an experience akin to a picnic. Bharath Muralidharan, one of the directors of the series, explains, “We were fortunate to get disciplined kids and artists. Since our pre-production was on point, it felt like a picnic where we enjoyed every moment.”
Echoing the same, actor Manoj Bharathiraja says, “We had a strong script. Also, even though there were three directors, they were united in their vision, so we had a clear idea of what they wanted.” Director Ashok Veerapan adds, “We don’t have any ego issues. When I shoot my portions, Bharath and Alchemis would work for me. It would be the same for others as well.” When creative conflicts inevitably arise, Ashok and Bharath would turn to the show creator Kamala Alchemis for input. Alchemis says, “We did a table read before we went on floors. We analysed the flavour of each scene and the mood of every episode. We didn’t have major discussions while shooting. Even the improvisations worked naturally in our favour.”
Created by Kamala Alchemis and Dhivakar Kamal, and directed by Ashok Veerappan, Bharath Muralidharan, and Kamala Alchemis, Snakes and Ladders revolves around four kids who entangle themselves in perilous situations and how they face the consequences of their actions. Director Karthik Subbaraj serves as the creative producer and producer through his banner, Stone Bench Productions. Ashok and Bharath have previously collaborated with him in his films and are now working on this series. Expressing his excitement, Ashok says, “I have worked with him in my debut film Buffoon. This added an extra layer of comfort. It was convenient to communicate my demands to my mentor.”
Snakes and Ladders stars Naveen Chandra in the lead role. The actor also headlined an intense role in another Prime Video web series Inspector Rishi, released earlier this year. Speaking on the influx of opportunities in the thriller genre, Naveen says, “For some reason, thriller scripts keep finding me. But, I choose them because the scripts are very interesting and I also get to work with good actors.” He also adds, “I have worked on three projects with Stone Bench and I know how they work. I was excited to sign the story, but I was delighted to know I was working with three directors.”
Working along with him is actor Nandaa Dorairaj who plays a police officer in the series. Reflecting on his two-decade-long career, he opens up that he never learned acting. “I only do what my director says. I went to the film institute, but a good actor is born when he is with a good director. I don't prepare too much. I go according to the script, follow the director’s instructions,” he says. Bharath adds, “One of the main reasons we cast Nandaa and Naveen was because of their expressive eyes. They could give a vicious look one moment and turn friendly the next second."
Interestingly, Muthu Kumar too is making a comeback to a thriller series, after a serious and emotional role in Prime Video’s The Village. On the emotional toll it takes on playing an intense role, the actor says, “Since I am from a theatre background, it was easy to shake it off. However, this is a role that I have not done before. Be it Sarpatta Parambarai, Mahaan or even The Village, my roles have been distinct from one another. My character in this series is scary and serious while also being humorous. It was challenging for me to understand and play it,” he says.
For Manoj Bharathiraja, who also plays a key role, this year has been filled with new experiences and learnings. It was in October last year that his directorial debut Margazhi Thingal hit the screens, and this year, he has made his first web series debut. “Although I don’t distinguish between the two mediums, the new experiences have been great. If you take this series, I play a strict father who is emotionally attached to his son. It is very relatable. The three directors extracted work in a way that was comfortable and not stressful. My father Bharathiraja, while directing, would usually enact the scenes in front of me. Those experiences are ingrained in me. I have used those learnings along with the directors’ instructions to perform what was required,” he elucidates.
Bharath reveals that the story is set in a fictional town called Rettamugadu because they want the audience to feel like they hadn't seen the locations in any earlier films. “Jigarthanda Double X as well as Manjummel Boys were shot around the same locations during the same time. We were relieved to know that Manjummel Boys was only shot in Guna caves. We went to interior parts of Kodaikanal to shoot Snakes and Ladders so that the audience wouldn't recognize the place from other films.” Alchemis agrees and adds, “Usually content around kids is centered on either fantasy or horror. A genre like crime comedy infused with dark humour is rare.” “We have seen Pasanga, Goli Soda and other films. We imagined how the kids in Anjali would be if they grew up to be mischievous and reckless. In that way, we felt it was different from other shows and films that are based on kids,” he assures, signing off.