Setting the stage for second act

A still from Delhi Crime 2

More shows, homegrown or international, have fallen prey to the jinx of the second season than broken it. But Tanya Bami, series head, Netflix India, is confident as the streaming giant rolls out the second season of its successful offerings - Delhi Crime, Masaba Masaba, Mismatched, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, and many more. The key, she says, is superlative writing. An obvious rule, but hard to follow. "Series writing is the most immersive and extensive process," Bami begins. "We start developing the second season of a show when the first [edition] is in production. So, it's tough for writers to come up with a meritorious season two that increases the scope of the story. At the same time, the signals from the audiences are important. Who did they engage with? How do we amp up certain parts?"

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Masaba Masaba 2 will drop on July 29

Many lessons, she says, are learnt by keeping one's ear to the ground. Bami cites the example of Neena and Masaba Gupta's popular series, Masaba Masaba. "In the first season, people enjoyed the mother-daughter chemistry. Every girl connects with it because you love your mom, but when she [delves] deep into your life, it makes you uncomfortable. So, we amped up such nuances and added a new dimension to their unique chemistry [in the upcoming instalment]."

One would assume that their trump card is Delhi Crime. The maiden season of the Shefali Shah and Rasika Dugal-starrer was adjudged the Best Drama at the 48th International Emmy Awards. Almost two years since the win, as the second edition gears up for release, the expectations are naturally higher. Ask her about the long gap between the two seasons, and Bami says, "We wanted to bring in its best version. So, if it needs a certain amount of deep-diving even after it is created, or needs a patch shoot or needs us to reimagine some things [in the story], we always support our creators. I am happy it has shaped up so well."

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Tanya Bami, series head, Netflix India

The Indian OTT landscape is ever-evolving, making it the perfect ground for braver ideas and experimentation. "The lockdown opened people's minds. Content from the South has become a rage. Indian audiences love their stars, so Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls is doing well. People want us to present dynamic stories, new ideas and production quality that is equal to a theatrical movie. They also expect variety in terms of formats - so we have scripted [shows], and unscripted [originals]."