Raj-DK on The Family Man: Show was made without baggage of what sells

Nominated for Best Creator for The Family Man in the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards, Raj-DK discuss giving shape to the unconventional spy thriller.

Last September, when viewers found themselves pulled into the universe of the unassuming intelligence officer Srikanth Tiwari, essayed by Manoj Bajpayee, creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK were already charting the way forward for The Family Man. "Amazon [Prime Video] had sanctioned the second season before the first dropped online," marvels DK, glad that the suits at the streaming giant showed so much faith in their offering.

However, DK is quick to add that in the early stages of development, the director duo knew that they had hit the sweet spot with the action thriller. "The creative team at Amazon kept watching it [as we developed], and over the weeks, their feedback was dwindling. Usually, they ask for a lot of changes. But here, they were surprised that they didn't want to change much."

Ask them what made them jump on the digital bandwagon, and Raj accedes it was because of the liberty the medium provided. "What drove us was the ability to tell the story with the clarity we craved. It was designed without the baggage of what sells. We hired location-specific actors. For instance, we thought why not get a Malayali actor instead of having someone play a Malayali. So, we cast Neeraj Madhav."

Raj and DK

Considering the overwhelming love that the first season received, the expectations from the second outing are sky high. Mention this, and DK acknowledges that a sequel is unfamiliar territory for them. "I feel the pressure of the second season. Manoj was rediscovered as the common man hero. A lot of other actors viewed the show as a shot in the arm." The self-admittedly skeptical of the two, Raj informs that they have "updated" the script of the second edition, keeping the audience's feedback in mind. "We have tried to answer the questions raised by them. The track between Sharad [Kelkar] and Priyamani has been developed. People are loving the action and humour, so we have upped that."

More about The Family Man

• The team prepped for two days before filming the 13-minute hospital lobby sequence.
• The character of Kareem, who gets wrongfully killed with the team, wasn't part of the original story.

Cast your vote for the Hitlist Web Awards

Raj-DK have been nominated in the Best Creator category for The Family Man. The other nominees are:

• Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti (Made in Heaven)
• Vikramaditya Motwane (Sacred Games S02)
• Biswa Kalyan Rath (Laakhon Mein Ek S02)
• Richie Mehta (Delhi Crime)

The Family Man has been nominated in six categories, including Best Series, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Male), Best Supporting Actor (Female) and Best Writing.

There are 14 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.hitlistwebawards.com to cast your vote.

You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c/d as on the website) to 57575.

Voting lines close on March 8.

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