1. Why did you choose Aashram?
Well, I didn’t choose Ashram, but the MX player came to me with this project and I found this project very much interesting so I decided to work on it.
2 Why did you choose Bobby Deol for this role?
I was seeking for someone who could play a character that appears calm on the outside but has a lot of darkness on the inside, and I think he’s the greatest fit for the part.
3. Seasons 1 and 2 were both fascinating, but what will season 3 bring to the viewers that will entice them to watch the balance of the season?
The growth which we saw of baba Nirala and other characters in season 2 will lead to the progression of characters in season 3 which will unfold the questions like what will happen to baba next and other characters as well, what will be the changes in the political interventions.
4. Last season’s came during the time of pandemic and season 3 is coming when things are better. Does this bring any change?
Because the other two seasons were shot before the pandemic, it had no impact on the tale, thus there will be no such difference.
5. As a director, you’ve made films and now you’re directing web series on the OTT platform. What differences do you see between the two?
Whether a film or a web series, it’s all the same to me because whatever films I do or think about, it’s all about the film’s needs. I’ve directed films like Rajneeti and Pariksha, which revolve around only four characters, and I’ve also directed Asharam, which is a pre-imagination of people that live in the public sphere. You’ve probably noticed that Baba’s Aasharam is highly superficial, which is why so many people come to visit them. I can’t break people’s preconceptions; all I can do is expose it to them on a large scale on screen. For me, there is no difference between content development for a series and content development for a film. Yes, there is a difference in censoring for language in films, but there is none in web series. There is a concept based for families where everyone can see the movie together and watch it in the theaters so we maintain the decorum accordingly, but when we watch series alone on tv and phone there is a liberty taken as you can stop it anywhere and or continue to watch whenever you want or even forward it to someone, but when I talk about making it’s the same for me as there are 300 people unit with me whether it’s a series or a movie.
6. When you started working on Aasharam 3 you faced outrage on the sets by some people and police also interfered. What would you say about that incident?
One day, 50-60 people showed up on the sets and began performing stunts, which we attempted to stop. Our people were also instigated, so we stopped them after an hour when local people from Bhopal and local police arrived, and the problem was handled after an hour. After that, we resumed our work, and no event like this occurred again.
7. Do you follow any baba yourself?
I see people following me from all sides. Honestly, those are true gurus; they don’t follow anyone or want anyone to follow them; they don’t believe in any formalities; they only believe in themselves and their quest for knowledge from the world. You can get along with these guys and find something. I too frequent such locations and am familiar with the people who work there, but I will not name them since they do not want their names to be published. People, on the other hand, want things done quickly, which is why they go to such babas and don’t put in any effort because these people’s false babas handle their businesses.