Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge is in its third season. It has been making noise ever since its debut in 2017 and has also earned the International Emmys nomination in Best Drama category, the first for India. Showcasing what goes behind the country’s most revered and followed sport, cricket, it touches upon themes of play for power, corruption, scandals in the game among other things.
As the show launches with the new season, returning cast members – Vivek Oberoi, the power hungry Vikrant Dhawan, Richa Chadha, who plays fading actress and entrepreneur Zarina Malik, Aamir Bashir, who essays the all powerful Bhaisaab and Tanuj Virwani, the Indian cricket team star player Vayu Raghavan – were joined by the newest entry Akshay Oberoi as they discussed the show’s trajectory and what to expect going deeper into the story.
Vivek shared, “I am excited for the fans to see it. I love the reactions to the trailer and the love Vikrant Dhawan is getting. Sometimes you worry because you feel will people remember what happened in season 2? Will the interest be there still especially with the lot of shows that are coming. But when they give you the love, you feel great. It’s the greatest kick and the best feeling. More important than any award. Season 3 is the best written of all the seasons. You will get to see the roots of all the characters, their journey and their evolution. You will get to peek behind the mask of Vikrant. You get to understand what makes him so vengeful and hungry for power. Plus, the clash between him and Bhaisaab is full on. And, the cricket is the main flavour. India vs Pakistan test series is the playground and I say it does not get any better than this. Season 3 will be lethal.”
“I feel India is home to cricket-loving people. The storyline of our show, which is a mix of Bollywood, India and politics, has many takers. The audience watches it for entertainment year after year. In season 3, we are going to show a lot of political action as well and I hope they will love it,” Richa said.
Tanuj added, “People get a voyeuristic thrill after watching the show. Most controversies related to cricket are in public domain already but when you package it better, add masala to it, make it entertaining and slick, people are bound to like it. Some fans love the off-field rapport and others love the on-field rivalries. The fact that we are able to tap into different strata of the audience is what makes the show popular.”
Aamir further said, “Its engaging because people already know about controversies, fixing scandals, corruption and other related news through the internet. When they watch the show, they want to connect the dots. Indians know all about cricket. When they watch a fictionalised version, they love to connect it with reality and the engagement increases.”
Akshay, who is entering the show in the third season, said, “I’m excited to be a part of this amazing cast. I got to learn cricket for the show. I practiced for three hours a day for two months ahead of the shoot. I took it as a challenge. I have a rivalry with Tanuj’s character Vayu for the team’s captaincy and you will get to see them clashing head on. Hopefully, I am match ready. There are secrets to the character that I am playing but I can tell that it is a big responsibility and I hope we have portrayed it sensitively.” The character played by Akshay is a gay man, Inside Edge creator and writer Karan Anshuman confirmed to News18.
Separately, Richa, Akshay, Tanuj and Aamir have all been featuring in a good number of OTT shows. About the digital medium’s significance in an actor’s profession today, Richa said, “I think this distinction between OTT and Bollywood won’t be for long. All directors, actors, technicians and production houses are doing both OTT and traditional movie content. Like in Hollywood, where all the great actors are even seen on the smaller screen because they want to do good quality content in longer format too, which does not belong to either TV or films, so I certainly feel it creates more opportunities. The audience likes to watch OTT content because it has cliffhangers. Now, movie writing will have to catch up because it has to compete for that same time span and attention. Competition makes things better. OTT has given us many talents. Pratik Gandhi and Jaideep Ahlawat both did movies earlier but OTT got them the recognition they deserve. OTT will generate more employment and the quality will get better.”
“The biggest contributor to OTT boom is Covid. For the past two years, people have been working from home and the theaters were shut for most part of this time. Entertainment is available online. Work has increased for the actors. The canvas for an actor playing a main lead’s brother or friend otherwise has increased. In the long form, each character has a sub plot and their own story. The exposure is more that way for an actor,” Aamir added.
“It is no longer about the hero, heroine and the villain. The characters are of different varieties. People are coming in from TV, theatre and the movies and OTT is becoming a cultural melting pot for all these talents. A film has prerequisites like it will be 2-2.5 hours long, there will be songs or sometimes even an item number. We are not bound by all those shackles here. We are able to be brave and a lot more free in our choices as creative people. Plus, there are chances of coming back again,” Tanuj shared.
Further said Akshay, “My film Gurgaon was released in cinema halls, but it was not until it came out on the digital that people saw it. This is a big advantage of digital platforms that content is getting viewership and more audience, which is good for cinema. This is helping a lot of directors, actors and other people in the industry.
Will Inside Edge have more seasons? Richa asserted, “The story should only be stretched till it’s meant to be. If the rivalries are over, it should not be elongated for the sake of it. Short things are also engaging. I feel till season 3, the story is taut.”
Tanuj added, “All is up to the audience. It is important to not over-exceed yourself. As long as there is a story to be told, keep telling it. Sometimes the makers make the mistake of stretching it. If you have a roadmap, it should be in the best interest of the show. It is a big world that one creates vis-a-vis a show.”
“Some greats retire at their peak, others keep on pushing it and then their supporters ask them to leave. Till the time love flows in accept it. It is not good to expose yourself to brickbats, because things can change overnight,” Aamir concluded.
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