Real competition is short-form content: Neeraj Pandey

Never one to follow the herd, director-producer Neeraj Pandey has always carved his own path. From his impactful debut ‘A Wednesday!’ to acclaimed hits like ‘Special 26’, ‘Baby’ and the widely appreciated biopic ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, he has always believed in content that breaks the mould.

Now, he’s achieved what many in the Bengali film industry couldn’t - bringing two of its biggest stars, Jeet and Prosenjit Chatterjee, together for ‘Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’. Set in Kolkata, this gripping OTT thriller has struck a chord with audiences - especially in Bengal - for its strong performances. The show has also spotlighted Bengali talent on a larger, more global stage.

Up next, Pandey is teaming up with Manoj Bajpayee for his next project. Excerpts from a chat with the creator of ‘Khakee’:

You’ve worked with Jeet before on ‘The Royal Bengal Tiger’ (2014) and ‘Chengiz’ (2023), where you were one of the co-writers. Now, you have teamed up with him on ‘Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’ and his performance has been appreciated a lot. So how did this friendship with Jeet begin?

I actually met Jeet through a mutual friend - someone I’ve been working with since my Delhi days. We call him KP. I visited Kolkata during a break, sometime around 2004 or 2005 and we met at a hotel. That was the first time I met Jeet. Since then, we kept in touch. We did ‘The Royal Bengal Tiger’ in 2014 and after that, we kept looking for something different to work on together.

What sparked the idea for ‘Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’?

We had to do a second season of ‘Khakee’ and honestly, I’ve always had a soft spot for Bengal - it’s home. Knowing the place helps a lot - you understand the people, culture and mood. It makes writing more real. I co-wrote the story with Debatma Mandal and Samrat Chakraborty and since I have all seen these characters and situations in some form or another growing up, it helped us really lock into the story. That said, it wasn’t easy - we had to go back and revisit a lot and we brought in a consultant from Kolkata to keep things rooted.

How often do you visit Kolkata these days?

Not that often, to be honest. We still have a home there, but there’s no one staying. So now it’s mostly work trips or to catch up with friends and of course, for the food.

Do you plan to direct or produce in Bengal?

Never say never. It all depends on the story and the opportunity. I mean, even ‘Khakee’ wasn’t a planned series. It just happened. That’s how I think good stories work - they grow organically.

Many actors are calling OTT the new TV plus. What’s your take? Is the space getting too crowded?

I don’t think it’s overcrowded - not yet. In fact, with fewer platforms now, things are tighter. But the real competition is coming from short-form content… Stuff people make on their phones and upload instantly. That kind of content is quick, constant and free-flowing.

There’s been a lot of chatter around the new Broadcasting Bill. Does it worry you in terms of creative freedom on OTT?

Didn’t we send out invites for this to happen? (smiles)

You’ve got your own spy universe with ‘Baby’, ‘Rustom’, ‘Naam Shabana’ and others. Now there’s also the YRF spy universe. Do you think this ‘universe’ concept is a Bollywood success mantra?

For me, there’s just one universe and we’re all living in it. I’m happy for anyone doing well with their own approach. But on ‘Friday Filmworks’, we’ve always tried to strike a balance between mainstream appeal and fresh ideas. We don’t aim to be different just for the sake of it. We just want to tell stories that haven’t been told yet.

You often make films about intelligence agencies and cops. Any personal connection there?

Only the ‘intelligence’ bit, I guess. No one in the family has that background. When we made ‘Special 26’, no one had really done a con or heist film like that in India. So, it was the subject that pulled me in. That’s how it usually works for me. It’s always about finding a new angle. Even with ‘Khakee: The Bengal Chapter’, I wanted to show a side of Bengal that people haven’t really seen before.

Coming together

No one in the Bengali film industry had managed to bring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jeet together, but you pulled it off. Was it tough convincing them?

Surprisingly, no. Both of them kept saying it was destiny and in some ways, they were right. It needed the right script, the right platform and the right team. Everything aligned. And both of them had a lot of faith in the project, which honestly added to the pressure for us. When actors of that stature put their trust in you, you really don’t want to let them down. Thankfully, I think we all delivered.