Sudhir Mishra on ‘Fauda’ Indian Adaptation ‘Tanaav’: ‘I’m Not Looking for Controversy – I’m not Shying Away From it Either’

Naman Ramachandran
·2 min read
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Veteran Indian filmmaker Sudhir Mishra’s latest venture is “Tanaav,” the Indian adaptation of Israeli global hit “Fauda.” The series is transposed from Israel and Palestine to the troubled area that is Kashmir and tells the story of a Special Covert Ops Unit.

” ‘Fauda’ is about two countries, Israel and Palestine and it is about two religions. We didn’t want to do that. This is not about religion. This is not about Hindu versus Muslim. This is India versus, let’s say, terrorism or another kind of extreme ideology,” Mishra told Variety.

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About the decision to set it in Kashmir, Mishra says that the series needed to be in a “disturbed zone” and that he’s been familiar with Kashmir for years and tried to move away from the cliched representation of the state and treated it in a “nuanced, interesting way.”

Setting it in Kashmir, long a bone of contention between the often-warring countries of India and Pakistan, could have been a political minefield, but the seasoned Mishra made it a point to avoid that. “We’ve tried to stay true to the story. I’m not a guy looking for controversy – I’m not shying away from it either and I’m not a sensationalist. So, if you remain truthful to the story and to the adaptation, and to the human costs of things from either side and if that is your view, then I don’t think you have to worry too much,” said Mishra.

For Mishra, a flag bearer of cinema, having directed classics including “Dharavi” (1992), “Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin” (1996) and “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi” (2003), “Tanaav” is the third successive streaming show after making “Hostages” for Disney+ Hotstar and “Serious Men” for Netflix. He used to avoid television but is now finds himself drawn to the freedom that streaming brings with it.

“The long form is a very interesting form for me, it’s novelistic, you can be elaborate. I have gone into an adaptation, because I was trying to learn, as somebody who’s already worked on structures, to understand the whole form. And now I’m writing a couple of things which are originals, which stems from Indian stories,” said Mishra.

Next up for Mishra is a segment of anthology film “Be Positive” and thriller film “Afwah,” starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar, both produced by Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks.

“Tanaav,” produced by Applause Entertainment, is now streaming on SonyLIV.

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