Digital shows have broken the star-system: Goldie Behl

PTI, Jul 17, 2019, 3:14 PM IST

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Mumbai: Filmmaker Goldie Behl is making his digital debut with ZEE5’s “Rejctx” and he believes the format has broken the star-system as the focus is more on good content.

The director said venturing into the digital space felt liberating as a storyteller.

“If anything the web-series has done is that it has broken the star-system to a certain degree. The content is the star. Even in films, it is about content. The shift from stars to content has happened. The storytelling and acting grammar have changed so much,” Behl told PTI in an interview here.

The 44-year-old director said the relatively new format gives one the freedom to narrate a story the way a writer or a filmmaker has envisioned it.

“What is liberating is that you can tell a story with a certain amount of budget and freedom without having any kind of pressure. have done work on all three platforms now – films, TV and web, there is a different discipline for each format.

“If you haven’t done TV, then you would not know how to do serialised content, which is about capturing the attention of the audience that is distracted. This audience can fast-forward your product or story. For the web, one has to take care of engaging the audience at the writing and execution stage.”

“Rejctx” is a teen thriller with a musical backdrop. It is a 10-episode original web series starring Sumeet Vyas, Kubbra Sait along with other newcomers.

“I always wanted to do something around romance, music and high-school. I had made a show many years ago called ‘Remix’ and that was quite a rage at that time. I thought it was time for me to revisit that side of me and put something on those lines but for a different generation. A generation I am more closely associated with because of my son, nephew,” Behl added.

The idea for “Rejctx” came up when Tarun Katial, CEO ZEE5 India and Behl were discussing parenting.

“We were discussing parenting, the belief system about morality and etc. We saw it is as a potential idea. We wanted to show how Indian kids that are global citizens, studying abroad, are dealing with world issues with other youth of the world.”

Behl has directed films like “Drona” (2008) and “Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai” (2001) both featuring Abhishek Bachchan and later went on to direct TV shows – “Reporters” (2015) and “Aarambh” (2017).
The director is now keen to come up with stories without much gap and hopes to have another directorial venture by the end of this year.

“It is going to be for the web. I like this young, adult space and I am focusing on it,” Behl said.

The series premieres from July 25 on ZEE5.