Directors of Amazon Prime Video’s Unpaused reveal their excitement about being back on sets

by Suman Gupta

Amazon Prime Original anthology film Unpaused is a combination of 5 stories set at the time of lockdown narrating tales of new beginnings. Audiences are already going gaga over the trailer of the film, and while people wait in anticipation of watching the film, the directors of the anthology have revealed that when they decided to do the film, the idea of getting back to the sets excited them the most.

Fans can witness these stories of hopes and new beginnings starting December 18 only on Amazon Prime Video.

Raj from the famous duo of Raj and DK who directed the film ‘Glitch’ said, “It was time when the world was at a stand-still and we were sitting at home thinking what can be done as film-makers when outlets were completely shut. We wanted to be on the sets, making films and that was the time when Aparna Purohit (Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video) called us for the short film. Reshu Nath came with a sweet little script and things just fell in place, and we were back on the sets shooting for ‘Glitch’. DK added saying, “Initially when the lockdown started, we felt lucky as story writers to have got the time to sit and develop stories but after a few months, I was missing the shoots, being on sets, actually doing something other than just writing and then, we got Aparna’s call. Then we didn’t have any story, but just the idea of doing it and shooting it felt great.”

‘Mumbai Diaries’ director Nikkhil Advani on being the part of the anthology with his film ‘Apartment’ (based on the theme of hope) said, “My Unpaused moment of hope was the hope of being back on the sets. All directors, film-makers, storytellers come alive on the set, so the main idea is to be there. I didn’t even think twice before saying yes to it. I think everybody involved with the film had a mutual feeling, they were hoping to be on the set and there is always light on the end of the tunnel, there is always hope, and that’s what our story also showcases.”

Well-known actress and director Tannishtha Chatterjee who directed “Rat-a-Tat”, the saga of happiness said, “My idea of happiness is similar to my colleagues like we were all sitting at home thinking about what and how to do next, I got this call if I would like to explore a story like this based at the time of lockdown, to be shot with a limited crew. It excited me. Like every other artist, I was also dying to go back to the sets.” 

‘Chaand Mubarak’ Director Nitya Mehra said, “It all started when Pranati (Pranati Nagarseth, Producer: Chaand Mubarak) called me and told me about this short film. My kid was just 6 months old and we were quarantined in another city, not even in Mumbai. But we got on the call with Aparna and it was all so bizarre. She asked me if I would like to do a shot. I said yes, I would like to do anything right now to go back to the sets. Then Aparna said that what if we have a 10 people crew and in my mind I just wondered 10 people would just includes DOP, me and a few more and its over, who would act? So, that was very exciting, to do something we had never done. But like the story of our film is all about trust, that time also I wondered that though I had agreed but in these conditions with people in my family, my kid,  how do I go back to the sets and trust again and that time I thought of making a film that teaches to trust again.”

Unpaused brings together 5 of the most prolific directors in Hindi cinema – Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Raj & DK, Nitya Mehra, and Avinash Arun to create Amazon Prime Video’s original Hindi anthology film. The 5 stories in the anthology are tied together to highlight new beginnings in these challenging times. Along with a brilliant combination of directors, ‘Unpaused’ also explores a talented mix of actors Ratna Pathak Shah, Richa Chaddha, Sumeet Vyas, Saiyami Kher, Rinku Rajguru, Gulshan Devaiah, Ishwak Singh, Lillete Dubey, Abhishek Banerjee, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Shardul Bharadwaj. While the films highlight various themes, the stories are based in the era of Covid and audiences are sure to relate. ‘Glitch’ showcases the fear of human contact during these times, ‘Apartment’ highlights the depressing feeling of being left alone, ‘Rat-a-Tat’ shows how comforting bonds irrespective of age differences can help you survive hard-hitting stretches, ‘Vishaanu’ is the story of a migrant family struggling for their abode and ‘Chaand Mubarak’ highlights how slowly peeling of differences can help individuals survive together regardless of their social strata.