Showrunner Karan Anshuman discusses the challenge of adapting the script of Ray Donovan for Rana Naidu without fearing comparisons to the original
Karan Anshuman; (right) A still from the series
With the success of The Inside Edge and Mirzapur behind him, writer-director-creator Karan Anshuman was looking for something bigger to attach his name to. It came in the form of the Indian adaptation of the popular American series Ray Donovan, titled Rana Naidu, and fronted by Rana Daggubati. The action drama, also starring Daggubati’s star uncle Venkatesh, tells the story of a father-son duo who turn against each other against a high-octane backdrop.
“This is easily the biggest show I have done so far. It has given me a lot of freedom to do things that I may not have been able to do before,” starts-off Anshuman as he gushes over the perks of mounting the series with director Suparn Varma and producer Aaron Sunder. The filmmaker adds that the streaming giant Netflix and his producer had faith in him and the writers to pull off this project without compromising his vision. “Every step of filmmaking is essentially a compromise, right? From the idea on paper to the budget, but here, [I found] the freedom to write and direct.”
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For someone who was working on a remake for the first time, the adaptation came as a challenge. While comparisons are inevitable, Anshuman had to ensure the screenplay stood on its own rather than seeming like a derivative of the original show. “It was important for us to sort of own the material that we were starting with and be proud of what we were making. We didn’t have to [focus on] the constant comparisons that are going to happen with the original,” says Anshuman, confirming that they have managed to keep it unique from the source material. “Writing was the main challenge. Otherwise, it was a cakewalk for the 100 plus days of shooting,” he shares.
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