In the Indian streaming space, where crime stories based on real incidents are a dime a dozen, Inspector Avinash stands out in one department. It uses real names, at least some of them. What has, until very recently, been avoided even in films, was something that Inspector Avinash attempted with its first season in 2023, using the real names of the protagonist (Avinash Mishra) and the antagonist, Shriprakash Shukla, the dreaded UP don.
Ahead of the release of the second season, writer-director Neeraj Pathak speaks to Hindustan Times about the show and the evolution of streaming in India.
Neeraj Pathak on using real names in Inspector Avinash
Talking about the realism of Inspector Avinash, Neeraj says, “In UP, these stories were newspaper headlines. I wanted to make the audience feel they are in the UP of 90s. So, if I used one real name, that helped the audience believe everything else was real, too.”
But even then, using a real gangster’s name is a tricky thing to do in India, where legal cases are quick to be filed over such things. Neeraj says, “Legally koi phasna nahi chahta lekin story ki authenticity ke liye agar main naam na loon jis wajah se STF bani, to poori kahaani be-sir-paer ki hai (Nobody wants to get stuck in legal tangles. But if I don’t name the person for whom the STF was formed for authenticity, then the entire story seems pointless). We are basing it on that. Ek CM ki supari li gayi (A CM was the target of a hit job), a criminal grew so big, so if I don’t name him, I should not make the show. So I decided we will see what will happen.”
Neeraj points out that Jio Studios, which backed the show, was also behind Dhurandhar, the recent film that earned acclaim for its realism and using real names of gangsters both in India and Pakistan. “Thanks to Jio for not objecting. They understood it and supported us. The same Jio supported Dhurandhar,” he adds.
‘Everything is same in OTT space now’
Neeraj admits that the Indian OTT world has undergone a sea of change from its gritty beginnings almost a decade ago. “Now you feel that everything is the same in the OTT space – the same format, same formula,” he says, adding, “Give the hero a negative trait. There are written books of that formula of what traits a hero should have. I feel all these things are good because everything should be discussed. But ultimately, every formula is made to be broken. Success can come from anywhere.”
Inspector Avinash, written and directed by Neeraj Pathak, stars Randeep Hooda in the lead role, along with Urvashi Rautela, Amit Sial, Shalin Bhanot, Rahul Mittra, Zakir Hussain, Ayeesha S. Aiman, Zohaeb Farooqui, Bidita Bag, Pravin Sisodia, Rajneesh Duggal, and Ajay Chaudhary. The second season will stream on JioHotstar from 15 May, three years after season 1.