'The Family Man' closest to 'Shor in the City': Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK

Filmmaker duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK are making their digital debut with "The Family Man" and they believe the Amazon Prime Video web series is closest to their 2011 critically-acclaimed film "Shor in the City" in terms of its mood.

"The Family Man" follows a middle-class man, played by played by Manoj Bajpayee, secretly working for the National Investigation Agency.

"Shor in The City" was the story of an NRI businessman, a small-time crook and a budding cricketer grappling with life-changing choices during the chaotic period of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

"For us, this show is closest to 'Shor in the City', in terms of its mood. It was a gritty film, it was about a love-and-hate relationship with the city and yet there was an element of quirk and humour.

"That way 'The Family Man' is closest in spirit to that film as it is real, grounded and has its quirks. But at the same, the series is more rooted in reality because it deals with current affairs, the geopolitics of the subcontinent and terrorism in general," DK told PTI in an interview.

The duo had the script of "The Family Man" ready five years ago but talks for the web series with Amazon began in 2016.

"Working on a series takes more time as there is a lot of content to write. We met Amazon three years ago, they were fresh at that point and we were busy with films too. It takes time to put everything together. We write our own stuff, we don't pick up from anywhere. The process starts from writing to producing to directing."
"What is amazing is, the effort they take and what drives them to fight for the country, when there are no perks in it and sometimes you lose your family. They go unnoticed but give the most. I felt it is a fascinating study of a person, who goes to great lengths to protect the country and gains nothing."
Talking about shooting in the Valley, Raj said, "We had a great experience shooting in Kashmir. We wondered why many people did not shoot there. It is such a beautiful place, the people are helpful and welcoming."