'Mirzapur' characters will have million followers if they started social handles: Farhan Akhtar

New Delhi: The characters of "Mirzapur" have become part of the "cultural zeitgeist", says Farhan Akhtar, who always believed that the show's universe had the potential to be explored on the big screen through a theatrical film.

"Mirzapur: The Movie", a shoot off from the hit series that captivated audiences with its story of power and gang violence in the badlands of Uttar Pradesh through three seasons, turned one of the major success stories at the box office where it earned over Rs 300 crore.

After its theatrical run, the film was released on Prime Video on October 30 with an extended cut.

In an interview with PTI, Farhan, director Gurmmeet Singh, and Sahira Nair, Head of Hindi scripted series at Prime Video, spoke about the origins of the series, the decision to turn it into a theatrical experience and what to expect next from the franchise.

Farhan, who has produced the show and the film through his banner Excel Entertainment, revealed the one constant query he faces from fans time and again.

"'When is the next 'Mirzapur' happening?' That is always asked. So when you know that there is an anticipation and a wait for something to come along, you're relatively on safe ground as far as there being a basic audience to come in and watch the film is concerned.

"And then, of course, the film has to be good. I mean, if the film isn't good, no matter the anticipation, (it won't matter). We've seen sometimes things don't work out," he told PTI.

Crediting writers Puneet Krishna and Gurmmeet, the crew and the cast of the show and the movie, Farhan said they all got together to make a great story.

"The characters have now become a part of the cultural zeitgeist. They really have identities of their own. I mean if ('Mirzapur') characters started their own social media handles, they'll have millions of followers. So that's really what it is. And all the credit genuinely stems from the writing because it's written really well. And then, of course, there's the incredible performances by the entire cast... And then helmed fantastically by Gurmmeet."

"Mirzapur", which debuted on Prime Video in 2018 and quickly became a fan-favourite, follows the bloody power struggle for control of Mirzapur, led by crime lord Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), whose empire faces challenges from ambitious rivals, including Munna Tripathi (Ali Fazal).

"Mirzapur: The Movie", which released in September this year, is set between the first season's sixth and seventh episodes, revisiting the early power struggles in Mirzapur, as Kaleen Bhaiya, his son Guddu (Divyenndu) and Munna face a new threat in the form of a ruthless gangster.

Gurmmeet said Farhan and his producing partner Ritesh Sidhwani always had faith that the world of "Mirzapur" can transcend from web space to the big screen.

"They were very sure that this would translate as a community viewing and it would make for a good film. And finally in 2024, the idea came up that maybe we can think of a story that's not necessarily tied to the timeline of the show before and after, but works somewhere horizontally where we could go back to the characters that had started the show at their most naive and most innocent best...

"We knew we were going into the big screen. So the storytelling became slightly more different than the show. Everywhere within the show, if given a choice, we always hold back and we'll try and do something, which is a lot more subtle, but as far as the film is concerned, we thought we'd go the other way around and we wanted it to be a big screen spectacle. It was more like a buddy comedy film in that sense with Guddu and Munna."

Farhan said while it is never possible to predict the next successful story, he remembers being struck by Krishna's story.

"It really made us sit up and take notice. It was very new for its time. I mean, since then, it has spawned many kinds of clones, but it really was very unique and you couldn't take your eyes off the page. That's what was really interesting about it and we knew that there was a certain kind of risky aspect to making it. Obviously, it wouldn't have been possible to make something like this for the screen in 2016," he said, crediting Prime Video for trusting them with the story.

Sahira, who has been with the show since its inception, said she has witnessed how the love for the show has only grown with each season.

"Now taking this series and this format to a different format and giving it a different experience, giving it a theatrical, creating a space for a larger canvas where audiences that love these characters, they know their dialogues and have seen their scenes.

"Now I hope everybody watches it on the streaming service. We have some extended cut, exciting 12 minutes more for the audience to see, to excite them even further. So if they've seen it in the theatres, they should definitely come watch the service."

So when is the next "Mirzapur" happening? And is there an announcement on the cards?

Farhan quipped that the announcement is a dangerous word.

"Well, Guru's hard at work already. I think he was allowed three days to recover before he got back into work. But there is an excitement of wanting to do the next season, of course," he added.

Gurmmeet was more direct in answering the query, saying "Mirzapur" will definitely come back.

"I think that's something that we can announce. What shape and form the powers that be will decide. We're hard at work at it. And there's nothing that I'd rather be doing than 'Mirzapur' again," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)