Filmmaker Samar Khan, who has creatively produced shows likeThe Test Case, Code M, Shoorveer, Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke and Avrodh, talks about his filmmaking choices.
Samar Khan has been at the forefront of creating some of the most gripping and successful shows in the action genre on the Indian streaming scene. With titles like The Test Case, Code M, Shoorveer, Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke and Avrodh under his belt, he has a knack for creating thrillers with strong female characters. In an exclusive chat with DNA India, the filmmaker talks about his filmmaking choices and female action heroes.
When asked if creating so many female heroes is an accident or a conscious choice, Khan replies, “It is partly a conscious call and partly just creativity. I think that female characters have an advantage over male characters when it comes to this genre. They have a greater range of emotions to play with. And that doesn’t have anything to do with the actors’ abilities but just the way the characters are written. Women can bring out that vulnerabilities and relatibility much better.”
Khan shares that in the action genre, men are often written in a stereotypical manner, which is getting old. Women heroes help break that mould. “Men are at the risk of being stereotyped as brawny, action heroes who are invincible. That minimises the chances of having nuanced, layered characters that are relatable. Women characters in lead bring in that element. It is much easier to show them balancing work and family and multitasking with ease without losing touch with either side,” he says.
But there have been male characters in the action-thriller genre that have shown that balance but Khan argues they are far and few in between. “Of course, there is Manoj Bajpayee in The Family Man,” he says, adding, “But his character is a rarity, which is why the show is so successful. It is because it is different from so many other shows and films in the same genre. But with women , it can be the norm.”
Having created so many shows and films with female leads, does he feel the fear of being boxed in as someone who only does ‘one kind of thing’? The answer is no, he says, explaining, “It is never about whether a show is military or police. In the end, all stories can be similar, but it is about telling good stories in an interesting manner. And that packaging, that retelling has to be different enough to interest the audience.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Filmmaker Samar Khan")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}