Farhan Akhtar explains what prompted 'Mirzapur' film adaptation
What's the story
Farhan Akhtar, the producer of the action-thriller franchise Mirzapur, has revealed that the decision to take the popular series to the big screen was influenced by its massive popularity. Speaking to IANS, he said that both he and producer Ritesh Sidhwani felt there was a demand for a feature film adaptation. The film, titled Mirzapur: The Movie, was released on September 4.
Film adaptation
'People would always ask us...'
Akhtar said he wanted to create a cinematic experience that captured the essence of Mirzapur while also being accessible to those who haven't seen the series.
He said, "You know, the thing is that whenever we traveled anywhere after the first and second seasons, people would always ask us, 'When is the next installment of Mirzapur coming? What is going to happen next? When will it be made? Is there going to be a third season?'"
Community experience
Akhtar on larger-than-life characters of series
Akhtar emphasized that the characters in Mirzapur are larger than life and most viewers have "experienced this world individually or with their families while watching the series at home."
He said, "However, the film had the potential to offer a community viewing experience."
"Given the kind of story it tells and the world it is set in, Ritesh and I both felt, toward the end of the second season, that this was something we could seriously consider."
Accessibility
Ensuring everyone enjoys the film was a challenge: Akhtar
The filmmaker also said that he and the team wanted to ensure that even those who haven't seen the series could enjoy the film.
He said, "That was one of the challenges. But with Puneet's [Puneet Krishna] writing and Guru's [Gurmmeet Singh] direction, everything came together beautifully."
"We had believed quite early on that this world could translate very well into a feature film."
Digital release
Film is streaming on Prime Video
Mirzapur: The Movie is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Akhtar said this felt like a homecoming as the platform had made the series a phenomenon.
He said, "It's coming back home on some level. So yeah, it always feels great."
"And there's an audience, a different audience who watch the film on streaming. So we'll reach out to them also through this, through it now coming on Amazon Prime."