No gore or shock value: Madhuri talks thriller 'Mrs. Deshpande'
What's the story
Madhuri Dixit, who is gearing up for her role in Mrs. Deshpande, has said that she consciously chose to avoid graphic depictions of violence and gore in the show. The series, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, tells the story of an imprisoned female serial killer approached by police after a series of murders imitate her signature style. The show will premiere on December 19 on JioHotstar.
Dixit's perspective
'It's not the violence that we're talking about...'
Speaking to PTI, Dixit said, "The responsibility is always there. But we are actors, we play different kind of roles and we cannot be responsible for everything." "As a director, he was very clear that it's not the violence that we're talking about, it's not the killings, it's the emotion, it's not like gore and all." "It's the story, it's her character." "So, when people watch...they'll realize that it's not about just that. We were never going for shock value."
Director's view
Kukunoor echoed Dixit's sentiments
Kukunoor also agreed with Dixit, saying that the series focuses on drama, twists, and relationships instead of violence. "It was a very, very conscious choice to make sure that we kept the drama and the twists and the relationships working as opposed to the gore and the violence to take center stage," he said.
Role acceptance
Dixit's initial reaction to the role
When offered the role of a serial killer, Dixit was initially surprised but soon realized that the story goes much deeper. "For a second, I was like, me, serial killer? But it's not about just being a serial killer, it's about her story...the layers 'Mrs. Deshpande' has; she's seemingly just an ordinary housewife but there's so much more to her than that."
Adaptation insights
Kukunoor's approach to adapting 'Mrs. Deshpande'
Kukunoor described the original French series La Mante as "serious and brooding," while he has balanced the Hindi version with darker elements, liveliness, and some "Indianness." He said, "Adapting a French show into an Indian context just doesn't mean taking the plot; it's really driving home the Indian-ness and making it real and acceptable to an audience." The show is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Kukunoor Movies.