Hunkkaar writer-director Hareez Marfatia on creating a hopeful story, how 19-year-old Aneet Padda left him 'speechless'

In an exclusive interview, Heeraz Marfatia shared insights on the making of Hunkkaar and reflected on the show's underlying message of empowerment.

Hunkaar: The Roar is a story rooted in the feeling of helplessness that many people experience when faced with a system that seems impossible to fight. But for lead writer and director Heeraz Marfatia, the series was never meant to leave its audience feeling powerless. Instead, he wanted to explore the idea that change is possible when people recognise that they themselves are part of the system.

Hunkkaar writer-director Heeraz Marfatia reveals Aneet Padda made a 'fantastic' suggestion in the script.

In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times Heeraz, who co-wrote all six episodes of the series and directed two of them, opened up about his journey with Hunkkaar, working with creators and directors Nitya Mehra and Karan D. Kapadia, building the show in a writers’ room, casting its ensemble and working with actors including Aneet Padda and Vipin Sharma.

Heeraz Marfatia talks about Hunkkaar: The Roar's journey

Talking about the journey of Hunkkaar, Heeraz said creators, producers and directors Mitya and Karan had already got Hunkaar greenlit for development, including the writing, when they approached him to develop the project. He subsequently came on board as the lead writer and co-wrote all six episodes.

However, "What I wanted to push hard and develop in the story was the idea that we are not powerless. The show is about not feeling powerless and despondent, but finding hope. The system is only about the people who stand behind it. We ourselves are the system. If we uphold the system and the offices we hold appropriately and do the right thing, everything gets taken care of. So, the show is also hopeful. That feeling of powerlessness is the whole point of the story, even when something terrible happens," he said.

Heeraz added, "I was very fortunate to work with two of my close collaborators, friends and trusted people, Ravinda Randhawa and Nikhil Nair. The show has six episodes, with almost an hour in each episode, so structure is the most important thing in a story. You have to figure out how you are going to tell it. There are courtroom portions as well, and you don't want them to be too long because they can really douse the immediacy and the hurtling nature of the show."

Heeraz also highlighted the importance of character arcs in a show with a large ensemble. He explained that while the audience needs to follow the main throughline of the story, Hunkaar also has six or seven other tracks that branch out, come together and diverge again. Figuring out how these storylines would work together was a key part of the writing process.

Heeraz spoke about his experience working in a writers’ room with four or five people over several months. He said the process allows writers to gradually develop a shared understanding, describing it as becoming a “hive mind”. According to him, the writers eventually developed a natural synchronicity, allowing the group to function more effectively than they could individually.

The writer-director credited Mukesh Chhabra for the apt casting of the show and added, "We were spoiled for choice for two reasons. One was that Mukesh was sending us great auditions, and whoever we approached was just so good and waxed eloquent about the script. Someone like Zeeshaan Ayyub, for instance, said he did the show not because of his character. That really struck me. It made me think about what the thought process was when he heard all of that in the writing."

Heeraz Marfatia says directing Hunkkaar felt like home.

Apart from being the lead writer of the show, Heeraz also directed two of the episodes in the show. He admitted that it's difficult to choose between whether he liked directing or writing the show more, he added, "I think directing your own writing is the best feeling ever. It is like your home because you remember what your pure intention was and what you are trying to execute. So, it is the purest form. I really can't answer that in any other way. My first preference is not just to write; my first preference is that whatever I write, I want to direct. There is an inbuilt writer-director in me. So, when I write and someone else directs, I am like, ‘Okay, what?’"

Did any actor particularly surprise you during the process?

Heeraz revealed how Vipin Sharma's acting process surprised him and said, "I think all of them surprised me in their own separate way. Some surprised me with the questions they asked, while some were absolute naturals. There is one actor I want to mention — Vipin Sharma. He needed to do a very tough scene. He is playing an ensemble part in the show, and he basically said, ‘You guys are going to take my shot. Just leave me in this room.’

He added, "I described the shot to him, and he said, ‘Just leave me alone. You go for lunch and just make sure nobody is here.’ He sat in the room alone for an hour. Then we came back and did the scene. He played the father, and he had a monologue after that. He just knocked it out in one shot. I thought it was amazing. The preparation that went into it and the mind space that he needed to get into, that was the kind of thing that really surprised me."

How did Aneet Padda come on board?

Heeraz revealed that as Nitiya and Karan had previously worked with Aneet on Big Girls Don’t Cry, they both felt she had the potential to take on the role. However, they believed the part was particularly challenging and wanted to give her the best possible opportunity to prepare for it. As Aneet was around 19 at the time, they conducted an extensive workshop with her.

Hareez shared a particular special moment from working with Aneet and said, "There was a particular passage that she delivers at the end of the sixth and final episode. As the workshop continued, she went into a deep place and found something in her character that she was able to bring out during that workshop. When we saw it, I, as the writer, decided that we had to incorporate it into the script. That just does not happen. It does not happen. I can say with all humility that what she brought and the state she went into was brilliant. I said, ‘No, we have to have this.’ So, we went back, added it to the script and amalgamated it. That was a great experience."

Heeraz further shared that while Aneet was just 19 at that time, she came out mature than her age on set. He said, "The whole unit was protective of her because she was the youngest, but I would like to tell you about an incident that showed how extremely mature she is for her age. One day, we were shooting outdoors and the sun was going down. Once that happens, you cannot light up that space in the same way because you are outdoors and you cannot stop the sun. People tend to go into a little bit of panic because the shot needs to be completed."

He added, "Obviously, my cinematographer and I were also thinking, ‘Oh, we need to get this.’ And she had the maturity to come to me, hold my hand and say, ‘I’ll get that.’ She got it in two takes. I was speechless. It was not just that she got it. It was that she knew she could get it. That confidence, and the maturity to come to me and say the same thing, made me think, ‘Wow, what is she — 18 or 19?’"

The writer-director further lamented that Aneet has changed even after Saiyaara's success and added, “She is still that sweet, lovely girl. Obviously, she had a tough time playing this role because the character is pretty hardcore, but no, not at all. I think she is wonderful.”

Priyanka Chopra as producer on Hunkkaar

Praising Priyanka as a producer, Heeraz said, "She actually saw Hunkaar after it was edited. As you know, she is a terrific producer herself. When she saw it, she said, ‘No, I have to be the knight in shining armour. I have to enable this project to be everything it can be.’ Nitya and Karan were the people who got it to her, and then she came on as executive producer. From what I hear, she has been fantastic. She has really moved mountains for this show.

How did the show finally get made?

Heeraz said the team first completed the development and wrote all six episodes, after which Applause had to decide whether to fund and produce the show. He credited Sameer Nair, then CEO of Applause, for taking that crucial decision, which set several things in motion. Priyanka Chopra Jonas subsequently came on board as an executive producer.

He added, "Karan, Nitya and I, as directors and makers, probably have a Western or international sensibility. But what is beautiful is that this show is as busy as it comes, and it has a very, very strong heartland at its core. It is actually a godsend that JioHotstar eventually decided to come in because they have the biggest reach. Whatever the show has been through, the silver lining is quite apparent."

Hunkaar is available to stream on JioHotstar.