Gullak 4 director Shreyansh Pandey: ‘Individuality of creators reflects in the shows’

A still from Gullak

Returning with a fan-favourite series is not always easy. Creator-director Shreyansh Pandey says before beginning work on Gullak's upcoming fourth season, he was filled with questions. "You ask yourself many questions like, ‘Should we do season four? What new things can we do?' I like to write the first draft and then sit with my writers. So, I first prepared the story's skeleton. When I shared my thoughts with Vidit [Tripathi, writer] and he started giving inputs, then we felt some energy. We began writing in 2022, and it took us easily more than one-and-a-half years," recalls Pandey.

Shreyansh Pandey

Gullak takes us into the loving world of the Mishras, a middle-class family that embraces the small joys and frequent disappointments of life with a ready smile. Even though he is part of many slice-of-life shows like Panchayat, Kota Factory and Tripling, Pandey says each creator makes sure their work is distinct. "At TVF [The Viral Fever], we are a creator-led organisation. The individuality of the creators reflects in these shows. When we were developing the first season of Gullak, we wondered whether we needed to make another family show after Tripling and Yeh Meri Family. But we were telling the story in a different milieu."

At the moment, the creator is excited about the production house's impending foray into theatrical business. "[Films] are something we haven't proved our mettle in. It makes you nervous and anxious, and when you're a mix of both, you approach work with more honesty," he shares.