Karan Boolani: Hope my good work materialises into better and more work

Director Karan Boolani with the cast

A fortnight since the second season of Selection Day dropped online, showrunner and director Karan Boolani is proud to have given a cinematic adaptation to Aravind Adiga's celebrated novel by the same name. "There is ache and depth in his writing," says Boolani, counting himself fortunate to have a powerful source material to play with.

If the first season of the Netflix drama laid the groundwork by introducing us to Manju and Radha Kumar, the small-town boys who aspire to play in the U-16 Mumbai cricket team, the second edition delves into the dreams and demons of the protagonists. He says it was a collective call to make the story emotion-heavy rather than cricket-oriented. "Emotions are the core of this show because we are catering to 180 countries, and most of them are not cricket-playing nations. We established this at the writing level. Emotions travel further than the sport."

The director's command over his art is particularly evident in his deft telling of the protagonist's struggle with his sexuality. "The blend of sport and sexuality stood out in this novel, and that's a largely untapped theme for screen. So far, we've seen how cricket impacts one's social mobility. But to deal with sexuality from the prism of the popular sport was attractive to me."

Netizens have been quick to point out that the latest instalment is markedly sharper than the first one, which was helmed by Udayan Prasad. "How can two directors be compared?" Boolani questions, "He battled his own challenges; I did mine. Eventually, we both serviced the story. I hope my good work materialises into better and more work. Even with 24 [the TV series], my tryst was to get better technicians with a high-concept story. There is a huge gap between TV and movies in this country."

Also Read: Selection Day Web Review: Seems like a meaty cricketing broth

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates