Director Ashim Ahluwalia of Miss Lovely fame discusses adapting Spanish show, Elite, to bring a cultural context to the story
A still from upcoming series Class. Pics/Getty Images, Instagram
Making his digital entertainment debut is National Award-winning director, Ashim Ahluwalia— best known for critically acclaimed films, including 'Miss Lovely' (2012), 'Daddy' (2017), among others. The filmmaker-screenwriter is helming the Netflix series, 'Class', which is an adaptation of the popular Spanish series, 'Elite'. The series takes a deep dive into the intricacies of social status and privilege by showcasing the life of three working-class students and their wealthy classmates.
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Shouldering the massive responsibility of adapting the Spanish series for Indian audiences, he says, “Rather than just making a localised copy, I used the Spanish show as a source novel—as a starting point for something new. It’s not just about recreating a show for Indian audiences, but also about bringing a unique perspective and cultural context to the story.”
Set to stream on the platform on February 3, the director says he is pleased with the final outcome of the series starring Zeyn Shaw, Ayesha Kanga, Chayan Chopra, Naina Bhan, Chintan Rachchh, Moses Koul, Cwaayal Singh and Madhyama Segal. “My work comes from a cinematic place. Class was a great opportunity to use the forms I love in a longer and more immersive way. The series shows us a side of India we haven’t seen on screen before,” says Ahluwalia. The Spanish series has recently been renewed for a seventh season.
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