Gearing up for International Emmys, creator Sandeep Modi says The Night Manager’s nomination has taught him that rooting stories in local culture will resonate globally
Aditya Roy Kapur leads the series
When Aarya was nominated at the International Emmy Awards 2021, co-creator Sandeep Modi had to skip the do. However, this time, he won’t miss it for the world. Modi will fly out to Los Angeles later this month as The Night Manager eyes the trophy for the Best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards 2024, to be held on November 25. “I still remember the day we found out about the nomination. For 10 minutes, I was jumping out of excitement. After a bit, my daughter said, ‘Come papa, we have to play now.’ In that second, I was reminded that my kids and my family are my real treasure,” smiles the creator.
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Sandeep Modi
Starring Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sobhita Dhulipala, The Night Manager is an adaptation of Tom Hiddleston’s British show of the same name. With both the series germinating from John le Carre’s 1993 novel, Modi says it is the desi treatment that has lent the Hindi series its own identity. “Now, there is a lot of curiosity, respect and love for an Indian show at that level. It has taken us a decade to reach here; filmmakers like Mira Nair, Shekhar Kapur and others paved the way for us. The curve is beautiful because it started with local stories that resonate globally. Now, you see SS Rajamouli taking something hyper-local, a Telugu film [RRR, 2022], around the world. It’s reaching wider because it is pure to its roots. We have realised that we should be comfortable in our skin and make something deeply rooted [in our culture]; that will resonate. I made this adaptation of The Night Manager for India, for the people from Mumbai to Delhi, from Jabalpur to Kanpur. It’s a bonus that the West likes it. Our primary objective is to be honest to the world we know. The more we do that, the wider the story travels,” he states.
Now is a good time to discuss the status of The Night Manager’s next season. Hiddleston has started filming the British spy thriller’s second instalment in the UK. “All of what John Le Carre wrote is part of season one. I think even the British team took a long time to figure out how to take a story like this ahead. They have cracked something, but it’s too early to talk about this. John le Carre’s family, Simon and Stephen [Cornwell], who own the rights, are leading its development. Whenever it happens, it can be exciting,” teases the creator.
Is there a universe in the offing like the Russo Brothers are doing with Citadel? Even as Modi acknowledges that the scope of possibilities is wide, he says that the final call rests with the Le Carre family. “Since it all comes from the source material, the intent [of the way ahead] needs to come from the Le Carre family. Right now, they are very excited for us. They call The Night Manager the show that keeps giving. I think it’s the book that keeps giving. For an adaptation to be loved, not just across India, but across the world, and to be nominated is a huge deal. Whatever you do for the show, it gives back in a beautiful way.”
Currently, Modi is in the midst of pre-production for his next, a Kartik Aaryan-led war drama backed by Karan Johar. Asked when it will go on floors, the director is guarded, only saying, “It’s an intensive project and will take its course. A journey has two parts: the destination you envision, and the unexpected paths that emerge along the way. Five years ago, I would never have predicted working on projects like Aarya and The Night Manager. I used to carry around 10 scripts, each representing a story I wanted to tell. But sometimes, the world presents a story, and you give it a try. This journey feels like flying a kite—you put your kite up in the air because you believe in it, but sometimes, the wiser choice is to trust the wind and see where it takes you rather than pushing against it.”
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