“Some of the best suspenseful thrillers have been made in South India,” says Kunaal Roy Kapur

Kunaal Roy Kapur who directed the comedy, 'The President Is Coming' in 2006, also established himself as an actor of merit in shows like  'Just Mohabbat' (1997), 'Mumbai Calling' (2009), and films like 'Delhi Belly' (2011), 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' (2013)  and counting. The actor who plays the important role of an investigative police officer in Zee Theatre's suspenseful teleplay, 'Shadyantra' believes that its engrossing plot will strike a chord with audiences in Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

He elucidates his point, "Some of the best suspenseful thrillers have been made in South India and I absolutely think that the Telugu audience will appreciate 'Shadyantra'. The play has a lot to offer in terms of intriguing twists, intense performances, and high-octane drama.  I'm really really overjoyed that it's being translated into different languages and getting a wider audience."

The biggest strength of this teleplay according to him is the direction, the strong performances, and the immersive set design. He adds, "The sets have been designed in a very interesting manner. The story is also quite engaging and the suspense keeps you hooked till the very end. I think the narrative has a lot going for it and the audiences will love it."

The story begins with the machinations of a greedy construction manager Rohan Tiwari who wants to take over his wife Natasha's company by orchestrating her death. However, the well-thought-out murder plan goes awry. An unexpected murder takes place and the needle of suspicion points at Natasha, her friend Manisha, and an old company employee Shivshankar Dubey. Kapur plays the diligent investigating police officer Mohan Khanna who tries to put the pieces of this puzzle together.

Kapur is well aware of the rich legacy of theatre and cinema in South India and says, "I am a great admirer of regional playwrights and filmmakers. I have been a part of some wonderful English adaptations of regional classics like 'Hayavadana', a Kannada play penned by the great playwright, actor, and director Girish Karnad. We did shows in Mumbai and Kolkata and they were really well appreciated. I loved being a part of 'Hayavadana', because its form was so different. It had music and the cadences of folk theatre. I have also worked in a Telugu film and want to work in Kannada cinema too."

Kapur believes more teleplays should be translated into regional languages and says, "I think this initiative of Zee Theatre is great because it makes writings of different regional playwrights accessible. To be able to watch a Marathi play in Hindi or Bengali or a Hindi play like 'Shadyantra' in Telugu is so amazing and incredibly enriching."  

The teleplay is directed by Ganesh Yadav and also stars Hina Khan, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Shruti Bapna. It will be aired on 4th November on Airtel Theatre, Dish TV Rangmanch Active and D2H Rangmanch Active.