Director Souvik Gupta whose last outing was creative direction for the anthology series “Fuh se Fantasy” released by VOOT is now out with his next web series called Yeh Dooriyaan starring actors Paresh Pahuja (Tiger Zinda Hai fame) and Manjari Fadnnis (Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na fame) on the popular YouTube channel Humaramovie. Yeh Dooriyan which was entirely shot during 2020 lockdown is a love story about a long-distance marriage. Even though it was shot during the lockdown, it is not a story about lockdown or the pandemic, it’s just a catalyst and finds very little mention in the series.

Talking about choosing and casting his actors, Souvik said, “There were a lot of factors involved in the casting. As the series was shot almost entirely in May & June 2020, there was no way we could shoot in a regular way. So, while my DoP and I were constantly guiding the actors on Zoom, they had to shoot on their own in their homes. So, we needed to find actors who would be comfortable doing that and whose family situation & logistics would also suit favorably. Manjari Fadnnis, who plays the female lead Aisha in the series, was the first choice for me & the producers. Fortunately, she agreed, she had the time & the willingness, and she has a beautiful house that suited her character so well. As for Paresh Pahuja, who plays the male lead Vikram in the series, the producers had worked with him earlier and so they were familiar with each other. And he was also extremely cooperative with the whole process.”

Talking about what led to the inception of Yeh Dooriyaan, Souvik Gupta said, “I have been planning to write & direct a love story for a long time. I think we don’t see enough of those nice romantic stories these days. On the other hand, in the last few years, I have seen a lot of my friends and relatives undergo long-distance relationships & marriages — some have survived very well, and some, unfortunately, have not. I have heard their experiences. I think that it’s a very contemporary issue, and it’s going to happen more and more with a certain age group, mostly due to professional commitments. And with the pandemic hitting us, forcing people to stay away, even when they were in the same city, I felt it was the most appropriate time to make such a story.”

In the pipeline, Souvik has two shows as a writer, scheduled for release on Eros Now (with Mona Singh in the lead) & Alt Balaji / MX Player respectively.