“How to bridge the generation gap and maintain peace is the essence of Masterpeace,” says Sreejith N about the web series that drops on Disney + Hotstar on September 8. Starring Nithya Menen and Sharafudheen as a young couple, Masterpeace also has Ashokan and Shanthi Krishna appearing as Nithya’s parents while Renji Panicker and Maala Parvathi essay the roles of Sharaf’s parents.
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“It is a family entertainer about two generations and their perceptions. There are differences in their outlook, their take on values, society and life. It is a satire that focuses on modern society through the trials and triumphs of the family,” says Sreejith, director of Oru Thekkan Thallu Case.
Poster of the web series Masterpeace | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Universal subject
He feels that the issues shown in the series could happen to anyone anywhere in India. “To attain peace in a family and to maintain it, is not easy, especially when each family member has a different idea of what peace means to them. That is why the title of the series is ‘Master Peace’. The story is not specific to a place or a region in Kerala.”
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Although Sreejith made his debut as director of a big-screen flick, he points out that he is a storyteller first and so the medium is secondary. “There was the excitement of working in a medium that has become the first choice of a large chunk of film viewers as a result of the lockdowns. They are able to watch a film or a programme in the comfort of their home and at a time that is convenient to them.”
The series happens to be a first for many of the actors as well. Nithya, however, was seen in Amazon Prime’s Breathe Into the Shadows and was also part of a series in Telugu.
Sreejith agrees that it was amazing to direct these veterans of the big screen.
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He says a web series gifts the director the luxury of time, unlike a feature film that has to narrate a story within two to three hours. “The challenge while doing a series is that each episode has to be independent and yet be part of the larger story. Moreover, there has to be a bait to hook the viewer to watch the next episode.”
Masterpeace is the second Malayalam web series to stream on Disney+ Hotstar. Earlier this year, the platform telecast Kerala Crime Files helmed by director Ahammed Khabeer. The success of the series, with Aju Varghese in the lead, encouraged the platform to approach Sreejith to direct the series scripted by Praveen S Cheruthara, the scenarist for Chirakodinja Kinavukal.
Masterpeace will also stream in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi.