Actor Sushant Singh has been getting quite a few calls lately, each of them asking for a clue. Sushant plays the lead in Kaun? Who did it? , a new, interactive murder mystery series on Flipkart Video that allows its viewers to solve the case as they watch; they also win points for every right answer. “I also heard my cinematographer telling someone over the phone ‘Why don’t you crack the case. What is the point if I give you the answer?’” he laughs.
Not a stranger to web series, Sushant says this is, however, his first time on a mobile platform. “I have been telling my friends and producers that this is the next big thing, especially because mobiles are so accessible, 24 hours a day,” says Sushant, who was drawn to the unique concept of the show and the character of Adi. Till he took on the project, Sushant says he was not aware that Flipkart app even had a video section. “And it’s free,” he laughs. The first season of Kaun? Who did it? has 35 episodes; each a crisp, new case, and around 20-minutes long. The last six episodes reveal the back story as to why Adi is the way he is.
“Adi is a fun guy; he can be a jerk at times. He cannot bear injustice. In a few episodes, we have added a small touch where he is almost not happy following a case because the victim was a bad person. He has his own rules. He doesn’t go by the book. He is a genius idiot,” says Sushant, who was earlier seen in Savdhaan India and films like The Legend of Bhagat Singh , Satya , Baby and Lipstick Under My Burkha among others .
A self-confessed fan of murder mysteries, Sushant particularly enjoyed White Collar and House and is right now watching Lupin . So, how does he prepare for a role such as the current one? “That is a very complex question for me. Over the years, I have developed a process which is a lot of mental work. I believe in cracking the character’s psyche and then the body language comes in,” he says adding that this time he joined forces with the creative team of Sikhya — the production house — to breathe life into the the quirky character of Adi.
Often, while reading the script of Kaun? Who did it? , the actor managed to crack some cases. And that got him wondering if it was too easy for the audience. But he realises that the biggest plus point for a mystery is if its viewers or readers also feel like detectives. “There should be moments where they feel ‘Ah! I told you this is going to happen’. The viewer feels elated when he/she does a part of the process himself or herself,” says Sushant, adding, “It is a tricky format to crack but I think we have managed.”
