'Manoj Bajpayee is the best fit for The Family Man'

'We got to know about Bard of Blood coming up on Netflix, just a week after The Family Man's release. So suddenly there are comparisons between the two.'

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK -- popularly known as Raj & DK -- seem quite happy with the response they have received from their debut Web series, The Family Man.

The Family Man, starring Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar and many more, have been getting good reviews all over.

After making unusual films like Shor in the City, Go Goa Gone and Stree and much more, Raj & DK explain that they did not want to make a typical terror-related script with The Family Man.

"Having a subject like this for a Web series, we decided to explore more than what we do in films," they tell Rediff.com Contributor Divya Solgama.

What was the idea behind making crime-thriller Web series, The Family Man?

We have made crazy films like Go Goa Gone, gritty and funny films like Shor in the City, an unusual horror comedy like Stree...

We have created our own freedom through films.

Having a subject like this for a Web series, we decided to explore more than what we do in films.

We also decided not to limit the language to Hindi.

Though it’s a Hindi show, people from the South, from Kashmir and others have also spoken their respective languages here.

You are known to make wacky comedies. People expected you to come up with something in the lines of Go Goa Gone. Why did you then choose this subject to make your debut in the digital medium?

We have always tried various genres.

Like Go Goa Gone, we have also made Shor In The City, where we showcased the darker side of the city along with an element of humour.

The Family Man also has a bit of humour and satire.

We had this subject and concept for a few years but we did not want to make a typical terror-related script.

We wanted to explore it.

So the moment we got the opportunity to make a Web series, we thought it was the perfect subject.

There's also the challenge to explore another genre and make something fresh with it.

Saif Ali Khan was appreciated for his work in his debut Web series, Sacred Games. Since you have worked with him before, did you consider him for The Family Man?

No. For Saif, we come up with very interesting characters.

He is a very good actor and can pull off any role.

But it’s very hard for us to look at Saif as a quintessential common man.

Manoj Bajpayee is the best fit for The Family Man; we could not think of any other actor besides him.

There are so many shows coming up on the OTT platform. Do you feel the competition?

Our focus was the make a unique content or have a fresh take on a subject, rather than focusing on building contacts.

Further, we don’t know which film is being made and what is forthcoming.

We are not connected with movie-based news.

So this automatically takes out the pressure. What remains is our focus on making a good story.

Lately, we got to know about Bard of Blood coming up on Netflix, just a week after our show's release. So suddenly there are comparisons between the two.

We didn’t know about the show and its release date but we know that the audience will watch both. There is space for everything.

Audiences are looking forward to another Stree. When will we see another horror-comedy from you?

Yes, we had a lot of proposals after Stree.

After the success of Go Goa Gone and Stree, we should cement ourselves as Horror Comedy filmmakers.

Now, the milestone is set with Stree, and so we are in no hurry to make another horror comedy.

We are focusing on fresh ideas.

We already have two movies coming up along with two Web series.

Do the two of you have any plans to work separately?

We started together, make films together, work as collaborators for a film, and we will continue in doing that.

Right now, we see the strength of having two people together.

It wouldn’t have been possible to handle the projects we have so far without the efforts of two people.