MUMBAI : Once in a while, an engaging and intriguing thriller drama arrives on the screen and impresses the audience. Karm Yuddh is one such show in recent memory. 

Karm Yuddh begins by building up the story as a family revenge drama, where Vardhaan Roy’s (Rajesh Khattar) second wife, Indrani Roy (Paoli Dam), is leaving no stone unturned to become the chairman of the Roy Group of Industries, which was allotted to her husband, who is suffering from a paralysed body after a huge accident. On the other hand, the big brother, Bhisham Roy (Satish Kaushik), is using his power to get to that chair by hook or crook.

We spoke exclusively with the Director of Karm Yuddh Ravi Adhikari.

What made you choose Karm Yuddh?
I believe in constantly getting out of my comfort zone as it is a necessary step to truly evolve and keep growing. This was my first show that is a intense drama, with shades of crime, thrill and suspense. It was unchartered territory and has helped strengthen my trajectory as a director.

What has been a source of strength and inspiration for you?

My wife Rubaina has always inspired me and motivated me. Her faith in me has helped me take leaps and risks which have been instrumental to my success so far. 

Please tell us about your experience shooting Karm Yuddh?  
It was a great experience, working with the best talent from the industry helped me to learn and also to brought out the best in me.

How was working with Ashutosh Rana and Paoli Dam ? 
It was no less than a honour to work with them as their experience and passion rubbed off on the whole set. Ashutosh sir is one of the finest actors we have and he was on my wish-list to work with. When I met him for the first time I was nervous since he is a veteran. He is refreshingly jovial, very humble and made it extremely smooth and easy to work with him.

What challenges you faced as a director while shooting ? - Everyday is a new challenge on set and I can list 60 challenges we faced on set, specially shooting extensively in various locations across India during the Covid restrictions but at the end what matter is the product and we all are proud of it. 

Was there any challenge which made you worry that it may actually impact the show negatively?
While I believe in a solution-oriented approach, one problem really had us all in a fix. We were scheduled to shoot in Kalimpong, Kolkata and a day prior we got the unfortunate news of a land slide leading us to cancel the plan. However, we had only that date of Ashutosh sir as he had other commitments post that and would need to change his look as well. It was a true crisis as we were running against time. We shifted the shoot to McLeod Ganj as postponing was not an option. It was truly a blessing in disguise as the final outcome of the shoot turned out even better than what we had planned.

You come from a family into media and entertainment. Was this the obvious career choice for you or is there a story behind why you chose direction as your proffesion ?
Its actually a very interesting story. I love cricket and it has been a part of my life since I was a child. What started as a childhood sport of interest, soon took shape into something I considered professionally. It wasn’t long until I started getting trained at the Achrekar Cricket Academy and got selected to play for a club in England. This was when I was 16. I slowly realized that my calling was something else. Watching movies and storytelling which I believed was just an interest seemed more like what I truly loved. I understood the difference between hobby and passion. I started going to my father’s sets. He has always been a stickler of hard and honest work. Soon I was assisting Mr Satish Kaushik on his movie set. That assignment was not just a great learning experience but also very humbling. I now knew that my life’s goal is to tell good stories and entertain the audiences. I started with producing two shows in 2010 and 2013 respectively. After being a part of the creative process and programming of Mastii channel I worked on one of the first digital-first movie as a director for Hotstar, Dheet Patangey. Post that I am working towards finding the best stories to tell and bringing them to the audience and creating a winning team as a filmmaker.

Which is the project that you feel most emotionally connected to?

It is actually Karm Yuddh itself. Though my father passed away in 2017, when I see his name as a producer in Karm Yuddh and my name as a director its very emotional and I feel his blessings are with me .