The author of “Maharani” talks about his own journey, coincidences, and Season 4

The author of the popular streaming series “Maharani” and “Khakee: The Bihar Chapter,” Umashankar Singh debuted in Hindi cinema with Arbaaz Khan’s forgettable 2015 feature “Dolly Ki Doli,” starring Sonam Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.

After the movie, he had a period of creative stagnation, but he returned, and in spectacular fashion!

While discussing his wild voyage in the entertainment industry with IANS, Singh initially made a comment on politics and movies.

He said that both politics and film are businesses, but that although film is produced by creative individuals who draw inspiration from life as it happens around them, politics is managed by resourceful and always scrounging individuals.

It’s interesting that he explained that, despite appearances, the very popular series “Maharani,” starring Huma Qureshi, which has an announcement for Season 4 this season, is not fully influenced on Bihar politics.

He acknowledged that some would see “Maharani” as a reflection on Bihar politics since, similar to the film’s lead character Rani Bharati (played by Qureshi), Rabri Devi—the only woman to hold the position—was also raised to it by chance. Singh claims that while their experiences seem to be identical, they are really extremely distinct.

Singh is pleased that the audience sees parallels between the two lifestyles, however. Convincing reviewers and audiences that Rani Bharti is, in fact, the reel embodiment of Rabri Devi is something he views as a creative triumph.

The publication of the teaser or trailer for a new season of “Maharani” always occurs in tandem with changes in the political landscape in Bihar. Is it intentional or just a coincidence?

In response, Singh said that the politicians need to be asked the question. Why does the Bihar government alter every time a teaser or video for “Maharani” is released? “Why do politicians use this approach to promote our series?” Biting his tongue hard, Singh questioned.

According to him, the state of politics in the nation has become so bad that what would seem too fantastical to be shown on film is truly the political truth.

He also discussed the reason for his disappearance after the completion of “Dolly Ki Doli,” the first movie he was able to compose after breaking into the business. After that, he said, he made a genuine error in judgment by turning down offers because he was interested in writing “different” screenplays for movies.

He reflected, saying, “I didn’t know what I should have pursued back then since I didn’t know the sector that well. Although I was receiving one kind of task, I would have preferred to work on another. That’s when I should have realized that getting a solid foundation came before being overly daring.

He spoke extensively about his mistakes, admitting that “I made a lot of bad choices back then and turned down assignments that came my way.” The films that I wrote were never released. The doors of the industry were shutting on me in the meanwhile. Furthermore, no matter how much you knock on these doors, once they are closed, it is exceedingly impossible to open them again.

However, a new universe opened up with the introduction of OTT platforms, and Singh found himself back in the scriptwriting business—albeit this time for web series. In summary, Singh said that although though the move from Delhi to Mumbai was quite an ordeal, there were benefits to the adventure. It seems that he has no regrets.

Even though Singh is used to discussions centered on “Maharani,” he took the opportunity to compliment Neeraj Pandey, the man behind the television show “Khakee: The Bihar Chapter,” which stars Avinash Tiwary and Karan Tacker.

According to Singh, Pandey gives his authors more authority since, in addition to identifying the precise issue with the narrative structure, he also devises fixes for the creative roadblocks.

He said that at first, he was reluctant to put all of his faith in Singh, even though Pandey had given him the go-ahead to begin writing the series. Their relationship drastically transformed over night when Singh sent Pandey the screenplay for the first episode of the show.

Speaking about his next endeavors, Singh said that he has two screenplays ready for production, and if everything goes as planned, these two movies should be released on theaters by 2025.

“Maharani 4” as well? Singh discussed how the show’s creator and co-writer, Subhash Kapoor, is under pressure from the OTT platform to begin production on the show’s fourth season, but both of them have other obligations.

Singh said, “We will start looking at Season 4 as soon as we finish our other work.”

He gave some advise to up-and-coming artists who want to work in the film industry before wrapping off his conversation. He advised aspirants to relocate to Mumbai only after doing a thorough self-analysis. Additionally, if they want to advance in the field after entering it, they must always strive to improve their trade.