Exclusive | Pushkar-Gayatri On 'Vadhandhi 2': 'Sasikumar Brought An Earthiness To Playing A Cop From Madurai'

Prime Video's Vadhandhi is returning with a new season and a new cop this time. The season, which will shift from SJ Suryah to follow Sasikumar's investigating officer Moosa Raza in Madurai, will take on a True Detective-style anthology format to keep things going.

In an exclusive interview ahead of the season's trailer launch, creative producers Pushkar and Gayatri speak to THR India about the interest in this format. The season also marks the return of creator, writer and director Andrew Louis.

"Andrew had this clear idea that season one would be the story of Vivek (played by S.J. Suryah), investigating the case. But season two had to take a different spin and a new investigating officer. In fact, we initially discouraged him from that," says Pushkar. "Generally, you would think that long form depends on consistency of characters across seasons, and you kind of also sign up people with your seasons. But this slipped through the cracks."

The season had a convincing take on the central cop itself, navigating a different conflict, unfolding amidst the Jallikattu festival. "You will see the parallels between cops who are diligent about doing their job and various cops doing their job. We kind of liked the format because True Detective had done that. Thematically it’s the same but is set in a different world," says Gayatri.

And once writing began, the idea of approaching actor-filmmaker Sasikumar became clear. "For one, the story is set in Madurai. I think more than that, if you know him personally, you’d realise that there's something which the character and Sasikumar actually have in common. I think the best performances come from that synergy, where there is something of the actor in the character and something of the character in the actor. So in all our heads, Sasikumar was turning out to be the most likely choice for playing this character," the producers say.

Not only did he match the role perfectly, but he also brought authenticity to playing a cop from Madurai. "As you know, with South and OTT platforms, there is still a reluctance among actors to get into this format. But when we spoke to Sasikumar, he said he'd do it. Sasikumar's input on filming in various kinds of places in Madurai was really valuable. And he brings an earthiness to playing a cop from there."

With Vadhandhi, the producers are pulled back into a territory they love deconstructing: one of a flawed but morally backed cop. The duo has written cops in films such as Vikram Vedha, and overseen these law enforcers in Suzhal. "The one thing we believe in is that 50 per cent of our life is defined by the job we do," says Pushkar. "And that is something which we try to incorporate in everything we do. We can't build a character without knowing what that character's job is."

But the idea to subvert the cinematic cop depiction is extremely intentional. Gayatri adds that their research includes long conversations with several cops ranging from inspectors to constables, not before adding that the affinity might stem subconsciously. "You know, when you asked me this question, I realised that my dad always wanted me to become an IPS officer," she concludes with a laugh.