What Makes Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Kapoor’s The Gone Game A Popular Show? Paranoia, Claustrophobia And Chaos

A web show shot at home, in isolation, because of the very pandemic induced lockdown that it focuses on. India’s The Gone Game, starring Shweta Tripathi and Sanjay Kapoor in lead roles, was shot entirely at home, with the crew and cast coordinating over phone and they could only shoot two-three minutes of footage each day. The hard-work has definitely paid back and everyone is loving the show. So how did it manage to impress the audience? The show’s producers help us explain.

Head of Voot Select, Viacom18 Ferzad Palia says, “It’s a story that is hyper relevant. Early into the writing process, we realized that we could be the first in the world to make a full-blown series during lockdown. The four-episode series is an ambitious and tight thriller. It strikes a chord with the audience because of the troubled times we’re living in. The audiences have resonated with the paranoia, claustrophobia and sheer chaos that the story brings to life. Stories are best received when the viewer can empathize with the characters.”

India produced quite a few short films shot from homes during the lockdown but The Gone Game was a rare project as it was a web show – an entire season of a web show normally involves 8-10 episodes which means around 8-10 hours of edited and final footage. Unlike a film (two to three hours final footage) and, of course the time is even less for short films.

For the shooting of the series, devices compatible with high end professional software were used and the actors made use of their personal iPhone, DSLR and MacBook to film their scenes. The DOP first took a tour of the characters’ homes and then, depending on the lighting, suggested the time of the day when filming should take place. The director, DOP and creative producer connected with the actors on video calls for rehearsals, readings and as well as to direct them.

Elaborating on the difficulties of shooting amid the pandemic, The Gone Game producer Sukesh Motwani says, “We were shooting with one actor in their location in one entire chunk or one entire timeline of say around 6-8 hours. Being on their own at home during this lockdown meant they didn’t have any house help in most cases, (just family or partner to help in shots too) so eventually there would be lesser time for shoot as compared to a regular shoot and more breaks for them to help in their homes on cleaning, cooking, etc. We also wanted a certain amount of quality on shots because we were shooting without conventional shooting lights, we would take more time.”

Launched just weeks ahead of the lockdown, Palia claims Voot Select managed to get a subscriber base in three months that they’d normally expect to build over 12 months. The OTT industry has overall seen an unexpected growth, because of the lockdown. With people restricted within the premises of their houses and cinema halls and other outdoor entertainment options not being available, more and more people have lapped up digital platforms for their entertainment dose.