OTT and digital platforms have allowed us to experiment with talent, story-telling, and much more, says Danish Aslam

By Jyothi Venkatesh

Starting as an assistant director at YRF in the early 2000s to directing his own feature films and web series starring leading actors from the industry, Danish Aslam has successfully carved a niche for himself in the industry. Speaking about his new web series ‘The Reunion-Chal Chalein Apne Ghar’, Danish shares how differentiated stories, characters, and plots attract him. “Stories about Indian families used to fit into a certain sanitised mold for the most part, but now dysfunctionality seems to be the new normal. The definition of what constitutes a family is not necessarily the same anymore. I like to think that you may not like your family, but you have no choice but to love them, which is the basic difference between friends and family. Reunion is a story about a family that loves each other, but they don’t necessarily like each other too much anymore.”

Aslam has helmed many such stories aimed at a global audience and his work on OTT has received significant appreciation by the audience. Bringing in yet another unique story with ‘The Reunion – Chal Chalein Apne Ghar’, Danish explains the relatable content that he wants to showcase. “Stories about dysfunctional relationships are so rich in layers and emotions – there are always new aspects to explore, new stories to tell. And the joy of the new OTT-dominated world that we live in is that these stories can be told. There is an audience for them (always has been, I feel) and now there is a platform to show them as well.”

Featuring an ensemble cast like Lillete Dubey, K.K Raina, Veer Rajwant Singh, Kashmira Irani, Prabal Punjabi, and Devika Vatsa, the 9-part series is a slice of life story of the coming together of estranged family members as they rediscover their relationships. Stay tuned to watch the exciting upcoming episode of ‘The Reunion-Chal Chalein Apne Ghar’ on the The Zoom Studios YT channel and zoOm, every Saturday.