Inspector Avinash Season 2 EXCL: Director Neerraj Pathak Reveals WHY He Used Real Names In Randeep Hooda Show

Inspector Avinash Season 2 Neerraj Pathak Exclusive: It's not every day that you get the opportunity to interview a director whose latest show continues to dominate the OTT charts even a week after its release. So, when we, Filmibeat, got the chance to interact with Inspector Avinash Season 2 director Neerraj Pathak, the conversation turned out to be nothing short of engaging and insightful.

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Basking in the massive success of Inspector Avinash Season 2, the filmmaker was at his candid best during his exclusive chat with Filmibeat. From opening up about the overwhelming audience response and behind-the-scenes moments to revealing why he chose to retain real names in Randeep Hooda's gritty gangster thriller on JioHotstar, Neerraj Pathak spoke his heart out on everything surrounding the buzzworthy series.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

1) First of all, a big congratulations to you and the entire team for the huge response to Inspector Avinash 2. It's trending at #1 on Jio Hotstar. Do you feel the pressure and audience expectations for the franchise have increased even more now?

I am truly humbled and thankful to the audience, to all of you, and to Almighty God for this phenomenal success that we are witnessing. Today, there is an overwhelming amount of content available across different platforms, and audiences have endless choices when it comes to entertainment. That is why the responsibility on creators becomes even bigger. You have to ensure that viewers leave aside other entertainment options and choose to watch your show on your platform. So yes, the responsibility is huge, and it is definitely a challenge. But I feel fortunate and deeply grateful that I was able to create something that is resonating with the audience in such a big way.

2) The show is inspired by real incidents and even uses real names. Was there ever pressure or hesitation about portraying real-life figures on screen so directly?

No, there was no such pressure. I believe we are moving towards fearless cinema and fearless storytelling, and audiences are appreciating that honesty. Since Inspector Avinash is based on real incidents and real characters, we wanted to stay as authentic as possible. Inspector Avinash himself is a real-life legend, so we felt there was no reason to change most of the names. However, in certain cases where we felt there could be legal concerns, we made slight modifications. For example, in Dhurandhar, Madhavan is playing Sanyal, but people understand that the character is inspired by Doval Saab. So we changed the name slightly while still retaining the essence of the real personality. Viewers are smart enough to understand who the story is referring to.

3) Do you think audiences today prefer "raw truth storytelling" more than fictional crime dramas?

If the story is fictional but engaging, audiences will definitely watch it. Ultimately, the content has to connect with viewers and keep them invested. At the same time, when a story is based on real incidents, real characters, and real events, people tend to connect with it on a deeper level because there is a sense of authenticity. One of the biggest advantages is that today's audience gets to witness the crime world of the 1990s - the politics of that era, the style of policing, the kind of criminals that existed, and how society functioned back then. I think viewers are really enjoying that nostalgia and realism. In the end, whether a story is fictional or inspired by reality, what truly matters is how compelling the characters are. If the characters resonate with the audience, people automatically get emotionally connected.

4) The climax scene with Samar Sir's crossfire death really stands out, especially the way Randeep Hooda's character directly speaks to the audience, voicing all the questions in our minds. It felt extremely impactful and a very smart move. How did that idea come out? Was it planned early or developed later?

In my mind, I always wanted the climax to create a strong hook for the audience. At the same time, I wanted to answer almost 90% of the questions viewers had so that they felt a sense of satisfaction and completion with each character's journey. But along with that closure, there also had to be curiosity that would stay with them after the episode ended.

I wanted Avinash's thoughts to mirror exactly what the audience was thinking at that moment. That became the USP of the scene - the questions in his mind were the same questions running through viewers' minds.

And honestly, that connection worked beautifully. The final shot was intentionally not designed as a grand cinematic moment. It's actually a very simple camera movement - he is standing there, thinking, and then suddenly turns and looks directly toward the audience. That single moment creates curiosity instantly and leaves the audience hooked.

5) In the past 7-8 years, OTT has completely changed the entertainment landscape. With platforms now offering much more creative freedom compared to traditional formats, do you think this space allows creators to tell more honest and realistic stories, or can that freedom sometimes cross the line into exploitation?

I think it's a bit of both. But today, the major OTT platforms are quite responsible for the kind of content they back. The top platforms understand their responsibility towards audiences, and there are also government guidelines that creators and platforms have to follow. At the same time, individual filmmakers and creators also understand where to draw the line. Earlier, some smaller platforms focused on creating cheap content just for instant attention, but I believe that phase is fading away now because audiences have grown smarter and more selective. Creative freedom comes with responsibility. The purpose of that freedom should be to tell meaningful and honest stories, not just chase quick eyeballs or shock value. If a story has no soul, it ultimately won't connect with people. I genuinely believe that when a creator tells a story honestly and with conviction, audiences will always respond to it. Even if there are thousands of web series releasing today, a truly good show will always find its own place.