Mumbai, July 12 Filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed the investigative pharmaceutical thriller web series 'Pill', has opened up about casting actor Riteish Deshmukh, saying that it is not fair to label such a talented individual as 'underrated' and that his versatility deserves full recognition and appreciation.
The show marks several firsts for Riteish -- his first web series and his first collaboration with Raj.
On Riteish being labelled as ‘underrated', Raj said: “I find the term 'underrated' quite peculiar, especially when it comes to Riteish Deshmukh. Whenever I see him perform, I am reminded of what a truly fabulous actor he is. Riteish has an innate understanding of what each role demands and executes it with remarkable precision.”
“It's not fair to label such a talented individual as 'underrated.' His versatility, dedication, and consistent excellence deserve full recognition and appreciation. Rather than tagging him or any actor as underrated, we should celebrate their contributions and acknowledge the immense talent they bring to the industry,” said the director of ‘No One Killed Jessica’.
Talking about casting Riteish as the lead of the show, Raj commented, “When I finished writing the show, and thought of who could play this character, there were various names that came to my mind. But when we saw Riteish, I thought it would be very interesting to see him play such a role.”
“There were choices, but he was the first one Ronnie and I both thought we should approach. We have seen his work before - he has done comedic roles, negative roles, and various roles in his Marathi films. He has taken up different kinds of roles, so I was aware of his range, and I thought it would be very interesting if we could collaborate for this project,” concluded the ‘Raid’ director.
Directed by Raj and produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies, the show delves deep into pharmaceutical scams and unethical medical trials.
The series chronicles the journey of a pill from production to consumption, featuring a diverse ensemble of characters including powerful pharma industrialists, corrupt doctors, medical representatives, compromised drug regulators, politicians, journalists, and whistleblowers.
Riteish stars as Prakash Chauhan, a CDSCO officer who leads the fight against corruption, confronting the powerful owner of a pharmaceutical company.
The show is now streaming on JioCinema.
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