It takes a lot for a show or a film to click with the audiences, and there are times when they do find their people. Some seven years back Pitchers managed to do that, with its subtle and honest ways. So, now that it’s coming back with season 2, there are too many emotions attached to it. Directed by Vaibhav Bundhoo and Arunabh Kumar, the season stars Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Abhay Mahajan, Abhishek Banerjee and Riddhi Dogra. It premieres from 23rd December.
We spoke to Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Vaibhav Bundhoo and Riddhi Dogra about season 2 of Pitchers.
The show struck a cord with a lot of people, specifically the ones who felt like the representation was trying to tell their story. We asked the team about their inspiration for it.
Arunabh Kumar talked about the time when the story came to him, after observing his batchmates and friends who were trying to make it in the start-up world – pitching their ideas to people. He also shared how they’d sit around at a bar or a brewery, and grab a pitcher of beer.
“I related with them [friends] because I was also in Bombay, pitching scripts and films. I then realised that all of us in life are somewhere pitching our dreams and goals to each other, and I felt that it was a very inherent emotion in all our lives. And so I wrote a one-pager story with the founding team at TVF.”
Arunabh Kumar
People who have watched the show know that Naveen’s character is the force that keeps everything and everyone together. Given such attributes, we asked him about his take on Naveen Bansal and what stayed with him after playing this character.
The actor mentioned that there’s a lot, most of him, for that matter, that has stayed with him. While Bansal’s world is completely new and different to him, he feels that there are a lot of similarities between the two.
“Naveen Bansal is very similar to me. He’s a lot like I’m in real life – how he deals with friends, the empathy he has for his team. But, the entire persona of his never-giving-up attitude is inspiring to anyone, and that is something I’d like to takeaway from him.”
Naveen Kasturia
While the show is relatable, it’s also something that is new to the content space in India. Vaibhav Bundhoo talked about the references that he built from, as a director.
He shared that there are very few references of a similar topic, however the fact that Pitchers is a blend of humour, emotions and a sense of empathy, makes it different.
“While making the show we tried to find references of things that come close, like Social Network and Silicon Valley, but they’re very different stories. Pitchers lies somewhere else in the sense that it has got comedy, but there’s also drama and emotions. While referencing we realised that Pitchers is quite unique in that sense.”
Vaibhav Bundhoo
We asked Arunabh about the switch that happened after taking up a character, specifically the one like Yogi – given that it was a new space for him to work as an actor.
According to Kumar, it was all about digging deep in real life stories to present this character. He explored the different versions of his character while working on the two seasons, and there’s a lot that’s in-store.
“I’m an accidental actor, so it was interesting and different, and the way my character was shaped was also very interesting. In season 2, all of our characters have matured, they’re all in different spaces. For us to be able to tap in to that took us a while, but we knew it could be done.”
Arunabh Kumar
Pitchers released at a point when the digital space was exploring different opportunities. With the gap of seven years between the two seasons, the team opened up about the changes that they witnessed.
They mentioned that when the first season came out, there were very few platforms that were making such content. With OTT coming into picture, there has been a drastic evolution in the quantity and quality of such shows.
“The taste and sensibility of the audiences has evolved with OTT coming into the picture. We tried to make a more mature version of the story this time, to match with the sensibilities of people at this point. However, season one is timeless.”
Vaibhav Bundhoo
Riddhi Dogra’s character is one of the new people that we’re going to see in season two. We asked her about the character and her part in the story.
Riddhi shared that in this new journey, there are also many people that Naveen and the team are going to meet. Her character, Prachi is one of them and she’s the go-between for their life and dreams.
“Prachi is probably going to be the bridge, who is a voice of reason, so to speak, in between the guys and the investors. When the commercial aspect gets mixed up with dream, it gets crazy with the different types of energies coming together. And Prachi is the piece that aligns the two in the story of their journey.”
Riddhi Dogra
Finally, Arunabh Kumar described season two for everyone who’s eager to find out what’s new.
Certainly, the new season will follow-up on the characters’ journey as a team and as individuals. It’s about the different emotions associated with chasing ones dreams. This means that it will get a lot more intense, dramatic and unique.
“Season two is going to be very similar and at the same time, very different from season one. There are many new characters and the old dynamics. Season two is the next step, which comes with a lot of new emotions – fights, intensity or the entry of new friends and enemies.”
Arunabh Kumar
All images are screenshots from the trailer on YouTube.