Karan Anshuman is one of the directors of Glory, a Netflix series that has received a lot of praise. The show features actors like Pulkit Samrat, Divyenndu, Suvinder Vicky, and others. It mixes the world of boxing with a mystery story about a murder. In a special interview with source, Karan Anshuman talked about how people received the show, how they chose the actors, how the story was written, and more.
How has the feedback for Glory been?
It has been amazing. On streaming platforms, you don’t get the same kind of numbers as you do with movies in theaters. So, it’s always hard to tell how well a show is doing. But this has been the most enthusiastic response I’ve ever gotten.
Who from the film industry shared their feedback?
Almost everyone in the industry who supported me, like Rana Daggubati, Ali Fazal, Sudhir Mishra, and others, said they really liked it.
How did you come up with the idea of mixing a murder mystery with a sports story?
Often, filmmakers or writers get an idea from real-life events and create a fictional story around it. Did that happen with Glory?
I don’t think there was a specific incident that inspired it.
It was more of a planned idea. The original story was about a coach who is obsessed with winning gold and how that affects his family. Then, the murder and other elements came in naturally. Even the final villain wasn’t planned at first. We didn’t know who the killer was during the writing process. But then we went with the most shocking ending. It also fits well with the overall story.
On paper, it sounds like Dangal, but once you watch the show, you don’t compare it at all because of the way the story is told.
Glory is the opposite of Dangal!
It's anti-Glory as well (laughs).
You worked with Pulkit Samrat before, in your first directorial, Bangistan (2015).
Many people say that Glory is his best work. How did he join the project? Was he your first choice?
I think the main reason we chose him was because I wanted someone who would fully commit to this role.
I also knew it would be a new challenge for him, and he was up for it. But more than that, I wanted someone who would be there for all the training, action scenes, and would spend a lot of time with me. Most actors don’t have that kind of time; they often wing it. I wanted someone who was committed 24x7.
Every scene was rehearsed before we shot it.
We didn’t just read it once and move on. We did it again and again. He was great in the action scenes, but my favorite parts were when he showed emotion. He had a few monologues, too. Getting those right wasn’t easy because we didn’t have time to figure them out during filming. You have to be ready and prepared, so the shoot can just be the execution of all the work you did before. Not just Pulkit, we did a lot of preparation with the other actors as well.
You always give big roles to Divyenndu.
His character in Mirzapur is very different from his role in Glory, yet both are in the massy space.
That’s true.
I wouldn’t have cast him in a similar role. I’m not interested in typecasting. For example, Ali Fazal was a big gamble in Mirzapur. He was a regular guy and we turned him into a bodybuilder from UP. Venkatesh fans were surprised with how he was portrayed in Rana Naidu. But I took the risk because I know they are great actors. The same goes for Divyenndu; I know what he’s capable of. He also enjoys taking on new challenges, which Glory was.
In fact, Dev in Glory is the opposite of Munna in Mirzapur.
He’s a good person at heart, even though his methods are questionable. He’s the moral guide of the show, but viewers realize later that he was always right.
There are many memorable scenes in the show, but my favorite is when the bull swallows a grenade.
It was funny and very creative.
(Laughs) Every time that scene came up during editing, music scoring, grading, etc., I couldn’t stop laughing.
Every time. It’s so funny. I love it!
Glory ends with a cliffhanger.
Is there a Season 2 coming?
I hope so (smiles).
Every time we make a show, we build a world with a lot of characters. So, it’s always nice to go on to a second season. All my shows have had second seasons. Obviously, I planned it in such a way that the show ends with the audience wondering what happened. But at the same time, I don’t want to leave them hanging in a way that they aren’t satisfied. The idea is to solve everything, but still leave a little bit of a cliffhanger.
