“Bloody Brothers,” the Indian adaptation of BAFTA winning BBC series “Guilt,” is set to bow on South Asian focused streamer ZEE5.
Directed by Shaad Ali (Netflix’s “Call My Agent Bollywood”), the show is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India. Reset in the picturesque South Indian hill town of Ooty, “Bloody Brothers” follows two brothers, Jaggi and Daljeet, who, while driving home late one night, run over an old man. They put the body back in his house, but when people become suspicious, the brothers’ lives fall apart.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (“Tandav”) plays Daljeet, while Jaideep Ahlawat (“Paatal Lok”) is Jaggi. Both actors chose not to watch “Guilt” prior to filming. “That was a conscious decision that it’s better not to watch the original show, as per se, we are adapting it to India,” Ayyub told Variety. “Everything changes – the scenario, the culture of how characters would react.”
“I didn’t want to see it, because that doesn’t help me since it deviates me from the main script, which is Indian, and in the context of Indian society,” Ahlawat told Variety.
Ayyub describes his character as someone who has always lived under his brother’s shadow but speaks his mind without thinking of repercussions. “It’s not just a comedy thriller, for me, it was also a family drama,” says Ayyub. “And you can see the relationship of two brothers changing. So there are emotional moments also, there are confrontations.”
Ahlawat’s Jaggi is a self-centered control freak, the actor says. “Everything is going out of control, out of his way, and that’s what makes him more vulnerable and angry and frustrated,” says Ahlawat.
In 2021, the Indian government published a ‘Digital Media Ethics Code’ that streamers are expected to adhere to in lieu of a censorship body. Had they been in force when acclaimed and political, violent and expletive-ridden Amazon Prime Video series “Paatal Lok” (2019) was made, the show could well have looked and sounded very different.
“I haven’t read the guidelines, but if we exclude maybe bad words or swearing, ‘Paatal Lok’ will still be ‘Paatal Lok’,” said Ahlawat.
Another Amazon series, “Tandav,” which bowed in 2021, ran afoul of Hindu nationalist politicians who objected to a scene depicting the Hindu God Shiva in a play, with the deity being played by Ayyub. The series makers had to issue an apology and edit the scene.
“People are adapting to it [streaming guidelines] – I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” said Ayyub. “They adapted with the censor board, so that is how they are treating it. And now they’re stopping themselves from saying things which might be controversial. That is how our industry is responding right now.”
Next up for Ahlawat is T-Series film “Action Hero” alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, which he’s just finished shooting for in London. He stars in an as-yet-untitled film with “Kahaani” director Sujoy Ghosh in April.
Ayyub has completed an as-yet-untitled Netflix original film alongside Diljit Dosanjh, an untitled Netflix series directed by Hansal Mehta, with a couple of films also lined up.
Other Indian versions of BBC shows made by Applause include “Criminal Justice,” “The Office” and “Luther” adaptation “Rudra.” All play on Disney Plus Hotstar.
“Bloody Brothers” streams on ZEE5 from March 18.
