Abhinay Deo is back on TV with Tamanna

After making an indelible mark with thriller series 24, producer-director Abhinay Deo is launching his second series, Tamanna on the tube. Touted as his most ambitious project, the show will showcase the story of a woman who dreams of becoming a cricketer. In a freewheeling chat, the director gives us an insight into his project.

The story is a bit unconventional for television. Is it worth the risk Yes, cricket and a woman is a bit contrasting — that’s precisely the reason it is going to be interesting for the audience. When two things put together don’t sound right, that’s when I think we have a perfect recipe to explore. Cricket is just a metaphor here. The story is actually about digging deeper into a woman’s aspirations that are difficult to achieve given our traditional social setup, and I think it is worth telling.

Stories with supernatural elements have completely hooked the audience. How will unusual concepts like Tamanna manage to grab eyeballs If an age-old story like Naagin can come back and get the same amount of interest from people, then anything can work. The idea of a woman aspiring to become a cricketer sounds bizarre enough for the viewer to turn around and say, “let me figure what this is all about”. I am confident about the narrative and performers. With Tamanna, I think we will be able to give audiences something they can relate to and get hooked.