Jai Basantu Singh: ‘Uncomfortable subjects don’t find space in mainstream films’

With Anshumaan Pushkar and Kumud Mishra-starrer Satrangi: Badle Ka Khel, director Jai Basantu Singh has delved into the world of Launda naach, a traditional folk dance that sees men dressing up as women and performing. The Zee5 series isn’t his first attempt at bringing the folk dance to the screen. In 2019, Singh had written a film on Launda naach, but it never took off. 

Jai Basantu Singh

“I think difficult or uncomfortable subjects often struggle to find space in mainstream cinema. They are considered risky. Stories rooted in regional culture, caste realities, or social contradictions don’t fit familiar commercial structures,” he said.

Today, however, Singh is pleased that his story found the OTT medium. According to him, the performers’ “loneliness, humiliation, and invisibility” are better captured in a series. He reflected, “Satrangi gave me the space to go deeper into relationships, revenge, emotions, and social realities.”