Rajshri Productions’ OTT debut series Bada Naam Karenge is making waves since its release on Sony LIV with its heartfelt story of love, family values and music. Directed by Palash Vaswani, known for giving one of the most loved family entertainers Gullak, the series stars Ritik Ghanshani as Rishabh and Ayesha Kaduskar as Surbhi in lead roles. The series also has a stellar ensemble cast of seasoned actors like Kanwaljit Singh, Alka Amin, Deepika Amin, Rajesh Tailing, Anjana Sukhani, and Jameel Khan, Chaitrali Gupte, and Rajesh Jais that weaves a tapestry of relationships. Set against the colorful backdrop of Ujjain and Ratlam, the story beautifully captures the traditions and culture of India’s small towns.
Coming from a small town of Madhya Pradesh, Palash’s love for old-school and heartwarming tales is evident through work with Gullak, Cheesecake and now Bada Naam Karenge. It is nostalgia that drove him to direct series, and what better way to do it than with a production house like Rajshri Productions? Sharing his thoughts on this, Palash says, “I’ve grown up on single-screen entertainment since I was six. I was born in Gwalior but moved to Raipur at a very early age. I still remember the emotions that would arise after watching a film in a single-screen theatre. I enjoyed the foam-wali seats, with the smell of popcorn filling the halls. I always loved sweet, innocent love stories with great music.”
Sooraj Barjatya, the legendary filmmaker, approached Vaswani to direct Bada Naam Karenge, which marks the OTT debut of Rajshri Entertainment. “It was an honour to work with Sooraj sir, and I felt an instant connection with the story, written by S. Manasvi. I then brought Vidit Tripathi on board. The story has such purity and a romantic feel to it. The backdrop also features two families—each from different economic backgrounds, with contrasting ideologies—coming together. The hero hails from a business family, is highly focused, and wants to pursue an MBA to turn his family company into a multinational corporation. The girl comes from a family of teachers and dreams of graduating in Microbiology and pursuing a Ph.D. in Virology.”
Sharing his journey from being an engineer to completing his master’s in design at IIT Bombay and realizing his true passion lay in storytelling, Palash says, “After engineering, I took a job at an IT firm, but to my surprise, I was let go within a few months. By then, I had also realized that I couldn’t be part of the rat race anymore. I went back to my childhood memories and what I loved most—shooting films with my father’s handycam. After completing my master’s degree, I landed a job as a creative copywriter at an advertising agency. My experience in advertising helped me hone my skills as a storyteller. Soon, I transitioned to directing documentary films, short films, and later, web series and films. Life hasn’t been the same since.
With Sooraj R Barjatya as a mentor and showrunner on Bada Naam Karenge, Vaswani has already proven his ability to craft a beautiful, relatable story. Now streaming on Sony LIV, the series makes for a must watch with your family, friends, and partners.