Pharma director PR Arun: This season marks the beginning of a larger universe | Exclusive

Though there’s been a few Malayalam web series since the pandemic, director PR Arun’s Pharma has to arguably be the most-anticipated one, mainly due to its cast that features Nivin Pauly as well as Rajit Kapur. Arun, who had previously helmed movies such as Finals and Jamnapyari, says that what drove him to make the series - inspired by true events - was that it dealt with the harsh realities of the Indian pharmaceutical industry that “needed to be told, loudly and repeatedly”.

In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Arun talks about the relevance of Pharma, his plans for its next season and his second web series revolving around a beauty pageant.

Even though Pharma was your first foray into web series, you have now completed the shoot of your second web series. Tell us the reason you chose to do Pharma in this format.

It’s the subject that Pharma addresses. I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry in the sales department and I have first-hand knowledge of the lives of medical representatives from various companies. So, this is definitely inspired by true events, and I was convinced if I had to tell this story, it needed a long format.

Also read: Kerala Crime Files S3, Anali, Roslin and more: JioHotstar announces 5 Malayalam web series for 2026 

The web series revolves around the life of a sales representative, and is set against the often unspoken realities of the pharmaceutical industry. I have always believed that the biggest criminals are the ones dressed in suits. Take, for instance, a company facing thousands of lawsuits over something as basic as children’s talcum powder and yet almost every household has bought or used it, and the brand continues to thrive. That uncomfortable truth is exactly why this story had to be told and why the entire team stayed committed, even when expected delays happened.

Because Pharma had taken years to release, you would think it’s done on a massive scale and that’s what caused the delay. That’s not the reason, really. It got delayed because of technical issues including the ownership transfer of the OTT platform.

Even when I first pitched this to Nivin, who himself is a fan of long-format storytelling, he also agreed. More than being part of entertainers, he is also someone keen on doing films that are relevant and address social issues. That’s who we along with producer Krishnan Sethukumar came together for this web series.

Just two months ago, the death of at least 15 children in Madhya Pradesh were linked to the consumption of cough syrup containing toxic substances. The theme of Pharma is probably now more relevant than ever.

Yes. I am not claiming that the series will have earth-shattering revelations or present something new. It’s a story that many may already anticipate, but it’s one that still needs to be told, and told loudly, repeatedly. Just because we have heard of justice being denied before doesn’t mean we should stop calling it out every time it happens.

Was there a conscious intention to release a socially driven drama like this on a platform such as JioHotstar, one with national reach, to ensure the message is heard as widely as possible?

Yes, that intent was very much there. We had not just shot the film in Kerala; it’s also set in Hyderabad, Punjab and Delhi. The length and breadth of the Indian pharmaceutical industry is immense; there are over tens of thousands of pharmaceutical manufacturing units that are operating illegally.

That said, there are also positive changes amid this adverse situation. Because of the resistance from doctors, there have been improvements. What we have tried is to focus on doctors and a salesman to tell a story that people anywhere can connect with. Pharma is not a thriller; it’s a story told in a way that the common people can relate to.

You said you had worked in the pharma industry, but to add layers to the story, you would have also needed to do your research. How did you go about that?

It didn’t require anything risky, because we haven’t tried to target or malign a particular company. You also wouldn’t find anything of that sort either in the series. But we wanted to reveal the uncomfortable realities of this industry.

Also read: Nivin Pauly on Pharma: This Malayalam series is beyond entertainment, it's a tale about the next generation 

Could you explain the freedom that the web-series format gave you as a filmmaker?

This season of Pharma marks the beginning of a larger universe. In films, the focus is usually on a single story arc, where it begins and how it concludes. But with most web series, the emphasis is on the evolution of the characters. When you think of your favourite shows, be it Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones, you don’t immediately recall specific plot points, but you instantly remember the characters and the arcs they went through. That aspect of character-driven storytelling is something unique to the web-series format.

In Pharma too, there are a host of such characters - from Nivin’s KP Vinod and Rajit Kapur’s Dr Rajiv Rao to Shruti Ramachandran’s Dr Janaki and Narain’s Dr Vijay.

So, there's definitely a season 2 on the cards with all of them?

I hope it happens (laughs).

You have also completed shooting for another web series, starring Anarkali Marikar and Gayathrie Shanker, in the meantime.

Yes, it’s for Sony LIV. It’s based on a beauty pageant show. It’s entirely different from Pharma, and revolves around fashion. I am also busy with my theatre group, Fifth Estate. We just staged a play in Kochi a few weeks ago, with Jeo Baby and Anagha Narayanan.

Just a few days ago, JioHotstar announced a slate of new Malayalam web series. Having already directed two in this format, how do you assess the audience’s response to the format so far, especially, barring Kerala Crime Files, we haven’t had a breakout web series so far?

It’s a valid question. The budget for an entire Malayalam web series is often less than what a single episode costs in many other languages, and that’s because ours is still a small and nascent market. The platforms are now only beginning to gauge the reactions of our audience. But I am sure that will evolve.

Right now, the micro-storytelling format is gaining massive popularity worldwide, with stories being told in under 60 seconds. We are seeing a surge of different formats, and they will also co-exist, because there are countless stories that are waiting to be told.

Pharma FAQs:

Q. When and where to watch Pharma web series?

A. Nivin Pauly's Pharma will begin streaming on JioHotstar from December 19, 2025. The social drama will be available in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on the platform. 

Q. Is Pharma based on a real-life incident?

A. Pharma director PR Arun told OTTplay that the movie is inspired from several true events and sheds light on the harsh realities of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. 

Q. What is the story of Nivin Pauly's Pharma?

A. Pharma revolves around the life of a medical representative KP Vinod (Nivin Pauly) and his rise in his career that also puts him at the centre of a resistance againt the malpractices in the industry.