Exclusive! Suniel Shetty on Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega: Using swear words is an integral part of my character

Suniel Shetty, who plays a police officer ACP Vikram in the web series Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega, opens up on how he embodied the character and why he felt the need to use retro Hindi songs in the show.

Talking about his character, Suniel told OTTplay, "My character in the series is not exactly like yera Anna that I played in Awaara Pagal Deewana, but he has that madness in him. Vikram is someone who has no reason to live his life, but even when he is dying, he wants to do it with swag. Do you know what I mean? For instance, in the show, I have used many bad words, but you will not feel them as something abusive, but as part of his character. For example, he gets very irritated when people around him have unnecessary conversation, so after a point, he gives them a 'Really? You think so?' look. This man is full of attitude and even when he is dying, he wants to finish some people before his last breath. So, we have used the song Jeena Yahaan, Marna Yahaan in teh series. We have used music to create impact."

Asked about why he gave the idea to use retro Hindi film songs extensively in the series, he said, "What is the point of having a producer like SaRaGaMa if we are not using all of their best songs in the show? They have the richest music archive, with the best songs from Hindi cinema. Of course, we will use them fully (laughs). But we also had the responsibility of using the song in a manner that people, especially those who love retro Hindi songs, should not say 'Purani gaane remix karke barbaad kar diya'. So, our team worked hard to do justice to every song according to the situation in the narrative."

The actor also believes that using chartbusters in the show has added another layer to the show, to build a better connection with the audience, as old songs bring with them the value of nostalgia.

"These days, since there is so much content out there, OTT platforms are filtering how they can refine their content to reach their target audience. People are going out of their houses now t hat the pandemic has subsided. So, in every piece of content, we have to find elements to connect with different sections of content consumers. The songs that we have used in Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega caters to a huge segment of the audience," Suniel signed off.

Some songs that feature in the series include Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli, Dum Maro Dum, and Chahe Koi Mujhe. 

Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega is currently available to stream on Amazon miniTV.