Bring on the Night,a new television show,attempts to question the restrictions on nightlife across the country In a city that refuses to sleep,where nightlife no longer exists,four friends convert a run-down bungalow into an underground all-night party destination. The instant success is followed by a series of bust-ups and trouble with the authorities. These events could well describe the recent series of incidents when ACP Vasant Dhoble cracked down on Mumbais pubs and restaurants. However,these happenings make for the story of MTVs new fiction show,Bring on the Night. This show isnt about Dhoble and his likes. The problem of a clamp down on nightlife has persisted across India for long. Dhoble has only brought it to the forefront, says the shows writer-director Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy. The director notes that the 10-part series,which will go on air starting September 22,addresses how people can no longer access the hours of the night. We are not being barbaric or vandalising,yet,night hours are made inaccessible to us Indians, adds Krishnamoorthy,who is also the frontman of the metal band Scribe and the director of the music show,The Dewarists. The bilingual show revolves around the story of Kabir Dalal (KD),played by film actor Arjun Mathur,an event manager who finds himself out of job but keen to start a venture of his own. Invited to a party at his Parsi friends dilapitating bungalow,he sees in the place with its vast space and nooks and crannies the possibility of converting it into a venue for underground parties. He then gets together with his three friends Patrick,Devang Ozha and Maakad and a bunch of others,to set up the club. KD first brings them all together to do something awesome,and eventually,brings them all down with him, adds Krishnamoorthy. Each of the key characters represent real people,youth that one comes across in everyday life with their own set of quirks. Patrick,played by British actor Patrick Fairbottom,is described as a Mumbaikar trapped inside an Englishman,who has a knack of converting the unlikeliest of items into centrepieces. Socially awkward,Gujarati Devang Ozha (theatre actor Hussain Dalal) is the man around technology and gizmos. Sarang Sathaye is Maakad,a Maharashtrian who can get any and every job done with his talent of jugaad. The team,however,adds that no Dhoble-related instances have been included in the show. We remember reading reports on the sets about the raids,but refrained from adding any of those elements since the story did not need them, explains Mathur. The director-writer stresses that the show largely attempts a humourous take on the events. The possibilities are many to push a show that uses night as its theme into a darker zone. But we wanted to keep it lighter so that the audience finds it easy to return to, he explains. The attempt to keep it real has also resulted in beeping out of cuss words that have been used as part of the characters lingo. Unhappy with yet another mode of censorship although appreciative that such a show is going on air Krishnamoorthys production team at Babble Fish is looking at alternatives to make the unedited show available to the discerning audience. The government keeps trying to dictate what we should do,how we should party,what we should watch. We are looking at the possibility of making the show available on the internet, he adds.
