Adil Hussain on ‘Delhi Crime’s International Emmy Win: I had a very strong feeling that it will receive the award

Adil Hussain who starred in Netflix’s web series ‘Delhi Crime’, based on the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, is elated with the show winning the Best Drama Series award at the 48th International Emmy Awards. Hussain was watching the virtual award ceremony sitting with his childhood friends in his hometown, Goalpara, Assam.

He said, “I was watching it on my phone with three of my childhood friends in my hometown in Goalpara, Assam. We were waiting for the moment to come. I thought that the award was already announced and finally, I asked director-writer Richie Mehta. I texted him as he was in London and we got the award. I screamed because I had a very special connection with this particular series for the simple reason that this series is made on one of the gravest, gruesome and horrific acts perpetrated by a human being on a woman. I was in Delhi when the incident happened and was deeply disturbed. So the way the series is made with utmost respect, deep empathy from the writer-director Richie Mehta and the way it was narrated, the craft which had been used in order to retain the aesthetics of art, yet not losing the gravity and not resorting to violence or cuss words unnecessarily at all. That is a triumph of art over cleverly told stories generally which we see on television most of the time. So, I had a very strong feeling that ‘Delhi Crime’ will receive the award and was so happy for Richie and for the rest of the team.”

When asked how much difference an international honour makes for an Indian show after such a big win, the ‘Star Trek’ actor said, “I am not sure what difference it will make. I hope producers and financiers realise that when they make good series, India doesn’t have to be the only market. The world is the market and to make it of that quality which will be accepted across the globe you have to really work hard on every department especially writing and of course, acting, directing, colour and light, costumes and make-up and we need not resort to cheapness to sell it. You must respect the base fundamental laws of art and there has to be a sense of aesthetics, there has to be purpose and intent behind why you are telling the story. I hope that sense prevails.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adil Hussain (@_adilhussain)

He also feels that OTT platforms have broadened the horizon for all the Indian shows to get recognition. “But that is also a situation that there has to be the quality. The kind of quality I see in the series which are produced from the UK, Turkey, Israel, Japan, South Korea and other places, rarely I see that in Indian series. I still feel it may be one or two that has quality. Rest of the series, I feel like we need to do a lot of work on them. We must find a way to refine our writing and choices of content, “ he concluded.

‘Delhi Crime’ also starred Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal and Rajesh Tailang.

Also Read: Shefali Shah on ‘Delhi Crimes’ bagging Emmy Awards: The show gave me a new lease of life