EXCLUSIVE: Did you know Pratik Gandhi’s Scam 1992 was rejected by every OTT platform? Hansal Mehta REVEALS

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In 2020, the drama series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta, starring Pratik Gandhi, was released. After its premiere, the show saw immense success. However, when speaking exclusively with us, director Hansal Mehta shared a memory of how every OTT platform initially declined their show. It wasn’t until SonyLiv agreed to host their series that he confessed he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the decision.

Director Hansal Mehta discussed the creation of his hit series, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta. He revealed, “We finalized the project in 2017. It took approximately three to four years to write the script. We started filming the show in August 2019 and released it within a year.

In my role as a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: “During the lockdown, there was a sense of pressure as SonyLiv urged us to swiftly release Scam Scam. This new platform was indeed magical, and we poured our conviction into creating what we believed would be an exceptional show that everyone would embrace. However, much to our surprise, it seemed like no one was interested in our masterpiece. I find myself asking, ‘Who is Pratik Gandhi?’

Watch the full interview here

In my eyes, UTV’s defining moment was Applause, and I’m talking about Applause, specifically Sameer Nair. Now, Sameer could have easily persuaded anyone to do Scam, but he went with Mukesh. He heard my desire to cast Pratik Gandhi, he didn’t hesitate and said yes. Then, he played Achint’s music for us, and that was it – Sameer took the bait.

The newcomer doesn’t carry any baggage, but his creative instinct is keenly sharp. This isn’t something he plans, rather it’s an inherent trait. He suggested trusting those instincts, and by doing so, Scam turned out to be what it eventually became.

On May 31, 2020, during the lockdown, someone from SonyLiv called asking for a picture of me, stating it was for our show. I asked why they needed it, to which they replied that it wasn’t necessary as my show was going to be airing on their platform. After this, I expressed my disappointment since all the hard work we put into making this show would go unseen by anyone.

In response to this situation, Nair shared with him that “This is the only place where their show will receive love and attention, but if no one watches it, what’s the point? Our spirits were quite low, but then I knew I had to boost my team’s morale. I found myself needing to lift my team’s flagging spirits, you see. And somehow, we managed to do that, completed the show on schedule, and the rest is now legendary – I believe we made long-lasting history with our efforts.

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2025-04-16 12:39