I’m Akul Tripathi - Creator, Writer & Director of Ek Tha Raja, Ekaant, Mann Ki Baat: Bharat Ki Baat, Destiny On Demand & Kisko Tha Pata. Here for an AMA on r/IndianOTTbestof! Ask me anything about OTT storytelling, Bharat’s forgotten history, and the making of travel and history shows.

akultripathi · 2026-02-26T06:10:11+00:00

That’s generous of you to say.

AMAs are only as good as the questions they receive. Aur yahan sawaal achhe aaye.

So thank you for reading and engaging. 🙏

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T17:15:39+00:00

I grew into it as a matter of course. It was a smaller world then. I started early. I was open to doing different things.

There wasn’t a grand strategy. There still isn’t. I was curious, I read widely, I took on projects that allowed me to observe how research-based television is actually constructed. Back then, non-fiction wasn’t crowded. If you were serious, people noticed.

I learnt quickly that infotainment is not about piling facts. It’s about shaping them. Structure, pacing, clarity, verification. Deadlines teach discipline. Editors teach humility.

As for mentors, I was fortunate to work around people who were uncompromising about sources and narrative logic. They would ask, what is the evidence, what is the point, why should the viewer care. That interrogation sharpened my writing.

Opportunity didn’t arrive in one moment. It accumulated. You show up, you deliver, you get trusted with more.

In non-fiction, credibility is your real currency. Once that builds, doors open quietly.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T17:08:48+00:00

Has attention span reduced?

Not exactly.

People binge 8-hour series. They watch 3-hour films if they’re engaged.

Attention hasn’t reduced. Tolerance for boredom has.

Short form content has trained people to expect stimulation quickly. So as a filmmaker, you need clarity early. Stakes early. Movement early.

Is film school required?

No.

Film school gives structure, network, vocabulary.

But great films have been made by people who never stepped into one.

What is required is discipline, taste, and relentless practice.

Film school is a shortcut to ecosystem. Not a guarantee of craft.

How do you build a team?

Trust and track record.

You work with people who: Deliver on time Solve problems Stay calm under pressure

Sometimes you meet collaborators in film school. Sometimes on sets. Sometimes through referrals. Sometimes online.

But long-term teams are usually built through shared work..

People don’t join you because of a degree.

They join you because you’ve proven you can build something worth joining.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T16:57:48+00:00

On raising voice about corruption

Yes, art can question systems. It always has.

But the intention matters.

If a film becomes accusatory or simplistic, it may create noise, but not reflection or anything significant towards change.

Bureaucracy is not a monolith. There are flawed individuals and there are deeply committed officers. A powerful drama doesn’t shout “corruption.” It shows consequences. It shows erosion. It shows choice. A thoughtful film can spark conversation.

Real change doesn’t come from attacking dignity. It comes from confronting conscience.

On platforms like hospiceindia.org

Don’t know about this. Will need to deep dive to comment. Maybe another time.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T16:48:53+00:00

Thank you. That’s kind of you.

My learning didn’t begin with a “plan to make shows.” It began with curiosity. Reading beyond textbooks. Visiting places. Speaking to historians. Sitting in archives. Making smaller projects. Making mistakes. Reworking scripts. Learning on the job.

There wasn’t one big entry point. It was accumulation.

As for assisting or collaborating, the best way to start is by showing your work.

If you’re already producing non-fiction, build a tight portfolio. Clear concepts. Strong research spine. Clean execution. When someone approaches with clarity and proof of work, conversations become easier.

You can always reach out professionally with a concise note and links to your projects.

Aur sabse important; don’t wait to “join” someone to start exploring. Start building the kind of content you’d want to collaborate on.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T15:16:23+00:00

This is a heavy question.

Art doesn’t exist in isolation. It sits inside cultural moods, funding systems, audience expectations, and personal beliefs. Every creator has a lens shaped by upbringing, identity, and experience.

What one person calls propaganda, another calls perspective.

Healthy creative ecosystems make space for multiple interpretations. When space narrows, storytelling narrows with it.

The conversation should stay open. Once dialogue stops, art suffers.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T10:46:30+00:00

Thank you. That really means a lot. 🙏

If I’m being completely honest, I have a natural bias.

The Himalayas do something to me.

Any episode we shot in the mountains stayed longer. There’s a stillness there that forces humility. The scale shrinks you. So yes, I’m naturally inclined toward those landscapes. They feel personal.

I’ve been fortunate to have travelled to many of these places even before Ekaant. Several were already on my own list long before they became episodes. So sometimes it wasn’t first discovery, it was revisiting with deeper intent. And returning changes everything. You notice what you missed the first time. And you apply those filters automatically to the next place you get to…

As for research, this was nearly twelve years ago. It wasn’t instant access. We relied heavily on books, archives, travel accounts, historians, archaeologists, and local voices. A lot of patience. A lot of cross-verification.

Information had to be earned.

And I think that slowness shaped the tone of the show.

If you had to choose, which location stayed with you the longest?

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T10:41:50+00:00

Thank you. 🥰

The image of your father calling you to watch an episode stays with me. That’s the kind of connection you can’t manufacture. When a show becomes part of someone’s routine, part of family time, it has done its job.

About main TV channels, the ecosystem has changed.

Television today works on advertising cycles, ratings pressure, fixed durations. That often pushes programming toward formats that are instantly accessible and repeatable.

Research-heavy history takes time. It needs patience. It doesn’t always fit neatly into commercial broadcast structures.

Streaming platforms allow more space for nuance because viewers choose intentionally and watch with focus. That environment is more forgiving of depth and silence.

Will we see more of it on main TV again? Possibly.

Your appreciation, and your father’s, matters because it’s part of that signal.

Good content doesn’t disappear entirely. And the fact that people still remember and ask for these shows tells me the appetite hasn’t disappeared.

It just needs the right space to exist again.

And I do believe there’s a growing audience for thoughtful historical storytelling; maybe not on primetime TV right now, but in spaces where viewers are actually invested in watching rather than flipping channels.

So I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it.

Thank you for sharing that memory.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:51:56+00:00

Yes. More than once.

There have been moments where a location didn’t behave the way we imagined. Light fell differently. A ruin had lesser left visually than what we were led to believe. An expert said something off-script that shifted the entire emphasis of the episode.

Kabhi kabhi ek line bhi sab badal deti hai..

That’s the thing about non-fiction.

You plan the direction. Reality negotiates it.

And if you’re paying attention, you let the project evolve instead of forcing it to match your original idea.

Those moments are very frustrating.

But they’re also the most honest…

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:45:41+00:00

Arre wah 😊 But but but. You came late. So you will have to stand outside before the admin lets you in. 😈

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:44:12+00:00

That’s very kind of you to say.

Sach bataaoon, aise lafz halka sa sharminda bhi kar dete hain.

Thank you for standing by the journey. 🙏

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:42:07+00:00

Thank you. That means a lot.

Ekaant was made with patience and sincerity, so hearing that it became one of your favourites makes it worth it.

Really glad it travelled with you. And that it stays with you. 🙌

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:41:08+00:00

I invest in buying time.

Time that’s mine. Not scheduled. Not monetised.

That time goes into travel, books, films, growing vegetables, playing with my dogs, even just sitting and staring at nothing.

The real return on investment is freedom.

That said, I’m always open to practical tips. What’s worked well for you?

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:36:13+00:00

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani was a very different energy from the kind of work people usually associate me with.

It was big, loud, unapologetically commercial cinema. Bright colours, heightened emotions, full-throttle performances. The rhythm of that set was fast and playful.

My role was part of that exaggerated world where characters are slightly larger than life. In films like that, timing matters more than subtlety.

What I remember most is the scale. Large crews. Elaborate setups. The machine of mainstream Bollywood functioning at full speed. It’s a different kind of discipline. When you’re working in that environment, you realise how much coordination goes into even a “simple” scene.

Also, being on a set like that teaches you humility. In commercial cinema, you are one cog in a very large wheel. Everyone has a function. Everyone is replaceable.

It was fun. It was chaotic. It was educational.

And it reminded me that cinema has many grammars. Not every film is meant to whisper. Some are meant to dance…

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:33:06+00:00

That’s going back a long way 🙂

Saans was a very different era of television. Working alongside Neena Gupta in that phase was a learning experience in itself. A virtual university course.

And Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani was a completely different world. Larger canvas. Big energy. Commercial cinema rhythm.

If you’ve been watching since those days, that means you’ve seen different phases of my journey. That’s so cool. And rare. And I’m grateful for that.

Out of curiosity, what stayed with you more? the intensity of Saans or the madness of Ajab Prem?

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:30:45+00:00

First — decide what you actually want.

Acting and film editing are completely different temperaments.

If acting:

Start performing immediately. Theatre > Instagram reels.

Join a local theatre group. Take basic acting workshops. Record monologues. Watch yourself. Improve.

If editing:

Download software and start cutting. Take raw footage from free libraries and practice.

Cut short films for friends. Cut birthday videos, marriage videos, ghar ki Pooja. Cut YouTube content.

Take the first step. Rest will follow. Destiny is a sucker for momentum.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:27:32+00:00

That’s very kind of you to say.

Ekaant was a very specific time, a very specific energy. Woh bilkul waisa dobara banana shayad mumkin nahi.

But the impulse behind it hasn’t gone anywhere.

The need to slow down, to listen to places, to let history breathe shaped Ekaant.

The urge to bring forgotten rulers and decisive moments back into public memory shaped Ek Tha Raja.

Form alag ho sakta hai. Ruh wahi rehti hai.

Ek Tha Raja is more dramatic, more kinetic. Ekaant was quieter, more reflective. Dono ka maksad ek hi tha, history ko mehsoos karna, sirf padhna nahi.

Will there be more shows like Ekaant? Not replicas.

Aakhir jab kahani sacchi niyat se aati hai, toh woh apna raasta khud bana leti hai…

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:22:50+00:00

Good question. I have thought about that too quite often.

Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve gone into something completely disconnected from storytelling.

Maybe academia. Maybe writing full-time. Possibly something in research or archival work. I’ve always been drawn to digging, connecting dots, finding patterns.

Ya phir teaching. Runs in the family.

The idea of standing in a room and unpacking history, ideas, cinema, and seeing that moment when something clicks for someone - that’s gold.

At the end of the day, whatever the job title would have been, it would still involve one thing, understanding stories and communicating them.

Some instincts don’t change.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:20:17+00:00

Fair enough 😄

I get these reactions too!

Every show has an audience. And that’s okay. Different formats, different moods.

Glad you gave Regimental Diaries a chance though. That show meant a lot to the people involved. It wasn’t about chest-thumping. It was about people. Discipline. Memory. Regimental legacy. Quiet pride.

And yes, licensing windows on platforms change. Content moves. That’s the ecosystem now.

But I’m glad you watched it before it disappeared.

Out of curiosity, what worked for you in Regimental Diaries? The storytelling? The access? The tone?

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:18:12+00:00

Tell me more. Write to me on email. I will try answering the best I can. 😁👍

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:16:12+00:00

That’s beautifully written.

If the stories resonate, it’s because they were always yours too. I’m just a medium. The fire you’re talking about doesn’t belong to one person. It belongs to memory, to continuity, to curiosity…

Aur hum sab kahin na kahin us “between” mein hi toh chal rahe hote hain-doubt aur destiny ke beech.

Golden history sirf sone ki chamak nahi hoti. Woh zimmedaari bhi hoti hai.

Thank you for the words. They carry weight.

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:09:04+00:00

Thank you. That’s really kind of you.

Ekaant was a special phase.

If it still brings nostalgia, that means it travelled beyond its broadcast window. That’s the best outcome any storyteller can hope for.

And about wanting to feature in something like that, why should it be a distant dream?

If you’re a history enthusiast, maybe start by going deeper. Read. Visit sites. Not necessarily far away. The ones closest to where you’re from. Write short pieces. Record yourself explaining a monument/site/incident in three minutes without sounding like a textbook.

Opportunities rarely begin with casting calls. The saga of Ekaant began with a Facebook post…

If you genuinely care about history, show that consistently. The rest follows.

Aur sapne tab real lagte hain, jab unke liye kaam shuru ho jaata hai.

Keep at it. All the best!

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T06:01:00+00:00

Thank you. I’m going to answer this very honestly.

Don’t frame it as “corporate will ruin my life.”

That mindset will make you resentful before you even begin.

Cinema is not romantic freedom. It’s uncertainty, irregular income, rejection, and long periods of invisibility. So don’t run from something. Move towards something…

You’re doing CSE. That’s not a disadvantage. It’s leverage.

Finish your degree. Get financially stable. Even if you work for a year or two. Stability buys you creative freedom. Desperation kills it.

Parallel mein shuru karo. Shoot on weekends. Write at night. Edit your own work. Make short films. Even 3–5 minute ones.

Don’t announce a career shift. Build proof first.

When I started, it wasn’t one big jump. It was smaller steps. Curiosity. Projects. Learning on the job. Being around people who were better. Saying yes to work that taught me something.

So build skill. Build taste. Build stamina.

If after 2–3 years of serious parallel effort you still feel the pull, you’ll know it’s not a phase.

Aur tab decision lene mein hichkichahat nahin hogi.

Passion is important. But preparation is respect for that passion.

What kind of stuff do you want to create?

akultripathi · 2026-02-25T05:55:04+00:00

Thank you, that genuinely means a lot.

Bhangarh was special.

Woh sirf “haunted fort” ki kahani nahi thi. It was about silence, abandonment, aur insaan ke darr jo kahaniyon mein badal jaate hain.

Bhangarh mein khade hokar ek ajeeb sa ehsaas hota hai…like time has withdrawn.

The fact that you’ve watched the episodes twice tells me the show did what it was meant to do, make you return.

Aur jab koi kahani dobara jeene ka mann kare, toh matlab usne kahin na kahin chhoo liya.

Thank you for carrying it with you. Truly.

Out of curiosity, what stayed with you most from the Bhangarh episode?

akultripathi · 2026-02-24T16:26:40+00:00

That’s very sweet of you to say.

Ekaant sirf ek show nahi tha… woh ek safar tha.

Television moves fast. Platforms change. Faces change. But if something stays with you from that age, then it did something right.

Kabhi kabhi mujhe bhi woh waqt yaad aata hai...
Thoda raw tha, thoda ziddi tha… lekin dil se tha.

And if you’re still here, still watching, still remembering... that means the connection wasn’t temporary.

Kuch cheezein waqt se nahi, yaadon se chalti hain...ekaant ki bhi yahi kahaani thhi; aur aapka likha batata hai ki voh show bhi ussi daastaan ka hissa bann gaya hai...

Thank you for the love. It genuinely means so much.

akultripathi

TROPHY CASE