Director Prosit Roy has revealed that he originally envisioned a dramatically different look for actor Ali Fazal's police officer character in the newly released streaming series 'Raakh' — one inspired by the flamboyant style of Vinod Khanna from the 1970s. The show, now streaming on Prime Video, has drawn considerable positive response since its release.

The Original Vision

Roy disclosed that his initial instinct was to dress Fazal's cop character in a manner reminiscent of Bollywood icon Vinod Khanna's signature look from the 1970s. However, the show's creative team steered him away from that approach, pointing out that popular cinema from that era was not necessarily an accurate reflection of how police officers actually looked and carried themselves at the time.

'Initially, in my head, I was planning to give Ali a look like Vinod Khanna and then, I was told that it doesn't happen like that because we are all influenced by the 70s films but those are not the right references,' Roy said.

Deep Research Behind the Period Drama

The production team undertook multiple layers of research before the cameras rolled. Writers Anusha Nandkumar and Sandeep Sanket conducted an early round of groundwork while scripting, and Roy led a second, more granular phase once he came aboard — covering casting choices, production design, and period-accurate props including buses and cars.

Crucially, the team consulted serving and retired policemen from that era to get details right down to hair length and moustache style. 'We also met policemen from that era, they told us how the hair should be, and how the moustache should be,' Roy said. The result was a look built on authentic references rather than cinematic myth.

Recreating the Visual World of the 1970s

Beyond costume and grooming, Roy paid close attention to period-accurate lighting — a detail rarely discussed in production design conversations. He noted that tube lights were only just being introduced during that period, which shaped the visual grammar of the show.

'If you see, there are tube lights in the police station itself but in the rest of the houses, all the tungsten lights are there. So, little by little, you know, we built the world,' Roy explained. This granular approach extended across every department, with each team contributing to a cohesive period reconstruction.

The Cast and Creative Team

'Raakh' features Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bhashir, Ramandeep Yadav, Anusha Nandkumar, and Sandeep Sanket. The series is currently available on Prime Video. With its period-accurate world-building and layered performances, the show appears to be making a strong case for meticulous pre-production as a creative differentiator in the Indian streaming landscape.