Web series ‘Qubool Hai?’ to explore both the tehzeeb and underbelly of Hyderabad

Director Pranav Pingle Reddy discusses the making of ‘Qubool Hai?’ which is inspired by incidents of child marriages and trafficking in the Old City of Hyderabad

The title of the web series Qubool Hai? is a question director Pranav Pingle Reddy poses to his viewers as much as it is directed to a child bride in the story. The Telugu series is inspired by real-life incidents of child marriages and trafficking in Hyderabad’s Old City. “Young girls are married off to men in their 60s and 80s. Are we okay with that as a society?” asks Pranav. The web series is slated to premiere on Aha on March 11

Filmed in areas near Musi river, Golconda fort, Dhoolpet and Talab Katta, Qubool Hai? took shape after extensive research on what makes families give away their young girl child in marriage to Arab men as old as 85 and what happens thereafter. 

Pranav’s previous project, Occupied, was a docu-series on Palestine. The 31-year-old independent filmmaker wants to put forth stories that reflect reality: “ Qubool Hai? shows an unexplored, darker side of Hyderabad and also highlights the city’s tehzeeb and how there are kind hearted people who fight and rescue these girls. “Malayalam and Tamil cinema often take up tough subjects; why not us? I believe such stories can engage people,” says Pranav, adding that he draws inspiration from filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Nagesh Kukunoor.

The story idea emerged nearly six years ago when Pranav and his colleague Sanjiv C were working on a documentary. They spoke to people working in rescue missions: “The rescued girls are sent to rehabilitation homes. Various activities are conducted to encourage them to express their thoughts. Once, a girl who did not win a prize in an informal drawing contest asked the organiser if her painting was not good enough. He said he liked her painting and as a token of appreciation, gave her a chocolate. The girl took that as a cue to lift her frock. It is shocking to think what the girl must have gone through before she was rescued.” 

Pranav heard several other accounts, including one of a minor girl giving birth in a rehab home and another girl having watched the atrocities meted out to her mother. 

He and Sanjiv felt compelled to develop a story inspired by such incidents. They wanted Qubool Hai? to reach a wider audience and spark conversations. “In between, I got busy with Occupied and when I returned to Qubool Hai?, the OTT space had opened up. We were lucky that one of the Aha team members, Karthik Tadepalli, understood the importance of this story and our style of filmmaking.”

For Occupied, Pranav filmed in Palestine with a four-member crew. Qubool Hai? involved a 160-member unit. The team plodded on despite pauses during lockdowns.