FICCI Frames hosted a special session celebrating the return of ‘Dupahiya Season 2’, bringing together the cast, creators and leadership from Prime Video India for a conversation around the making and evolution of the comedy-drama series. The event also featured an exclusive screening of the first episode of the new season, giving audiences an early look at the return to Dhadakpur and the new challenges, characters and chaos that lie ahead.

 The session featured actors Gajraj Rao, Sparsh Srivastava and Bhuvan Arora, along with creators and producers Shubh Shivdasani and Salona Bains Joshi and director Sonam Nair. They were joined by Nikhil Madhok, Director and Head of Originals (SVOD), and Shilangi Mukherji, Director and Head, SVOD Business, Amazon Prime Video India, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios.

During the conversation, Madhok spoke about Prime Video’s continued investment in rooted, small-town comedy-dramas. He said that comedy offers audiences a sense of joy and relief at a time when the world can feel chaotic, while the growth of India’s streaming and writing ecosystem has created greater opportunities for strong comedy writing.

Madhok also pointed to ‘Panchayat’ as an important part of Prime Video’s journey with small-town, rooted storytelling. According to him, the continued viewership of such shows has given the platform confidence to keep investing in the space and build on the genre in the coming years.

For Gajraj Rao, ‘Dupahiya’ offered an opportunity to play a character who observes the chaos around him rather than always driving it. Drawing a parallel with R.K. Laxman’s Common Man, Rao described his character and the world of Dhadakpur as reminiscent of Malgudi Days. He compared Dhadakpur to the modern-day Malgudi and his character Banwari to a grown-up version of Swami.

The actors also spoke about what makes ‘Dupahiya’ connect with viewers. Sparsh Srivastava described the show’s sense of familiarity and warmth as one of its biggest strengths. Referring to Dhadakpur and the experience of watching the series, he said the show creates a feeling of being at home, making viewers feel as though they are watching it comfortably from their own sofa.

Bhuvan Arora, meanwhile, said the appeal of ‘Dupahiya’ goes beyond a particular region. According to him, the joy at the centre of the series is universal, while the show’s sensitivity towards subjects such as racism and dowry adds another layer to its storytelling. He said the series is not restricted to audiences in smaller cities and has the potential to connect with viewers more broadly through its humour and themes.

Directed by Sonam Nair, ‘Dupahiya Season 2’ is created and produced by Salona Bains Joshi and Shubh Shivdasani under the banner of Bombay Film Cartel LLP. The series is created and written by Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg.

The second season picks up from where the first season ended and brings back Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Sparsh Shrivastava, Bhuvan Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Yashpal Sharma. Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua, joins the ensemble in the new season.‘Dupahiya Season 2’ will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on October 1.