New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): As debates around the integrity of competitive examinations continue following the NEET paper leak controversy, filmmaker duo Pushkar and Gayatri said their latest series ‘Exam’ has struck a chord with audiences because it reflects challenges that millions of aspirants across India face while navigating competitive examinations.
The creators said the themes explored in the series closely mirror real-life concerns surrounding exam scams, coaching institutes, systemic inequalities and the struggles of deserving candidates seeking opportunities.
The Tamil original series features Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan, Abbas and Akash Venkatesan. The series is written and directed by A Sarkunam under the banner of Wallwatcher Films and produced by Pushkar and Gayatri.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the project, Pushkar said the story was shaped by years of reports surrounding alleged irregularities in public service recruitment examinations.
“These large public service civil service exams have consistently had some scam or the other which happens. The news keeps coming out, but you don’t get to know much detail about it,” he told ANI.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYVEbaNHSiV/?hl=en
Gayatri highlighted the enormous stakes involved in such examinations, where a small number of seats attract lakhs of candidates.
“It’s like 20 lakh people appear for 900 seats. So literally three or four people in a thousand get selected, and if there is a scam, it means a meritorious student loses that opportunity,” she said.
According to Pushkar, the moral dilemmas faced by the characters formed one of the most compelling aspects of the story.
“What we really liked was the moral aspect of how Jhansi, played by Dushara Vijayan in spite of failing in this exam, still wants to do the right thing, while the other characters end up perpetuating the scam over and over again. It’s that self-defeating cycle,” he said.
Discussing the challenge of balancing a thriller with social commentary, Gayatri said the contrasting reactions of different characters to the same system formed the emotional foundation of the narrative.
“Both the antagonist and protagonist have been affected by the system. But how each character interprets it and reacts to it is completely different. Those character dynamics were what attracted us,” she said.
The filmmakers also drew parallels between the show’s themes and recent controversies surrounding competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak issue.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXoCQYHEiL3/?hl=en
Pushkar said the timing of the series’ release turned out to be unexpectedly relevant.
“The release date was fixed way before the recent exam scam (NEET exam paper leak) controversy exploded. We realised there were uncanny parallels. The point is this is not new; this has been happening in our country for decades,” he said.
He argued that exposing such issues can encourage meaningful conversations rather than discourage students from appearing for examinations.
“Anything when it comes to light will always be for the better. Just being aware that all this is happening can lead to change,” he said.
Gayatri added that the increasing dependence on coaching institutes has become a major concern for many students and families.
“For someone from a modest background, even going to school itself is a huge deal. Then you have to spend additional time and resources on coaching classes. Those are very pertinent issues,” she said.
The well-known actor Abbas, who plays a key role in the series, said the project’s central theme of injustice immediately appealed to him.
“What drew me towards it is the truth, where truth isn’t heard and is pushed down because of people who are more powerful, have money or influence, while the righteous person who has worked hard doesn’t get to reap the benefits,” he said.
Abbas also questioned whether the education system has evolved sufficiently over the years.
“There’s been a lot of development in houses, automobiles and infrastructure, but the education system has not changed in so many years. Everything else talks about development, but education remains largely the same,” he said.
The actor believes the series can create awareness about systemic problems rather than discourage aspirants.
“It will just open people’s eyes and make them more aware. If you want to change the system or make it better, these issues have to be addressed and brought to public awareness,” he added.
Pushkar further said audiences have begun questioning the growing influence of coaching institutions in competitive examinations.
“If students are supposed to have learned everything in school, then why do they need specialised coaching for a particular exam? Where are we going wrong? Those are the kinds of questions people have started asking,” he said.
Pushkar and Gayatri also reflected on their experience working with major stars across industries, including Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan in ‘Vikram Vedha’.
“Anybody at that level is an extremely hard-working person. We would definitely love to work with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor,” Pushkar said.
The filmmaker added that he would particularly like to see Shah Rukh Khan in a morally grey role.
“We would definitely love to do something with Shah Rukh which has shades of extreme grey in his role because we think Shah Rukh has a certain swag to bring that out,” he said.
Gayatri, meanwhile, said she would like to cast Aamir Khan in an unconventional role.
“With Aamir, we want to give him a badass role. I think that will be very exciting,” she said.
The series was released on Prime Video on May 15 with dubbed versions available in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada. (ANI)
Related reading
