‘108 Base Hospital – Uri’ Creator Samar Khan: ‘I Found The Concept Of A Story Around Army Doctors Very Fascinating’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In the past few years, Indian audiences have gravitated towards finite dramas. A lot of TV producers now make shows for streaming platforms that come in seasons. The recent show, “108 Base Hospital - Uri,” is an attempt to merge the storytelling formats of Indian Television and streaming shows. The finite series stars Gashmeer Mahajani, Erica Fernandes, Nikkhil Khurana, Smita Bansal, Hiten Tejwani and Ayoshi Talukdar in lead roles. The series that has a total of 30 episodes is about two former lovers who reunite at a hospital set at an army base. As they attempt to save lives combating terrorism, the old passion rekindles taking them through a journey of healing and self-realization. It is conceived and directed by Samar Khan who has been a part of web series like “Code M,” (2020) “Avrodh: The Siege Within,” (2020) “The Test Case,” (2017) as a director. In films, he is known for the movie, “Shaurya,” (2008) with Kay Kay Menon in the lead.  

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Samar Khan tells Variety India, “I found the concept of a story around army doctors very fascinating. When you meet such doctors, they have many interesting tales to tell. They know how to save a life, and take a life. This is the gist of this show. Audiences will get to see a relationship in a high-stress job and a challenging environment. I would credit the broadcasters for giving us the freedom. I hope this gives confidence to other channels.” Khan worked on the script for a year and the pre-production took three to four months.  

Khan chose Bhaderwah in Kashmir as he had previously filmed “Avrodh: The Seige Within” in the location. “It gives viewers a real feel of Kashmir with the landscape, forested areas, villages and life. Moreover, the armed forces here helped us a lot,” he states. Khan discusses how it is important for citizens to know the humane stories of the Indian Army. He believes that tales around wars and combats get highlighted but such incidents get missed. Talking about 30 episodes, he explains that while mission stories get done in six to seven episodes, ones around lives need a bit more time.  

Sameer Gogate, Business Head, COLORS, said, “With 108 Base Hospital – Uri, we wanted to explore a space that has remained largely untouched - the lives of the medical professionals who stand behind our soldiers. The core theme being patriotism, which is an evergreen emotion across generations, although it means different things to different people. In this day and age, it is about showing up for your nation by doing your duty selflessly.” The series deals with how army doctors serve civilians in sensitive areas prone to infiltration gaining their trust through their efforts and dedication. Khan says they chose to add Uri in the title as people have a good recall value with the location.

Khan shares how he feels this is the perfect time for finite series on TV. He says, “Indian TV never had seasonal shows. We have shows till 500 episodes. In comparison, all American shows come in seasons with 16 episodes so far. This is a time to experiment for channels and makers. I am glad the channel is trying this.” 

Gogate adds, “For us, scale was about doing justice to the magnitude of this story by shaping a world audiences could completely believe in. Making a show like this means getting every detail right - from military protocols and medical procedures to emergency response systems and the emotional realities of those who serve there.”