Oct 31, 2026 9:00pm IST
‘Chaar Yaar’ Director Vinay Waikul on How Real-Life Friendships, ‘Satya’ and Ram Gopal Varma Influenced the Series (EXCLUSIVE)
After helming series like “Aranyak” and “The Broken News,” Director Vinay Waikul brought forth another exploration of seemingly normal people embroiled in a world of crime and questionable morality: “Chaar Yaar”. Released on Prime Video on October 23, 2026, the crime drama follows four enterprising young men — Jay (Prerak Mehta), Tony (Saqib Ayub), Saahil (Purav Jha) and Sameer (Naman Jain) — who begin dabbling in car robbery but get pulled into a world of gangsters and corrupt cops that begins threatening their personal lives and friendships.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Vinay Waikul reveals how his personal life inspired the dynamic between the four leads of “Chaar Yaar,” how Ram Gopal Varma’s “Satya” influenced his filmmaking style and the evolution he has witnessed of the OTT space since he made “Test Case” in 2018. Excerpts:
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For ‘Chaar Yaar,’ did you always want to cast actors who are not breakout names but definitely look the part?
“Chaar Yaar” is a mix of fiction and reality. Who the characters are and where they come from — that’s real. They are based on my three friends and me. So, at the time of casting, I was very sure about how they should look, talk, and act. We auditioned around 45-50 actors. Some were good, and some were popular names too. But these four actors sounded the way my friends and I did. When they began rehearsing the scenes, they were so collaborative and watched out for each other. That really created the energy, which finally shows on the screen as well.
So, which of the four boys was most like you?
Oh, Jay, played by Prayrak Mehta, is me.
‘Chaar Yaar’ has a touch of 80s and 90s masala films. What were some of your influences?
The film that inspired me most—and that I reference throughout “Chaar Yaar”—is “Satya”. That film made me realize that I wanted to be a filmmaker. Ram Gopal Varma, as a filmmaker, and “Satya” have played a major part in my life and career. I think he was way ahead of his time when he was making films like “Shiva”, “Satya”, “Kaun”, “Daud” and “Company”.
Also, “Life is Beautiful” has really influenced me a lot, along with “The Godfather,” “Road to Perdition” and “Children of Heaven.” As for Indian films, there is a film called “Disha” by Sai Paranjpe that I don’t think a lot of people have seen. It made a great impression on me. There are a lot of bad films too, which have inspired me. Those films told me that I can do better than them, for sure.
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Since “Test Case” came out in 2018, you’ve directed several shows for streaming, such as ‘Aranyak’ and ‘The Broken News’. How much has OTT evolved as a medium?
It has definitely evolved. Whether it has become better or worse is difficult to comment on. OTT came in around 2016-2017, and it just boomed during COVID. There were so many series and films made for OTT. Now there is a course correction, and it is not as easy. But it is a good thing because only good scripts are making it to the screen. The best actors are getting a chance to work. Stardom doesn’t really matter on the OTT.
But isn’t it true that having a great social media following or clout in the industry does help get projects greenlit faster?
I guess it is easier to promote the film or the series if you have people with social media influence. But I don’t think it makes it easier to make a film or a series. If the project isn’t good and the cast isn’t made up of good actors, no matter how much influence you have on social media, it doesn’t help. What is paramount is that we have to have good actors. That is one thing we cannot compromise on.
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