“We didn’t want to fall into any stereotypes”: Abhinav Sharma on capturing the essence of Lucknow in Amazon miniTV’s Namacool

Amazon miniTV, Amazon’s free video streaming service, recently released the bromance dramedy series Namacool. Ever since its release, the series has been garnering immense love from audiences across the country. Namacool is set in the lively city of Lucknow, well-known for its penchant for one-upmanship. It focuses on the lives of Mayank and Piyush, two inseparable best friends struggling with the consequences of their upbringing as they yearn for love and fame. But what starts off as a tryst to fortify their identity as “real men” and win the “love of their lives,” soon turns into a spiral of insane treachery and criminal activity. With a wholesome blend of comedy, drama, suspense and romance, Namacool features Abhinav Sharma, Aaron Koul, Hina Khan, Abhishek Bajaj, Anushka Kaushik, Faisal Malik, and Aadil Khan in pivotal roles.

Abhinav Sharma, who plays Mayank in the series, talks about his camaraderie with his on-screen best friend Aaron Koul, who portrays Piyush, expressing, “My bond with Aaron was effortless from the start. Aaron has this knack for bringing out genuine reactions, both on and off the screen. He’s such a spirited individual, it’s fun spending time with him. The connection was instant, and with our shared circle of friends from Delhi, working together felt like a natural progression after we first met.”

Abhinav further recalls one of the most difficult scenes from the series, saying, “Portraying Lucknow in a genuine light was quite a task. We didn’t want to fall into any stereotypes, but we also aimed for a relatable approach. Our goal was to strike a balance – to keep it real without hurting anyone’s feelings. It was a challenge, but we were determined to represent the city as authentically as possible.”

Namacool is now streaming exclusively on Amazon miniTV for free within Amazon’s shopping app, on Prime Video, Fire TV, Smart TVs, or download the app from Play Store.