Director Ruchir Arun’s latest series Musafir Cafe premiered on Netflix on July 24. Starring Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto and Mahima Makwana, the series is based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s novel of the same name. Speaking about adapting the book for the screen, Ruchir clarified that the screenplay had largely been developed before he joined the project. However, he said the characters immediately drew him to the story.

Ruchir Arun says Vikrant Massey was always the first choice for Musafir Cafe

“By the time I came on board, the first drafts of the screenplay had already been written by our showrunner and writer, Sharanya Rajgopal. What immediately struck me were the names of the characters, Chander, Sudha and Preeti. They felt familiar. As a director, my focus was on preserving the soul of these characters and making audiences believe they were real people,” he said.

Vikrant Massey was always the first choice for Musafir Cafe

Talking about casting Vikrant Massey as Chander, Ruchir said the actor was always at the top of the team’s wishlist. “It’s always a pleasure to direct an experienced actor like Vikrant. He was always our first choice for Chander, and after working with him, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else in the role. The honesty he brought every day made the character feel relatable and lived-in,” he shared.

The filmmaker also said audiences today connect with grounded romantic leads rather than larger-than-life heroes. “We need stories about decent people, people like us. Men who are the so-called green flags. Vikrant’s Chander reminds us that kindness, vulnerability and sincerity can be deeply attractive,” he added.

Musafir Cafe director says, “Love stories never go out of fashion”

Reflecting on romance as a genre, Ruchir said love stories continue to resonate because they explore universal emotions. “I think love stories never go out of fashion because the desire to love and be loved is universal. The challenge is simply to tell those stories honestly. While Musafir Cafe has the charm of a classic romance, its characters deal with very contemporary questions about relationships, timing and personal growth,” he said.

According to the director, authenticity comes from observing real life and translating those emotions to the screen. “If the emotion is honest, people will find themselves in it,” he added.

Apart from Musafir Cafe, Ruchir is currently directing Nazdeekiyan, starring Nikita Dutta, Taha Shah Badussha, Paresh Pahuja and Aakansha Singh.

Without revealing much about the project, he said it is a mature love story centred on two couples and will stream on Amazon Prime Video.

“It’s my first collaboration with Dharma Productions, and I’m excited to tell another heartfelt love story. While Musafir Cafe explores how love evolves over time, Nazdeekiyan looks at relationships through a different lens,” he said.

Also Read:Vedika Pinto opens up about filming intimate scenes with Vikrant Massey in Musafir Cafe; says, “Once you feel safe, you stop worrying”