National, April 2020: Even while under the COVID-19 lockdown, India’s leading digital media entertainment company, Pocket Aces is continuing to find innovative ways to create new content to keep its audiences constantly engaged and away from boredom. With this, it has returned with the second season of its successful series ‘Firsts’ on its long-form channel Dice Media. Conceptualized, written, and executed by the cast and crew completely from their respective homes, Firsts Season 2 unfurls the unusual love story of a couple that meets online in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown.
The season stars popular digital actors and real-life couple Kriti Vij (What The Folks, Baked, Love Travel Repeat) and Pranay Manchanda (Baked, Love Travel Repeat, Official CEOgiri). Written by Dice Media’s Pranav Tonsekar (Firsts S1, What The Folks), the series is directed by Pranay Manchanda himself.
Commenting on the launch, Kriti Vij, Actor said, “Being part of this show was the best way to put our idle minds to use. We had a ton of fun, not just acting in the show but also learning so much more about the shooting process because that was a ‘first’ for us. I realised a lot can be achieved in this lockdown with a good idea, a smartphone, and a husband. Pocket Aces has always been a lovely team to work with and to learn from! Kudos to them for being able to imagine and then realise this project.”
Sharing his experience, Pranay Manchanda, Director and Actor said, “Being able to shoot this show during the lockdown, strangely, was the most liberating experience. It matters less that you are confined to a square-footage when you start to explore the limitless square-footage of your imagination. As the director on the show, the most fascinating part of the lockdown-shoot was the DIY aspect of it. Our tripod was a bunch of old books with a cassette case on top, our locations were different corners of the same room, and our elaborate on-location crew was each other. The whole team at Pocket Aces has been extremely supportive. For a team that was remotely placed, not once did we feel that they weren’t holding our hand every step of the way.”
The season unveils the story of Aman(30), a fun-loving marketing executive and Tanya(28), a software developer with an optimistic approach to life, being stuck at their respective homes amidst the ongoing lockdown. Finding it difficult to cope up with the situation and miss spending time with people, both happen to cross paths on the dating platform Bumble. Over the course of 24, one-minute episodes, Firsts beautifully captures the sensitivities and insecurities of a newfound virtual relationship. We see the two be vulnerable, go through the ups and downs of long periods of isolation, trying out new things together, consoling each other through their lows and most anxious moments, and finally meeting after the lockdown ends.
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