Mumbai, Jul 9 (IANS): Mihir Desai, who is the director and showrunner of the streaming show 'Showtime', feels that insiders in the film industry are sometimes harshly judged by people who don’t understand their choices.

'Showtime' stars Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Rajeev Khandelwal, Shriya Saran, Vishal Vashishtha, Neeraj Madhav, and Vijay Raaz in pivotal roles.

It delves into the world of Bollywood, production houses, and how they function.

Talking about the core essence of streaming shows, Mihir said: "Web series thrive on relatable characters. We connect with their choices, flaws, and triumphs, just like Emraan's Raghu Khanna, Rajeev's Armaan, and Naseer sir's Victor Khanna. Their complexities make them more than just heroes -- they become individuals we root for. Rich character arcs, with unexplored depths, keep us guessing and wanting more.”

He further mentioned that the writer, Sumit Roy, designed 'Showtime' with two perspectives: one for people already in Bollywood and one for outsiders looking in.

“We often judge insiders without understanding their choices. Raghu Khanna seems a certain way at first, but that's because of the tough world of Bollywood. He might start off rough, but being on his own changes him. He realises things and becomes the hero. Mahika starts off kind, but will she become like Raghu? Both characters have planned journeys with big changes. It all comes down to the choices they make and how those choices define them,” he added.

Created by Sumit Roy, all episodes of 'Showtime' are set to stream on July 12 on Disney+ Hotstar.