Four years after its original release, Mukhbir: The Story of a Spy has found a fresh wave of appreciation after being re-released this year. The ZEE5 spy thriller, created, written and produced by Vaibhav Modi, is being rediscovered by audiences who are not only praising its storytelling but also asking the makers about a possible second season. In an exclusive interaction with us, Modi opened up about why the series continues to resonate and what its renewed response says about the changing OTT landscape.
Reflecting on the renewed appreciation for Mukhbir, Modi believes the show's authenticity played a major role in its journey. “It succeeded because it was authentic. The way it was written, and the dedication and passion with which it was made, were appreciated even back then. This time, the platform—ZEE5—made a great effort to package it like a film. In what we now call the post-OTT boom era, people began to notice that we had already executed that kind of storytelling and narrative building back then; consequently, it is receiving a lot of acclaim. Many people are reaching out to say we did a good job, and many are also asking when the second season is coming.”
The renewed response has also made Modi reflect on how good stories can sometimes take time to find their audience. According to him, the passage of time can become the ultimate test for content. “You see, time itself serves as the ‘proof of concept’ for good stories. You might have noticed a trend over the last three or four years where many films—what we call ‘undiscovered gems’—were re-released. People went to watch them; if the content is good, there will always be an audience ready to appreciate and embrace it.”
The conversation then moved to the rapidly changing OTT ecosystem, where audiences have an enormous amount of content available at their fingertips. While some believe viewers have become increasingly impatient and quickly move on when something doesn't immediately click, Modi looks at it differently. “That is the nature of the medium. On one hand, you have this freedom—that is precisely why we call it ‘Video on Demand,’ right? You have the freedom to watch the content whenever, wherever, and however you like—even pausing and resuming as often as you wish. With this much freedom, what you termed as ‘impatience’—I would simply call it a means of choice available to the audience, allowing them to watch content at their own convenience. So, I wouldn't call it impatience; if the audience wants to watch something, they are simply doing so on their own terms.”
For Modi, however, the bigger question isn't simply whether the content is good, but whether audiences are actually able to discover it. Looking back at his more than two decades in the entertainment industry, he offered a particularly interesting perspective on the age-old phrase “content is king.”
“What I’m about to say might invite differing perspectives, but back when I was starting out in broadcasting, production, or content creation, we were always told that ‘content is king.’ However, it took me about 15 to 20 years to realize that distribution is actually king—more so than the content itself,” he said.
He went on to explain why even exceptional storytelling can struggle if it fails to reach the right audience. “You can create whatever you want and express yourself fully, but if the viewer doesn't reach it—or if it doesn't reach the viewer—then all your hard work and your entire creative journey go to waste. Regarding your point about how it takes time for people to discover and watch something: that happens when good content is discovered organically—through word-of-mouth or for reasons even the creators might not have anticipated.”
According to Modi, discovery can happen through several unexpected entry points. Sometimes it is the music, sometimes an actor and sometimes a particular scene or performance that draws audiences towards an entire project. “Sometimes, great music saves a film and helps it reach the audience; at other times, an actor's performance becomes the gateway for people to connect with the story,” he explained.
Giving the example of the acclaimed OTT series Paatal Lok, Modi elaborated on how a performance can become the doorway through which audiences discover the larger craft of a project. “Let me give you an example from the OTT space. If you watch Paatal Lok—well, it is brilliantly written and superbly shot—you’ll find themes that might not be immediately apparent to the average viewer on the surface. However, Jaideep Ahlawat’s incredibly intense performance draws you into the content, prompting you to explore it further. That’s when you realize, ‘Wow, the writing is exceptional,’ and notice the brilliant cinematography and direction. You come to appreciate just how good it really is.”
For Mukhbir, that process of discovery appears to be happening all over again. A series that first arrived four years ago is now being revisited by a newer or wider audience, with viewers engaging with its storytelling and asking for more. For Modi, the experience is a reminder that good stories can have a life beyond their original release window—but reaching that audience requires the right platform, positioning and opportunity.
As the entertainment landscape becomes increasingly crowded, Mukhbir’s rediscovery also underlines a larger shift in how audiences consume content. A project may not necessarily find its entire audience on day one; sometimes, word-of-mouth, renewed visibility or a change in the way it is presented can bring it back into the conversation. And as Vaibhav Modi puts it, the journey doesn't end when a story is created—the crucial part is making sure the story actually reaches the people waiting to discover it.