PREMature

PREMature
Genre	Drama
Created by	Rohith S. Katbamna
Written by	Rohith S. Katbamna
Directed by	Rohith S. Katbamna
Starring	Karanvir Bhupal Daniel Costello Meera Ganatra Manish Patel Samantha Shellie Tom Carter Simi Dhillon Sam Bonner Leo Eaglewood Mirza Hassan Harold Addo Surinder Powar
Composer	John Atterbury
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English & Hindi
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6
Production
Executive producers	Sobhana S. Katbamna Dahyibai H. Pankhania
Producers	Rohith S. Katbamna Terry Mardi
Production locations	London Bournemouth Bedfordshire Calais
Cinematography	Rohith S. Katbamna
Editor	Rohith S. Katbamna
Running time	46-49 minutes
Production company	Liger Films Ltd.
Original release
Network	Community Channel
Release	22 February 2015 (2015-02-22) – March 29, 2015 (2015-03-29)

PREMature is a British television drama miniseries produced by Liger Films that first aired on the Community Channel. It was crowdfunded through Kickstarter and is the first drama series for the Community Channel, consisting of 6 episodes.

Synopsis

Prem Mehta (Karanvir Bhupal) is a high school teenager who experiences the loss of his grandmother during his summer holidays, closely followed by the separation of his parents. He is forced to take a lonely path during the aftermath of these events as he forms new friendships with the unlikeliest of people.

Throughout his journey, Prem experiences an array of revelations in sometimes surreal circumstances as he builds towards his growth as a young man.

Cast

• Karanvir Bhupal as Prem Mehta, a teenager struggling with his grandmother's death and his parent's separation.
• Daniel Costello as Will Brown, a new student bullied at school and befriended by Prem.
• Meera Ganatra as Neelam Mehta, Prem's mother who's suffering from the loss of her mother and marital problems.
• Manish Patel as Parthav Mehta, Prem's father who's been unfaithful to his wife and feels responsible for the family discord.
• Samantha Shellie as Nina Mehta, Prem's sister who's in a relationship with an older man.
• Tom Carter as Jacob Pearce, a school teacher coping with personal problems while mentoring Prem through his.
• Simi Dhillon as Suhina Qadri, an intelligent student and love interest of Prem's.
• Sam Bonner as Will's Mother, Will's disabled mother who's addiction is destroying her relationship with her son.
• Leo Eaglewood as Darren Baisden, Nina's boyfriend who provides optimism and perspective.
• Mirza Hassan as Sunny Kanda, a school bully who torments Will.
• Harold Addo as Theo Clarke, Sunny's best friend who also instigates Will's negative experiences at school.
• Surinder Powar as Baa, Prem's deceased grandmother who appears as an apparition.

Production

Development

The series idea was initially conceived in an attempt to bring an unconventional drama series format to a national television audience incorporating experimental techniques familiar in independent and art house films.

A pilot episode was originally shot during 2013 on a budget of £1,000 funded entirely by series creator, Rohith S. Katbamna and co-producer, Terry Mardi. Casting for the pilot involved over 100 performers attending a two-day audition. Performers ranged from professional actors to those who had never acted prior. The process aimed to find performers/people with similar qualities or had personally experienced certain situations as their on-screen characters. It was the director's intention to cast all unknowns.

The title role of Prem Mehta was cast to purposefully go against the mainstream screen look of teenagers. Karanvir Bhupal partly earned the role of Prem Mehta for his distinctive appearance.

After the pilot was completed, it was pitched as a six-part drama series to the Community Channel - a UK broadcaster known primarily for factual content. The series was dubbed as an experimental drama and would contain influences ranging from avant-garde to social realism.

Along with an acquisition fee from the Community Channel, a Kickstarter campaign to raise £35,000 between April - June 2014 took place. The campaign was successful raising £35,333, however this total was reduced to £31,893.77 after administration fees from Kickstarter were collected.

Music

The score is composed by South African musician, John Atterbury. The composition involved a process of fusing audio manipulation and live instrumentation, concurrently with tape loops, recordings in the field and programming to present the most organic and contemporary sound possible. This entire process concluded with a music score consisting of 97 tracks for all six episodes of PREMature, including the final song, "The Start", featuring vocals by London singer/musician, Donna Thompson.

The theme for the UK trailers was composed by London-based musician Roly Witherow, who had heard about the series through Kickstarter and contacted the director.

Broadcast

United Kingdom

The series began airing on the Community Channel from 22 February 2015 at a post-watershed time slot due to mature content. This initial broadcast run was made available online to UK based users on two platforms (TVPlayer and TVCatchup) where viewers are able to stream live television.

Themes

With teenage characters at the helm of the story, PREMature delves into issues such as bullying in the form of physical, verbal, psychological and online. Also highlighted are teen anxiety, depression, isolation, identity, drugs and relationships. The one constant is that Prem is forced to confront the divorce of his parents and his grandmother's death simultaneously whilst his friend Will struggles in a single-parent home with his deeply troubled mother.

Throughout the relationship between Nina and Darren, existential discussions are heard questioning existence, social behaviour and the reluctance to accept happiness. Nina talks of cynicism and doubting her place in life whilst Darren attempts to counter these feelings with optimism.

Death is a prominent theme that carries on throughout the series particularly the effect of losing someone close and how certain characters are forced to confront and deal with this new absence from their lives. The way in which a teenager and an adult deal with this theme is examined through their respective paths taken

At times, the story shifts into moments of surreal and often psychedelic sequences that exhibit the inner thoughts and subconscious state of minds of certain characters when found in specific situations of heightened tension or isolation.

Episodes

No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Chapter I: Bad Eggs"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	February 22, 2015 (2015-02-22)
It is near the end of Prem's summer holidays and he is sitting outside of a hospital. His sister Nina steps outside to notify him that their grandmother has passed away before asking where their father, Parthav is. Unbeknownst to them, their father is having an affair with a nurse (Malaya) at the time of the passing. The entire family surround the body of the deceased at the hospital bed. Prem's mother Neelam who is grieving the loss of her mother suddenly snaps and assaults her husband confronting him about the affair. The emotional distress causes Prem to flee the hospital marking the end of his summer holidays. It is the first day back at school where a new student (Will) arrives and unknowingly befriends two school bullies (Sunny and Theo). Neelam is at home in a depressed state whilst her daughter Nina is staying with her boyfriend Darren. The couple smoke weed and discuss Nina's personal life. Parthav has been kicked out of the family home and is sleeping in his office at the car mechanic garage he runs. At the school, Prem's teacher Mr. Pearce is confronted by a fellow teacher who is married and has been seeing intimately that she is ending their affair and aborting their child leaving him devastated. Sunny and Theo discover that Will's mother has a drinking problem and expose this in class. Prem befriends Will and their friendship begins. At home, Prem arrives only to have an argument with his mother but adheres to her request to buy some eggs. He takes a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen cupboard and drinks it in the park. The apparition of Baa (grandmother) appears and he offers the drink to her, which she too partakes in. Prem confronts his father that evening after throwing several eggs at his office waking his father up in the middle of the night. Prem explains how his father has ruined his life and walks away. A montage begins with the main characters as we see Mr. Pearce alone at home drinking and staring hopelessly at baby clothes whilst Will assists his heavily medicated and wheelchair-bound mother into her bed. The final scene sees Neelam explain to Prem that he was born premature and that he fought to stay in this world.
2	"Chapter II: Saturdays Are For Cunts"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	March 1, 2015 (2015-03-01)
In the school library, Will encourages Prem to talk to Suhina - a fellow classmate that he likes. Prem and Suhina talk about his personal life as she enquires about how he is feeling. Prem claims to be fine but Suhina suspects otherwise. Following this is a fantastical sequence of Prem and Will fleeing zombie versions of their classmates (including Sunny and Theo) in the woods when in fact they’re just bonding and riding their bikes, Will tries to convince Prem to go with him that evening to an over 18s club night dj’d by Sunny's older brother. Before making a decision, Prem spends time with his much younger cousin Hiren, where they engage during a surreal conversation where Hiren's pet gerbil speaks with them about life, love and death. Meanwhile, Neelam meets with her sister in-law Kiran (Hiren' mother/Parthav's sister) for some honest advice after an emotionally charged argument with Nina. After spending time helping Malaya to revise for an upcoming nurse's exam, Parthav takes the opportunity to break the silence with a volatile Nina when he comes over to pack the rest of his things. He recounts to her a story about how he and Neelam used to be like Nina and her boyfriend by trying new things. Prem delivers a monologue to the apparition of his grandmother explaining the impact of how her slow death had on him and the family as well as his personal relationship with the darkness of life. Prem meets Will as they ride their bikes to the club that night. After getting in, they see Sunny, Theo and a couple of their friends hanging around the dj booth with Sunny's brother who is dj'ing. Will takes a glass of beer into the toilets and urinates and ejaculates into it. He offers the drink to the dj who does not know of Will. Will rejoins Prem informing him of what he has done as they watch in laughter Sunny and Theo drink the contaminated beer. They leave the club in hysterics as Prem urges Will never to tell Sunny and Theo of what was in the drink. Will agrees not to.
3	"Chapter III: Circles"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	March 8, 2015 (2015-03-08)
Will is beaten up by Sunny, Theo and their friends on the school field. Meanwhile, Prem is distracted by one of Sunny's friends whilst the assault occurs. A cellphone video clip of Prem's classmate, Gemma performing a sexual act on another student circulates online. Neelam is at work and overhears a fellow colleague discussing with another about his relationship with a phone sex operator. Neelam is startled by this but becomes curious. She hesitantly enquires about the conversation she overheard and the colleague confirms that he has been using a phone sex service for a number of years. Nina meets up with Darren outside his work place (support worker with the elderly) after her lecture at University. They engage in a conversation about social interactions dissecting society through their own perspectives. Nina invites Darren to dinner that evening. Gemma is escorted out of school by her father and the other student involved in the video clip is suspended whilst Prem and Will look at the two leave the school premises. Will reveals to Prem he told Sunny and Theo about spiking their drink at the club after he was provoked with insults relating to his mother. There are murmurs among students that the video clip has been re-uploaded but it is unknown as to who has done this. Mr. Pearce attempts to call the teacher who had broken up their affair pleading her to speak with him. At lunchtime, Prem and Will hide out in the school library where Suhina (a girl that Prem likes) enters with a friend to study. After a brief conversation, Sunny and his friends arrive and confront Prem and Will with verbal insults. Prem visualises his father among the antagonists spurring him to ask Suhina out on a date, to which she says yes. Parthav meets nurse Malaya outside the hospital where she works. Malaya opens up her life to Parthav and recounts a tragic story about the passing of her own father bringing Parthav to tears. Parthav decides that he will try to make amends with his son by picking him up from school. After school, Prem and Will are in a fight with Sunny, Theo and company. Parthav arrives along with Mr. Pearce to break up the fight. Mr. Pearce suggests that Prem takes the lift offered by his father. Parthav also offers a lift to Will. After driving Will home, Prem steps out of the car causing Parthav to chase him. Prem breaks down emotionally as Will watches on from his balcony at the block of flats he lives in. After dropping Prem home, Parthav remains in the car outside the family home. Prem's grandmother appears in his parent's bedroom encouraging him to read a poem to her that he couldn't do at her funeral. That night, Will and his mother have an emotional breakdown about her alcoholism and his troubles at school. Mr. Pearce is waiting for his ex-lover at a pub but she does not turn up and he reverts to starting a fight with a couple punters. Nina brings Darren home for dinner and the family share a happy evening together whilst Parthav remains outside in the car eating fast food watching the house.
4	"Chapter IV: Trip16"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	March 15, 2015 (2015-03-15)
It is Prem's 16th birthday and he and Will are on a school trip that day where they travel on a train to a museum. At Malaya's flat, she and Parthav are in the bathroom getting ready. Parthav discovers something in his genital area but does not inform Malaya. At work, Neelam is talking in detail with her work colleague about phone sex as he explains the depth of his relationship with the phone sex operator and how it has helped fill a void in his life. Darren takes Nina on a short break across to Calais. At the museum, Will surprises Prem with a bag of hallucinogenic magic mushrooms. It is the first time either have tried them as they nervously but excitingly eat them. In a park in Calais, Darren enlightens Nina on some of his philosophies on life. At the museum, Prem and Will start to experience the effects of the mushrooms as drift into an other-worldly state. Will envisions his mother rolling by in her wheelchair and follows her to a secluded area of the museum whilst Prem follows a janitor upstairs to the top of the museum. Parthav is in his office looking on his laptop at how to check his genitals for lumps. Will begins to fully go into his hallucinogenic trip as his mother turns into Sunny. They begin to slow dance and she turns back into his mother. She explains to him that they have been connected since birth and that she knows all about him. Prem is also fully into his trip where he finds himself on a beach and a mysterious masked man with the voice of Mr. Pearce appears. Prem sees himself as a small child being held by his father in the sea. Neelam then reads him a nightmarish nursery rhyme in the sea. On the ferry, Nina opens up to Darren about the hints from her childhood regarding her father's infidelities and the heartache her mother went through. Prem's trip continues as he follows the masked man in an open field where he sees his uncle playing with Prem's child-self on a games console. He then sees his grandmother at a sewing machine holding up a pair of trousers for him. Prem now has those trousers on. Will's trip continues where he is on a theatre stage pushing his mother in her wheelchair to the centre of. He plays his mother's arm like a violin and then awakes from his trip. He is found in the museum being tended to by a paramedic whilst his classmates and teachers watch on. Prem's trip culminates with his grandmother assuring him everything is okay as he urinates himself. She disappears and the masked man now appears holding his mask in hand. It is Parthav with his face painted in white. Prem tells him that he loves him and falls back on the grass awaking from his trip. In the hospital where Prem and Will have been taken to, Neelam and Will's mother meet and bond over their lives and predicaments. That evening Prem's birthday dinner is at a restaurant and his father is the last to attend. Parthav wishes Prem a happy birthday, however Prem hears the words in the voice of Mr. Pearce alluding to the fact that he still under the influence of the magic mushrooms.
5	"Chapter V: Finger Foods & Spiral Moves"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	March 22, 2015 (2015-03-22)
Prem is sitting in Mr. Pearce's office as they engage in an in depth conversation about Prem's concerns and feelings that are weighing on his mind as it relates to forgiving his father. Mr. Pearce sees parts of himself in the way Prem is expressing his emotional state. Prem also alludes to a dark depression inside him which spurs Mr. Pearce to comfort him by handing Prem his personal number. It is the weekend and Prem is on the phone to Will as they discuss Prem's first date with Suhina exchanging tips and advice on intimacy. Will assists his mother with her medication. She assures Will that it will be a good day as Will heads to his room to revise for upcoming school exams. Prem psyches himself up in his bedroom talking to an imaginary version of Suhina as he runs through lines of conversation. He then speaks with his sister Nina informing her that he is meeting Suhina. Nina warmly teases him. Parthav is seeing his doctor who checks his testicles for lumps. The doctor advises Parthav on the next steps to take but Parthav is nervous and snappy. Prem is on the bus with Suhina and in a surreal moment, he imagines Suhina berating him and making fun of him before snapping back to reality. Will takes a break from studying to find his mother in the kitchen, cooking a homemade meal. Prem is at the cinema in the toilets collecting himself before he imagines Suhina appearing behind him to offer a sexual act. In the cinema foyer, Prem and Suhina bond over an easy going conversation as they share a listen to a song on Suhina's mp3 player. Neelam is with Kiran as they watch Hiren training at his martial arts class. Neelam opens up to Kiran about a possible new direction in her life but does not get specific. Kiran is supportive of her. In the cinema screen, Prem and Suhina's awkward interaction is alieviated when a couple sitting behind them begin getting highly intimate. The moment breaks the ice as Prem and Suhina attempt to contain their laughter. Will enjoys a meal with his mother. In a restaurant, Suhina opens up to Prem about a memory she from their early school days. The story is narrated by her over an animated sequence. Suhina shows that she deeply cares about Prem. That evening, Neelam asks her work colleague for the contact information of the phone sex operator. She is anxious but makes the call to the operator. In a park, Suhina opens up to Prem about her poor relationship with her father. Parthav reluctantly breaks his affair off with Malaya before she storms off out of his office in anger and disappointment. Will discovers his mother drunk, passed out and has wet herself. He breaks down as he watches her. In the middle of the night, Prem is awoken as he answers the door to his uncle who has been drinking. They play on an old games console as Prem attempts to hint to his uncle that he wants to run away.
6	"Chapter VI: Exam"	Rohith S. Katbamna	Rohith S. Katbamna	March 29, 2015 (2015-03-29)
Prem awakes the morning of his school exams with the appearance of his grandmother's apparition who tells him that he can't mourn her all his life. He then discovers his sister Nina is pregnant. Nina is distraught and has yet to tell their parents and Darren. Prem and Will await to head into their first school exam whilst Mr. Pearce receives a message from his ex-lover saying that she'll be able to talk to him that evening. In the exam, Gemma has returned to school and is very anxious feeling the humiliation of the video clip of her that was leaked. Parthav is at the hospital having had an x-ray examination. He envisions the comfort of Neelam holding him in this time of need. At work, Neelam makes a call to the phone sex operator who is providing her with advice on possibly pursuing a job in the same role. Prem and Will engage in a conversation about Will's past and Prem's yearning to run away. Nina meets Darren to tell him the news of her pregnancy. Darren consoles her. At his garage, Kiran visits with her brother Parthav and gives him a reality check on his own life. Will struggles but eventually confesses to Prem that he was the one who re-uploaded the video clip of Gemma to distract their bullies during the day that they were in physical conflict with them. Prem is disappointed as he walks away to spend time in the library alone. Meanwhile, Will is viciously assaulted in the school toilet's by Sunny and Theo. The assault is recorded on their mobile phone. Prem receives a message from his uncle alluding to the idea that Prem is welcome to stay with him. Awaiting their final exam, Prem is worried as he wonders where Will is. In the middle of the exam, Will is escorted in by Mr. Pearce. After the exam, Sunny and his friends remain in the exam hall being questioned by teachers whilst Prem waits outside for Will. Will informs him of the assault and Prem snaps as he confronts Sunny and Theo. The confrontation is broken up by Mr. Pearce. In his office, Mr. Pearce consoles Prem. Parthav surprises Neelam buy showing up at the family home. He apologies to her. In the woods, Prem and Will express their loyalty to each other before Will kisses Prem on the cheek. The gesture startles Prem as he stands up and walk away. Will is upset. Mr. Pearce has a long awaited conversation with his ex-lover who denies him. He snaps, breaking down emotionally alone in his car. At home that evening, Prem and the whole family including Darren are together. Nina informs them all of her pregnancy. Prem breaks down profusely as he expresses his disappointment in his parents. He attempts to call Mr. Pearce but he does not answer. Prem packs a bag and runs out of the house as Neelam attempts to stop him. As he cannot get a hold of Mr. Pearce, Prem heads to his uncle's last know address only to be confronted by an aggressive man informing Prem that his uncle is in debt to him. Prem flees. A montage shows Mr. Pearce swimming alone whilst Nina and Darren attempt to call Prem. Neelam and Parthav are in one car looking for their son and Suhina is in her bedroom happy as she looks at photos on her phone of her date with Prem. Prem meets Will outside his flat. Will apologises for the kiss but Prem admits he was just surprised not knowing how to react. Prem opens up about his dark depression and that he is possibly clinically depressed. He asks Will if he's going to move school. Will re-assuringly says that he isn't going to. They are grateful for each other.

Reception

Critical response

The series has received very positive reviews from critics. Tashu Mathur of Asian Culture Vulture gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "the show takes itself out of the regular television we see today". Trevor Price of TvTrev, summarised that "PREMature is not only an artistic venture bred in Britain but also a social movement in it's own right - smashing stereotypes and providing a just representation for ethnic minorities." Nazhat Khan wrote that the series "exposes the disturbing reality in an average family and school in the UK. By throwing us back and forth between extreme emotions, the bold series strangely leaves you with hopes for the future." Commenting on the tone and presentation, Scarlett Leung found the drama to be "grimly funny at times. Daring in its narrative and emotionally powerful in its delivery."

External links

• Official website
• PREMature at the Radio Times
• PREMature at IMDb