Behind the Scenes of KINK 2: Luv Israni’s Experience of Shooting in Vietnam

Luv Israni, who has produced Kiss Ishq N Konnections Season 2, is a renowned fashion and advertising photographer, filmmaker, and producer known for his exceptional visual storytelling. He is based in Mumbai and Dubai and has established himself as a creative force with a diverse portfolio that spans advertising campaigns, film and television publicity, magazine covers, and model portfolios.

Asked how he juggles the demands of being a director, producer, and storyteller, especially when there are several projects at once, he said, "I probably work 24x7 because I love putting my heart and energy into my work. Until I am fully satisfied with the outcome, I won’t present it to the client."

"My dedication and passion keep me going even when handling multiple projects at once," he added.

Luv also talked about him taking on as a producer for KINK and shared that it was quite challenging. He said, "I never knew what responsibility I was taking on while building the show KINK 2. In December 2022, I only got a reference from the channel, and they asked me if I had watched the show Too Hot to Handle. They told me about it and after watching Too Hot to Handle, I just loved it. I could never imagine how to shoot this kind of show in India, as the kind of locations I wanted weren’t available here. They approached me for Season 1 of KINK, but due to their budget constraints, it didn’t happen because I needed a bigger budget for it. Later, for Season 2, they approached me again, and I suggested that we should shoot abroad." 

"The channel was okay with shooting in Thailand, but I wanted a new location. So, I chose Vietnam, but I was unaware of the challenges there. I learnt a lot. The team couldn’t get supplies for even two days—like paper plates and spoons. Although there are many Indian restaurants, we were a team of around 100 people, and we couldn’t find Indian ingredients there. For one month, I couldn’t push my people to eat Vietnamese food. People need comfort food. There were a lot of challenges, but we sailed through. Many medical issues came up along the way, and we had to fly people back. There were also many unforeseen expenses that I didn’t expect on day one. Doing a non-fiction show for the first time in a foreign land was definitely challenging," he added.

As someone who has worked across various formats, he feels that the audience's interest is getting shorter. He said, "People can only engage with content for a limited time, so it's essential to create catchy content that keeps them hooked. Today, content is moving toward shorter formats. However, if the content is right and relatable, it can still hold the audience’s attention."

"With KINK 2, for example, I receive countless DMs as soon as the episodes are released. When the content is genuine and engaging, people stick to it and binge-watch," he added.

He also mentioned that every decade brings new trends in storytelling. He said, "Today, vertical storytelling is gaining popularity, especially in China and Korea, where mini-series in vertical format are thriving. Also, fewer people are going to theatres now, preferring to watch content on the go." 

"Moving forward, the format will continue to evolve with the audience’s needs. What will matter most is staying true to your craft and creating relatable, feel-good, and entertaining content that connects with the audience," he ended.