THE HINDU
Mini Anthikad Chibber
Ahead of the Narcos season première on Netflix, we go on the sets for a sneak peek, with the cast telling us what to expect
A visit to the set of Narcos in Bogota is an opportunity to see how the wildly-popular crime drama on Netflix is put together. For those who came in late, or are not particularly fascinated by drug running, the show tells the story of cocaine trafficking through the eyes of a DEA agent tasked with bringing Pablo Escobar down. While the first two seasons were about the rise and fall of Escobar, season three will focus on the four godfathers of the Cali cartel, Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, his brother Miguel, Pacho Herrera and the manic Chepe.
The set is a stadium dressed to look like El Dorado in the ’90s. We follow production designer, Salvador Parra, through a faint drizzle as he takes us on a tour, explaining his preference for textures and detailing. “The cameras now are so powerful, it makes sense to keep it layered for depth. Season two had no personal spaces — Pablo’s houses got smaller to show him on the run and hitting rock bottom. In comparison, this season is more luxurious,” says Parra.
Director Andrés Baiz, who shot the final two episodes of seasons one and two of Narcos, is moving about like a dervish and promises to speak to us when there is a break in filming. There is a thrill in sitting down to a super tasty lunch with the cast and crew, and listening to the many languages and accents floating around.
Wardrobe tales
The responsibility of dressing the Gentlemen of Cali falls to costume designer Mariestela Fernandez. Showing us around the wardrobe trailer with its rows of costumes hung in neat rows, she explains, “Of the four, Gilberto is dressed soberly in blues and greys to match his chess master image. For Miguel, we went with pastels, and darker shades as the show progressed. Pacho, who is gay, has a glamorous look with a more flamboyant palette, loose clothes and lots of fabric. Chepe’s look is inspired by his real-life counterpart.”
She says that they played around with the style, settling for a mixture of contemporary ways of dressing to which the audience can relate. “Since the DEA agents’ clothes in real life are a bit boring, they were jazzed up,” she says.
But Matt Whelan, who plays DEA agent Daniel Van Ness, laughingly disagrees. “We are dressed like dorks,” he says. “The DEA agents who took down Escobar, Javier Peña and Steve Murphy (played by Game of Thrones alumnus Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook, respectively) were these smoking, hardcore detective types in cool vintage shirts. (Laughs) We are completely unattractive in this show. Everyone in India should be warned.”
Researching the role
So how did the characters take shape? Michael Stahl-David, who plays Whelan’s partner, Chris Feistl, says, “The real Feistl retired from the DEA and lives in Arizona. I spent a lot of time with him. He talked me through how things actually happened. One of the main takeaways for me was the vigilance whenever they were in Cali. Wherever they went, they wore a hat and sunglasses, so if they were photographed, it wouldn’t be a clean shot.”
Arturo Castro, who plays Gilberto’s son, David, spent a lot of time in Cali, learning from the cast. The Guatemalan actor, who plays Jaimé Castro on Broad City actor, says, “The Cali godfathers — played by Damian Alcazar, Francisco Denis, Alberto Ammann and Pêpê Rapazote — are amazing to watch. It is like a master class in acting.”
Alcazar says, “I would have liked to have had more work, but in the fourth episode, my character Gilberto, goes to jail.” And while violence was not central to the Cali cartel — they were businessmen — he says with a laugh, “it’s not as exciting as Pablo Escobar. Pacho and Chepe have all the violence.”
Denis, who plays Miguel, says his role begins with “a low profile.” Once Gilberto goes to jail, he “has to make decisions. He has a strong character arc, he is the power behind the power.” With Rapazote (Chepe), there is some good-natured ribbing: “Shoot! Kill me now! Who have you spoken to? Who are your contacts? Which cartel are you with?” Speaking of his character, he says, “You are who you are. If you are an extrovert and a happy person, you will be happy even if you kill people. Chepe was happy doing what he did.”
So what makes season three different? “It is all about working with an informant; about trust and lack of trust. If the first two seasons were Scarface, this is more The Departed,” says Whelan.
Season three of Narcos premieres globally on Netflix on September 1. The writer was in Bogota on the invitation of Netflix
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