Deepak Dobriyal: I recently said I wanted to romance Tabu just to sound cool – Exclusive | Hindi Movie News
Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo is unlike any run-of-the-mill crime dramas we have seen on screen. It is feminist, matriarchal and full of sass! Tell us how you landed the project
Not a lot of people know this about me, but I go bald everytime I wrap up a project – it is my way of finding closure and an indication to move forward. Homi and I had discussed working together casually sometime back, and I sent him a selfie of my bald look one day saying, ‘naya role nayi tayarri‘ (new role, new prep). Homi immediately called and said he had something in mind for me and asked if I would 100% be able to pull it off. I told him whether or not I pull it off is something I can’t vouch for, but rest assured, I will give it my best shot. And that was it. Once I reached the set, I became Aagyo Dao (his character) and switched off from everything else.
The show has an ensemble cast, including veterans like Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah, coupled with the young brigade like Radhika Madan, Angira Dhar, Isha Talwar and others. Tell us about the synergies that came together on the set
You know gone are the days when makers could pull off shows and movies with just three lead characters – vaise content ke din ab chale gaye hai. (that sort of content does not work anymore). Now, the demand of the hour is a free flow of creative energies, which is exactly what happened on Saas.. sets. It was such a positive environment and Dimple ji is still so full of umang (excitement) and fervour, which is a rarity, considering she has been around for decades. Similarly, the younger brigade and I got along like a house on fire and as luck would have it, we all live close by and often meet, bonding over food and my homemade achaar. (pickle)
Do you think the OTT space has opened up a wider opportunity base for actors?
More than opportunities, I think it brings in the much needed respect for actors, who would till a few years back, keep waiting for a movie or TV show to come their way, inspite of being fiercely talented. Not only that, I find OTT to be more competitive and transparent vis à vis the big screen, since if you do not show interest in a role, you can be replaced almost immediately. There is no paucity of actors anymore.
You appeared on the big screen for the first time in Omkara, eventually gravitating towards characters spread across varied genres. Any particular genre that you would like to explore next?
The irony is that any aspect of my personality that I am passionate about does not translate into a role on the big screen. For example, I love playing all sorts of sports, whether it is Table tennis, Badminton or Cricket. However, till date, I haven’t done any sports film. Similarly, people say arre tum toh kaafi romantic ho, but again, no romantic movie in my kitty!
Speaking of romance, you recently said you want to be paired with Tabu in a love story…
Arre vo toh hazirjawabi ke chakkar mein statement nikal gaya. (I just said that to sound witty and cool). On a serious note, I would jump at any opportunity to work with Tabu, regardless of my role and character. Who would let pass the chance of gracing the screen with one of the gems of our industry, hai na?
Tell us about your upcoming projects
I have Sector 36 next, which is a dark, gripping subject. Post that, I will be doing Ram Reddy’s untitled project.
