After shooting continuously for 12 days and five nights for Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Faadu, he finally got a day off. A seemingly good day to call Pavail Gulati, and disrupt his afternoon siesta. “Lazing around in bed after exhausting days is so satisfying,” the actor starts off with a laugh.

But the mere mention of Iyer’s show is enough to get him sprightly. But Gulati still had jitters, as he didn’t know anyone on set. “I knew of Saiyami [Kher] before. While the shoot has been tiring, we are having a ball.”

Without divulging much, Gulati reveals what attracted him to the eight-part SonyLIV series. “[It’s a] poetic love story between two people who are different from each other, set in the background of poetry and literature. The series reflects the many dark elements and layers of society. It delves into how you lose bits of your personality to become the person you hope to become,” he explains.

Gulati, who was last seen in Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad (2020), received back-to-back offers — Anurag Kashyap’s next Dobaaraa, a role opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Goodbye — so much so that people doubted he would return to the web. “I am moved by the scripts and directors. When I found out Ashwiny ma’am is directing [the series], I wanted to do it. While platform and storytelling format matter, the power of content can take the world by storm.”

Shouldering a solo project is a first for the actor. His last web outing, Haq Se, an adaptation of Little Women, was with an ensemble cast. “The prep for it has been extensive — from nailing the walk, talk, and psyche. I had a month off to soak the character in. Ashwiny ma’am has a clear vision and creates personal bonds with her actors. She familiarises you with the world of the stories,” adds the actor, who has now “become good friends” with his director.