Showing posts with label Little Things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Things. Show all posts
I would be excited to be a part of a psychological thriller or play a negative role-Mithila Palkar
8:26 AM
After her latest romcom Sweet Dreams, Mithila Palkar says that love stories need to adapt according to the next generation
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 4, 2025)
Internet’s favourite girl-next-door, Mithila Palkar, wants to take a detour now. Having created a niche for herself with slice-of-life and romantic stories like Girl in The City (2016), Little Things (2016-21) and Karwaan (2018), Palkar now wants to play characters far removed from herself. In an interview with mid day, the actor, currently seen in Disney+ Hotstar rom-com Sweet Dreams, shares her aspirations for the next stage of her career that include playing antagonists, and why she believes that love stories need to be reimagined for the GenZ audience.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
What kind of prep is required for a film that is driven more by the charm of its actors than the story?
I stick to both the director and the writer’s vision, which in the case of Sweet Dreams was Victor [Mukherjee] himself. Having him take me and Amol [Parashar, co-star] through what inspired him to write the story and why he imagined us in these parts, I fed off from that. That’s what I usually do for slice-of-life stories.
After completing over a decade in the industry, what are you most hungry for?
I want to see myself play different roles from what I am. All the girls I have played so far are different shades of me, but I would be excited to be a part of a psychological thriller or play a negative role. I remember when I watched Killing Eve, I was so inspired by that show, I felt this is what I wanted to do.
Have you found it difficult to break the trap that the audience’s expectations can create?
I do appreciate the love that I have received through Little Things. I am grateful to that show. I always say that I don’t think a show like this will ever happen for me again because all of us on the show were just starting out. We all began from ground zero and that show took us to another level. Now whatever we will do next will begin from here. Which is why the show will always be special. We are obviously not going to start from ground level now.
It’s also about comfort, both for the audience and the actor. Some people can get stuck in it [same character type] because they know the audience will love them like that because of which even the makers start envisioning you similarly. In that context, I was surprised by the kind of projects that eventually came my way [after Little Things]. I do deserve to do other things, I do deserve to be seen differently, but unless the makers dare to dream, I can’t do much. Or then, I’ll have to produce something myself. But I am too new on the scene to try that. But I am grateful to all the writers and directors, who offered me different [roles] because stereotyping happens. There’s no escaping it. You have seen Little Things so many times that you think Mithila is Kavya and that’s what you want to see again and again. But unless you show something different to the audience, how will they know that you can be something else too?
You have headlined a few popular romances, Sweet Dreams being the latest one. But a dearth of love stories is felt on the big screen as well as OTT. Why do you think there’s a gap?
Youngsters should write young stories. Romance on paper has to change according to how it’s changing with generations. Even though millennials and GenZ are just a generation apart, we think differently from each other. I feel this about myself. I want to sit with a GenZ person and understand their ways. I feel that many times, I sit on a high horse like the generation before us did and say, ‘Humare zamane mein aisa hota tha.’ But that’s not how it works. You won’t be accepted by the audience if they can’t relate to you. I feel we should keep experimenting as artistes because the audience is intelligent and adaptive in a sense that they will want to see different things if you offer them something different. So, even for romance, there’s no point reiterating what we have seen. It’s nice to have a fresh perspective. To revisit films we watched 20 years ago is going back to your comfort zone.
Dhruv Sehgal and I can play Dhruv and Kavya in our sleep now. It is like a second skin for us-Mithila Palkar
8:14 AM
Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal discuss their audio show, which is a prequel to their hit series Little Things
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; September 20, 2022)
After the last season of Little Things culminated in October 2021 on Netflix, Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal got busy with their lives, not knowing if the show will go on to make another season or not. A year later, we hear that Dice Media is back with Little Things, albeit with a difference. The new edition will be an audio show, where the writers explore how the characters Dhruv and Kavya met and began dating — much like the second season of Permanent Roommates He Said, She Said on Audible.
Unperturbed by the challenges of being on an audio medium, Palkar says, “We can play Dhruv and Kavya in our sleep now. No matter [what the medium], it is like a second skin for us.” However, she agrees that the show is not without its challenges, especially for an actor who uses everything at her disposal to effortlessly play a character.
“As an actor, I do find acting using just the voice a little hard because you lose out on the visual elements. [Usually], your voice modulates as per your action. It is not easy to emote or express with just your voice, but it is exciting, nonetheless. Dhruv and Kavya are home.”
Sehgal on the other hand finds the audio medium technically different, but otherwise the same. “More than difficult, I believe it took time to understand the few technicalities of [working on an audio show]. We took about two days to get the technicalities, but the idea is to create the intimacy of these characters. I believe you just have to be in the moment.” Sehgal believes he no longer questions the intention of his characters as that “ship has sailed and reached where it has to.”
While the series on Netflix was an instant hit, the actors are not pressured to ensure a hit as an audio show. “We don’t operate from the idea that we have to make it a big splash or the biggest show on Audible. We didn’t even approach the [visual] show like this. We do it with honesty and hope those people who are listening to it or watching it feel the story,” says Sehgal, adding that the show will focus on how different they were before they got together. “I think we [characters] were a little more shaky, agitated, and anxious. They got settled when they met each other.”
Dhanush joke in Hindi web series Little Things puts the spotlight firmly on racial stereotyping of south actors
8:13 AM
Sunayana Suresh (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2021)
At a time when Hollywood is making strides as far as inclusion of actors of colour goes, it is nothing short of appalling when racism and stereotyping is passed off for humour in India. Recently, a troll video calling out the racism in a scene in the web series Little Things, in which the lead characters are seen typecasting actor Dhanush for his skin tone, went viral. In the scene, the lead pair’s friends compare them to actors Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor from Raanjhanaa, tacitly referring to the complexion difference between them, as well as their looks, in what was supposed to be humour.
Calling for an end to racism, the troll page also highlighted Dhanush’s achievements, which was amplified by several south actors. “There is a fine line between humour and being incorrect and wrong,” they stated. Soon enough, netizens joined in to discuss the repercussions of the engrained stereotyping of south Indian actors in content from other belts.
WRITERS NEED TO BE SENSITIVE ABOUT RACIAL TONES IN DIALOGUES
“We are living in times when we need to be mindful and sensitive while writing stories or dialogues. We, Indians, are the first to stand up against racism outside the country, but often fail to recognise what is happening here. We need to call out such scenes and discuss the need for writing sensitively more often,” says former actor-politico Ramya, who has worked with Dhanush in a Tamil film.
Dhanush’s VIP co-star, Amitash Pradhan, says, “This ‘silly joke’ is distasteful. I’ve noticed a pattern in Hindi cinema when it comes to portraying the south. I am a huge Rajinikanth fan and have never heard him say, ‘Yenna Rascala’ in any of his films. When we portray a Hindi-speaking guy in our movies, do we make him say, ‘Arey kya yaar?’ every few minutes? No, right? We need to be sensitive to things and write better.”
INCLUSIVITY HAS TO START IN THE SOUTH, SAYS FILMMAKER VETRI MAARAN
Making fun of someone for the way they look is one of the most insensitive ways of expressing oneself. Why should we be made to feel lesser for our skin tones, when we actually should be feeling proud of it? Earlier, there used to be that pressure to cast fair-skinned actors in the lead, owing to which many talented people lost out on good roles. But with the new crop of filmmakers, that has changed. It’s refreshing to see actors with more ‘native’ skin tones playing important roles and that’s how it should be. The inclusion should start from the south. You can’t ask a Hindi filmmaker to change when you yourself are making fun of skin tones. When you want to write a love song, you invariably end up praising the heroine’s skin colour. Such songs are there even in my films and I regret that. When there is proper representation on screen, there won’t be any misrepresentation.
‘RACISM SHOULD NOT EVER BE PASSED OFF AS COMEDY’
Although south stars have been increasingly crossing over into Bollywood, every time that happens, there are trolls/memes about it. In recent times, actress Priyamani has been among the few South Indian actors who appears to have seamlessly transitioned to working in Hindi content, too. Priya tells us, “There’s nothing funny about the scene. Irrespective of what people say, by ‘making fun of him in whatever way’, Dhanush’s work is speaking volumes and that makes us all proud to be his fans!”
Pranitha Subhash, who’s been making inroads in Bollywood, after a successful stint in most south film industries, adds, “There are two sides to this dialogue. On one side, south Indians have been stereotyped as Madrasis and our accents and lifestyles have been mocked in the name of comedy. On the other hand, more North Indians are liking south Indian films and people like Prabhas are accepted as stars. In my previous Hindi film, Priyadarshan sir had an almost south Indian crew and we shot in Ooty, so it was like I shot for a film down south. Things are changing, but these stereotypes need to be broken sooner,” says Pranitha.
(With inputs by Sharanya CR and Lakshmi V)
Shweta Tripathi, Dhruv Sehgal, Neeraj Madhav talk about shining in roles not traditionally associated with them
8:09 AM
As voting lines close today, and in the run-up to the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards, nominees in acting categories Neeraj, Dhruv and Shweta on shining in roles not traditionally associated with them
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 9, 2020)
In an era where the top brass of Bollywood enjoys their reign over specific genres, their counterparts on the web platform are punching above their weight to ensure they are cast against type. Having shone in a spate of comedy films in South Indian cinema in the past, Neeraj Madhav's turn as a cold-blooded terrorist in Manoj Bajpayee-led The Family Man, has been equally laudable.
Sharing the couch with Dhruv Sehgal and Shweta Tripathi in the second edition of the Sit With Hitlist Huddle — that brings together nominees in the acting categories of the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards on March 19 — Madhav's trajectory isn't far distanced from that of Tripathi. However, while Madhav was offered the role upfront when he accepted a "call from a random number", that turned out to be that of casting director Mukesh Chhabra, Tripathi admits that she had to work a little harder to bag roles that appeased her heart. "Before Masaan, everybody felt I was up-market, and would not fit into the role of a middle-class [person]. As actors, we need to keep breaking stereotypes," she says of her part in Amazon Prime Video's Laakhon Mein Ek.
Little Things writer-actor Dhruv Sehgal decided to take matters into his own hands after he was told to generate his own material, if he wanted to be part of roles he wasn't deemed fit for. "When you are 21 [years of age], you will always be limited, because you will always be at the mercy of someone else. Even now, I am called to audition for the part of a young father. When they say 'young', I tell them please make me old."
Uninhibited about having their acting chops tested over the long format of a web series, the trio, in fact, celebrates the fact that the extended narrative gives them scope and "space" to showcase their prowess. "On the OTT platform, one can live with the character for a longer period of time. The primary character's graph is juicier, [which means we are] spoiled. In feature films, even if one is the protagonist, how many lines and songs will s/he have when compared to a web series? On the OTT platform, even the primary characters grow, as the story progresses," says Tripathi, nominated for her act of a doctor in the final year of training.
Citing an instance of how the length of the project doesn't play spoilsport on the web platform, Madhav says, "In a commercial movie, if one takes a long pause, it gets edited. But, in a web series, one can dive into the character [by doing so]. Hence, an actor gets to explore the character better."
Having pulled of performances as nuanced as they are evidently implies that the trio has a trick or two that they employ to comprehend the psyche of characters. "The home work that I do [for a role] is find a person who is similar to my character. For Moosa, I couldn't do so, since I obviously don't know any terrorists," laughs Madhav, adding that in the absence of a role model, he trained his attention towards comprehending the character's emotional quotient. "There were many layers [to Moosa], so I worked on that and [held on] to particular moments."
Tripathi finds her inroad into understanding her character via external stimuli. "My costume is important, as is my playlist. I can get into a zone by listening to [a certain kind of] music. While shooting for Mirzapur, I had a playlist for Golu [her character]. For Massan, my playlist included songs from Guru and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak."
Hitlist Web Awards Timeline
- Voting lines close on March 9, at midnight.
- There are 14 categories you can vote in. Log on to www.hitlistwebawards.com to cast your vote.
- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c/d as on the website) to 57575.
- The awards will be held on March 19, in Mumbai.
- Watch the full Sit With Hitlist huddle with actors on the website, www.hitlistweb awards.com
I relate to Kavya in the third season of Little Things the most-Mithila Palkar
8:47 AM
Mithila traces her three-year journey with Little Things as she is nominated for Best Actor (Female) in the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; February 23, 2020)
In her role of Kavya, who navigates the ups and downs of a live-in relationship in Little Things, Mithila Palkar made people sit up and take notice. Three seasons later, she is a web star in her own right."From being unsure about what she wanted to do in life to finding a work-life balance, Kavya has matured into a responsible adult and a doting partner. I relate to that growth, and relate to Kavya in the third season the most," says Palkar, whose endearing performance in the love story has fetched her a Best Actor (Female) nomination in the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards.
Dice Media's Little Things began on YouTube in 2016, and was later picked up by Netflix. "It had an instant connect with the audience because of its universal story of [two people navigating] a relationship," reasons the actor. The idea for a long-format series came about after Dhruv Sehgal and she did two sketches with FilterCopy. "That's when producer Ashwin Suresh suggested that Dhruv write those sketches to adapt to a longer format."
There have been several fun-filled moments during the shoot. "The tennis court scene in the eighth episode of season three is one of our favourites. It was one of the most challenging sequences to shoot and Ruchir Arun, the director of that episode, was ambitious about it. We spent an entire night filming it," she laughs.
The actor, who featured in the Irrfan and Dulquer Salmaan starrer Karwaan (2018), is hoping to gain a foothold in Bollywood while balancing her digital commitments. There has been talk that a fourth season of Little Things is on the cards. Ask Palkar, and she smiles, "You will know soon."
More About Little Things
- Prateek Kuhad has composed the music for the series
- Lead actor Dhruv Sehgal is also the creator and writer of Little Things
- Dhruv Sehgal and Mithila Palkar first met at the Thespo Youth Theatre Festival after which they worked together in a FilterCopy sketch
Cast Your Vote For The Hitlist Web Awards
Mithila Palkar has been nominated in the Best Actor (Female) category for Netflix’s Little Things 03.
The other nominees are:
- Shefali Shah (Delhi Crime; Netflix)
- Shweta Tripathi Sharma (Laakhon Mein Ek 02; Amazon Prime)
- Rasika Dugal (Out of Love; Hotstar)
- Geetanjali Kulkarni (Gullak; Sony LIV)
- Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven; Amazon Prime)
- Dia Mirza (Kaafir; Zee5)
- Little Things 03 enjoys nominations across five categories, including Best New Season, Best Actor (Male), Best Supporting Actor (Female) and Best Writing.
- There are 14 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.hitlistwebawards.com to cast your vote.
- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c/d as on the website) to 57575.
- Voting lines close on March 8.
I am a grammar Nazi and Dhruv Sehgal doesn’t care about grammar, so, we are at loggerheads over it-Mithila Palkar
8:05 AM
Set to debut in Bollywood, online sensation Mithila Palkar on juggling digital shows with big screen projects
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; March 13, 2018)
It is a decisive year for Mithila Palkar — after making a mark on the digital platform with her web shows, Little Things and Girl In The City, she is switching gears to the big screen. As she juggles her Bollywood debut Karwaan and the second season of Little Things, the self- confessed “grammar Nazi” talks about her love for acting and finding a reluctant supporter in her 90-year-old grandfather.
How did Little Things happen?
Honestly, things happened by chance. People wanted to see Dhruv [Sehgal] and me on screen together, and we thought a web series was the right way to go. Season 2 was always in the pipeline, it just took us two years to put it together.
Dhruv and you share a crackling chemistry.
He was the DOP of my first sketch of FilterCopy and the web show, News Darshan. He came on board Little Things when we didn’t find anyone to play the role. Luckily, our chemistry worked. Off- screen, we are not best friends. Neither are we in constant touch, but we understand each other’s thought process. I am a grammar Nazi and he doesn’t care about grammar, so, we are at loggerheads over it (laughs).
Now that you are making your Bollywood debut, will web take a backseat?
After Karwaan releases on June 1, I’ll start shooting for Girl In The City Season 3. Things have slowed down in the digital space for me, but films won’t put a stop to it.
Were you overwhelmed when Karwaan was offered?
Of course! Nandini Shrikent, who I’ve auditioned for in the past, was the casting agent for the film. Once shortlisted, I had to undergo a look test and was brought on board. I was sold on the fact that Irrfan [Khan] sir and Ronnie sir [Screwvala, producer] are associated with the film. Who wouldn’t want to act with Irrfan?
Your family wasn’t keen on you being an actor. How did you convince them?
I knew I wanted to be an actor at the age of 12. But I kept running away from the idea because I didn’t get support at home. I belong to a middle-class Maharashtrian family where nobody thinks of acting as a career. My grandfather was against it. He finally relented on the condition that acting will come second, first, education.
What has been their reaction to your work?
My grandfather was excited about my advertisements, but was skeptical of my work on the web. He didn’t believe that I was working because he couldn’t see me on television. But at 90, he learned how to use a smartphone, and now he watches my shows. Praise from him is humbling.
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