You know they are ageing in reverse when you see Kay Kay Menon and Vinay Pathak looking dapper in their chic attires, as they sit down with mid-day to chat about the upcoming show, Special Ops 2, helmed by Neeraj Pandey. Calling them versatile is an understatement, considering their vast body of work and how they seamlessly become their characters — Himmat Singh and Abbas Sheikh, respectively. While they are yet to watch the show, the two actors confidently tell us that they are already blown away by the filmmaker’s expertise in “weaving fiction and making it almost seem real.” Excerpts from the interview:

Kay Kay Menon: It was ready six months back. We were just waiting for the JioHotstar merger to happen. Almost two-and-a-half years ago, we had finished season 1.5. So, this bit of wait time is expected, especially for a show of this massive scale.

Vinay Pathak: Not really. You get calls selling insurance or credit cards every now and then, but we know now [to be careful]. We haven’t been a victim yet. It makes you wary, but you cannot be panic-stricken about it all the time.

KKM: It’s as worrisome as your house getting burgled on one fine day. The aura around the risk depends on how much you amplify it. The lock was invented to keep thieves away, but they found a way out, so we moved to digital locks. It’s the same thing here — anything that is technology-oriented, it’s always possible for someone to break through. You eventually find devices to curtail it.

VP: It feels fantastic to be a part of [something] this big and exciting. The best is that it is really thrilling. Sometimes, I can’t believe that I am an integral part of that madness.

KKM: When I saw the trailer, I was blown away by it.

VP: I think that is best answered by Neeraj Pandey. But I think he is very good at weaving fiction and making it almost seem real.

KKM: The new thing came with the script, of course, which I cannot reveal. Ultimately, it all depends on the writing, and Neeraj is brilliant in that department. So that was taken care of. Each time I come for a new season, the only thing I look forward to is to see what he has done now. That’s the most exciting part for me as an actor. As for Himmat Singh, I know him now quite well, since we’ve also done his backstory.

VP: I know that I am going to read a new story with the references of what has already been established. It’s always exciting to read how and what story we are telling this time.

KKM: We are both theatre actors, so we usually do everything in one take only. It is not a threat to us. It is, in fact, very good because a certain continuity is maintained that you need not induce later for a different cut. So, I don’t think that is a problem. It is all well-rehearsed.

VP: Hasn’t it spoken for itself? OTT has been around for a while and it’s settled now. I think we love to keep these theories of theatres being affected afloat.

KKM: I believe there’s always a correction that happens. You have an inflation and then a correction. When television came in, everybody thought that cinema was done because no one was going to go to the theatres, but nothing happened. For some time, everyone had that fear, but it settled. I don’t think theatrical releases are going anywhere. Yes, the format and the way people view it might be different, but it will correct itself to cater to that audience. You will have to up the ante a bit while making [content], understanding that there are two different kinds of people who watch it. The same person becomes a different individual when he is watching something on OTT, and I can guarantee that person will not stand up and dance to Sheila Ki Jawani after watching it on OTT. [In theatres], it’s a mass psychology that happens. It is a party syndrome, so even if you don’t know how to dance, you will also shake your leg. As long as makers understand that and cater to it, [it will work].

VP: Hum jo kaam karte hain, woh accha hi hota hain. We don’t sit and wonder, ki woh jo kharaab kaam kiya hain, uske baarein mein log humse kya kahenge [laughs]. Our intentions are always good; we want to do a decent and honest job. That is how we look at all the jobs that one has been a part of. It’s an honest approach to how we go about our work.

KKM: Oh, that I won’t reveal — why should I?

VP: All the time, that is the excitement. We do discuss it a lot with our shrink.

Special Ops was appreciated as much for its taut storytelling as for Kay Kay Menon’s compelling performance. And director Neeraj Pandey knows the opportunity for a story when he sees one — gauging the audience interest in the back-story of Menon’s quiet but quick-thinking RAW agent, Himmat Singh, he has decided to create Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story.

“Most showrunners and creators develop a second season to take their story forward. When we got down to cracking the next step, we were wondering how to make this universe unpredictable yet fascinating for the audience. We wanted to do it differently from the template that has been set. That’s when we started thinking about Special Ops 1.5,” narrates Pandey.

Told over three episodes, the story will go back in time to 2001 and explore the formative years of Himmat Singh. “Technically, we will be making a mini-series. [Like the first edition], we will kick off the proceedings with the 2001 Parliament attack and take the story forward. It will delve into the making of Himmat, and how his thought process was shaped by events and experiences. One of the reasons I enjoyed writing the 1.5 version is because we could tap into a side of Kay Kay, which, in all probability, we might not be able to see again.”

Going 20 years back in time implies that Menon will have to sport a younger look in the series. The creator reveals that the team has zeroed in on the actor’s get-up. “Since we had shown a younger Kay Kay in the opening episode of the first season, we were confident about the look he had to sport. We did a test shoot recently; the special effects work is underway.”

So where does that leave the second season — a continuation of sorts to the original story, complete with Himmat Singh and his undercover agents pursuing another terrorist? “[After the 1.5 version], we will have the second season, which will be an eight-episode affair,” he promises.