Mukul Chadda
Actor Mukul Chadda, who appears in the crime comedy series 'Sunflower' and Vidya Balan-starrer film 'Sherni' - both releasing in June 2021 – says an actor is always on the cusp of being typecast and therefore it is fortunate if one gets to do diverse roles.
“For me, it is very crucial as an actor to play different characters. For many actors, it is a danger to get typecast. So when you get an opportunity to play different parts and different characters, I think it is wonderful. Playing different parts, helps them show their range to the audience and gives an impression that an actor cannot be boxed into a role or a character. In fact, it is a wonderful gift to play different parts because you don't always get such an opportunity. I would always grab it because it gives me joy and pleasure,” said the actor, who is best known for playing Jagdeep Chaddha (the Michael Scott equivalent) in the Indian edition of the international hit show 'The Office', in an exclusive chat with India TV.
Chadda was most recently seen essaying the role of Dr Ahuja in Vikas Bahl's 'Sunflower', which released on June 11 on ZEE5.
Speaking about the web series, he shares: "It’s not something I’ve played before. My character is a very different one in this one. The man calls himself doctor Ahuja. He’s a self-made egoist man who gets angry easily and is always ready for a fight. It was really fun playing the character and I really enjoyed it because it will be very difficult to put it in a single box of the genre. Sunflower, as it is being called it a crime comedy. There's a murder, investigation which is serious but it has its moments of comedy. It's a hilarious show with very dark comedy.”
The investment banker turned actor is known for his gritty characters in both films and web shows. He has appeared in titles like Gurgaon, Ek Main aur Ekk Tu and Bichoo Ka Khel. He also featured in a short film 'Banana Bread' with his wife Rasika Dugal. Next in the pipeline is Amit Masurkar's film 'Sherni' with Vidya Balan in the lead. The film releases on June 18 on Amazon Prime Video.
Describing Sherni, Chadda says, the film is a new front for many as it tackles lesser talked issues in the country. “Sherni is a film about man-animal conflict. You can't label this one too. It tackles, talks and explores issues that have not been talked about much in India. The film covers wildlife concerns, village life in India and environment conservation. It is life through the eyes of a forest officer played by Vidya Balan. It's not a singular issue with simple answers to, there’s a pull and push to it.”
Asked his opinion on exploring issues and social media, the actor said: “It (social media) has positive and negative. It does help to highlight issues. It has connected people in ways they were not before. For instance, the pandemic, during some of the darkest times people helped each other. I thank my stars regularly because I didn’t see so much suffering like many others in the country. It’s a matter of being lucky and fortunate. I'm mindful of that and staying positive is difficult. You cannot tell someone just be positive to someone who's had a bad time.”
“However, sometimes it does accelerate hatred and activism goes out of hand. But we are in a polarized state of the world. People get into certain camps but yes social media does help in both highlighting and accelerating issues,” he added.
