Sharman Joshi has been getting a lot of positive response to his recently released web show 'Kafas'. In an exclusive chat with Outlook India, the actor, known for his work in films like 'Rang De Basanti' and '3 Idiots', talked about how he approached the lead character, his camaraderie with co-star Mona Singh and his future projects.
Excerpts from the interview:
How was it to play the lead character in ‘Kafas’? Tell us how you approached it
I approached it systematically, and the lead character that I play is Raghav Dixit. His family happens to be the owner of a multiplex in Mumbai, and has a lovely family. But life has its challenges, and then an unfortunate incident happened to his son and how it turns their world upside down, and how the family kind of takes it forward, is what Kafas is all about. The director wanted to work on my look first, and then he spoke about where the character is coming from, the final aspects of it. We had multiple readings with the cast and even one-on-one. Then I had an idea about the way we were going. I relied mostly on my instinct and it’s a mixed bag, collected from everywhere.
Have you seen the original show ‘Dark Money’? If yes, did it help you in understanding your character better?
I have not seen ‘Dark Money’ for an apparent reason. 'Kafas' is based on Dark Money but a lot of changes have been made, so it is quite different in many aspects from the original. We decided not to go down the path of watching 'Dark Money'.
‘Kafas’ deals with several sensitive issues, including sexual harassment of males, paedophiles. As an actor, did it pose a challenge for you?
It’s a reality of life. Me, as an individual, as an actor and as a citizen of this country, observe it and I discuss these things with my children as well. I realise that they are much more informed than I am. Everyone is aware of it. Yes, in Kafas, sexual assault and other senstive topics can be uncomforting and it becomes very difficult to cope for the family, specially for the child. So we needed to bring all those aspects to the project, it was both challenging and exciting.
You are paired with Mona Singh with whom you shared some screen time in ‘3 Idiots’. How was it to collaborate with her?
I think we share a mutual respect for each other, and I love the way she appreciates what we have done for all. She is also kind of an introvert, so I am. We get along really well. I didn't see her for very long, and then after a long time, we met at the readings. Without too much effort, we are fond of each other, so that helped in the chemistry of actors that we are portrayed in ‘Kafas’. She is such a fine actor and as any actor who is good at his/her job, it lifts your performance too. It became easy for me to bring out the complexities of the character.
Tell us about some of your other future projects. Are you inclined towards doing more films or OTT projects?
I have three films which are ready. I am not sure whether they would be a theatrical release or OTT or both. We all will know soon. The first one is Umesh Shukla and Sony Pictures’ production. It is called ‘Aankh Micholi’ and has Abhimanyu Dassani, Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Abhishek Banerjee and a host of other fine actors. It is a comedy, which I am eager to see come out. Then there is another one, which Sunil Khetarpal has produced and Abbas-Mustan has directed it. It has Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, Mouni Roy and others. The third one is Anurag Kashyap and Vinod Bhanushali's presentation. It is a father-son story where Annu Kapoor plays my father. It is a slice-of-life drama called ‘Sab Moh Maya Hai'. Helmed by Abhinav Parikh.
'Kafas' is streaming on Sony LIV.
