RAJENDRA CHAWLA, who plays Pratap Ratan Bansal in Tera Yaar Hoon Main on Sony SAB, speaks with SHALINI SAKSENA about how tough it was to shoot under the new normal, how this role is different and upcoming projects

What is your role in the show?

The show represents three generations — grandfather, father and son. I play Pratap Ratan Bansal who is the eldest in the family. He lives his life according to what he thinks is right. He doesn’t belong to the era where the father is not a friend but someone who needed to be heard when he spoke without being questioned. According to him each relationship is defined and need not be merged.

What is the best thing about your character?

It is his quirkiness that is interesting. It is not as if he is in a foul mood all the time. However, the other person may think otherwise. He is a fun person to be with. He has fun with this grandson. But he has a grudge. He wanted his grandson to be a cricketer but he could be one. So, Bansal keeps taunting him about this. But he loves his family.

Was it tough to go back to shooting after the lockdown opened?

Yes, definitely. Before the show started its shoot, we had a virtual meeting with a doctor. He told us that while on the sets, we must always think that the person in front of us is asymptomatic. He told us that despite all the precautions the production house takes, we must not let our guard down. But doing this was so tough and scary. When we reached the set, the normal was to hug and greet each other. But on the first day, nobody exchanged more than two lines. Each one of us was scared that more conversation will mean a hand on the shoulder and we had to maintain distance. We avoided talking to each other. It will take time to get things back to normal.

You have played the role of a father a few times, how is this different?

The first thing is that I have never played a father who is from the 40s and the 50s. Till now, I had played the role of a progressive father. Here I play a traditional father which is interesting. Also, the way I deliver the dialogues is different, language here is different. The character is Marwari. I don’t know anything about the accent or how they behave.

You have been in the industry for over two decades now. How have things changed?

Back then there were fewer people in the industry but we managed to get things done. Now, there are a lot more people and jobs are defined. Earlier, a verbal agreement was enough. Now everything has to be done via emails — it has become a corporate set-up now. This could be because there is far more work involved.

Does this mean that competition has increased?

Yes, there is competition. But it also means that there is much more work in the industry. Many youngsters now don’t have to struggle for work. There is theatre, there is TV, there is web and films that offer all kinds of diverse work. There is no dearth of work today. This means one gets to do varied work. Even cinema has changed. This is because the younger generation has access to more information.

You have done TV shows and films. How are the two different when it comes to acting?

There is no difference. For each platform, be it theatre, TV or films, I have always done my work honestly. The only difference is that in cinema, one gets more time to prepare for the character. The director has time to pay attention to how the character needs to go forward. In TV, this is not possible since the director has little time. So here, I have to be prepared 90 per cent before I reach the set.

How did your acting career begin?

It began with Marathi theatre. I met Satish Kaushik and ended up doing more theatre. In time, I ended up with a Marathi serial. Since I didn’t have any Godfather my previous work propelled me further. Wherever I am today, is due to the people I met in my work and I am grateful to them for it.

What are your future plans?

I am working on two shows. One, of course, Tera Yaar Hoon Main and the other is Mere Dad Ki Dulhan on Sony Entertainment Television. In between, if I get a film, I will do that as well. Also, I love to work with newage directors. Working on web series doesn’t involve too much time since they are finite.