‘Karwaan was an acting workshop’

Theatre and web actor Mithila Palkar has been cast alongside two powerhouses in her second film which was initially an overwhelming experience, she tells Saimi Sattar

What is your character all about?

Tanya is 19. She is at the cusp of teen years and adulthood. She is confident, feisty and very practical in her approach to life. She is extremely unapologetic and uninhibited about things she does. For her, there is no concept of log kya kahenge. She is confident and sure of herself. It is very much like the millennials of today and it is certainly a slice of life.

How did you land the role in the movie?

The director, Akarsh Khurana, and me are alumni of a youth festival called Phespo. He was a part of it in the second year and I was a part of the festival in the 14th. So we knew each other and suggested me to Nandini Shrikant who was the casting director of his debut film as a director. I was shortlisted and did the look test. I waited for long and then almost gave up as we are quite used to auditions not translating into work. Then one day Akarsh told me that I was on.

Was it overwhelming to be a part of a movie which had big names like Irrfan and Dalquer?

It was a dream come true for me because who doesn’t want to work with two of  the finest actors in the country? It was, of course, intimidating to be sharing screen space with the two of them even though it was not of their doing. They eased me into it and made sure that I was comfortable. I was like a child who was thrown into a candy shop. I was awe struck because I was also the youngest. There was constant learning on the set. They are effortless and spontaneous in their craft. It was surreal, overwhelming and enriching. Initially I would get lost in their performance like an audience and forget that I had to respond as a co-actor. Then I synced up.

Any particular anecdotes?

Dalquer has a huge fan following in the south. So people would turn up when we were shooting in Kerala. We had a scene on a bridge in a remote area and thought that nobody would come there. But there was a huge crowd waiting for us. Akarsh was trying to capture all this and someone thought that he too was a fan. So he climbed up on the director’s shoulder to click a photograph.

Girl in the City— how much do you identify with the character considering you are a Bombay girl?

The character helped me fall in love with the city that I was already in love with all over again. Now I can identify with a different perspective. It is a struggle when you come from a small town, it is quite a daunting task to take in the city’s pace. I looked from a different perspective and it was still home.

Hi Chal turu turu, the cup song, is what you started out with. What was the the inspiration?

I didn’t decide to do this. It was an experiment. I just did it for fun. I learnt to do the rhythm from YouTube videos which was inspired by Anna Kendrick’s cup song in a movie called Pitch Perfect. It is a four-beat rhythm which can be done with any four-beat rhythm song. So I made this video with a Marathi song. What happened to my experiment was unexpected.

How and when did you decide that you want to be an actor?

When I decided to do films, I knew I wanted to be a part of Bollywood. Who doesn’t want to be a part of that? I had signed up for the deal of running around trees and singing songs. The acting bug bit me in my school years. I was quite  active in extra-curricular pursuits,  good in elocution, debates and was a part of the choir. I decided to be an actor at 12 but nobody took me seriously, not even myself. It was considered a pipe dream.

What was your experience in your debut movie, Katti Batti?

Any project is special and there I was working with Nikhil Advani who is one of the finest directors in the industry. He welcomed me as he did all of us who were from the theatre background. Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan were great to work with.

I have grabbed every opportunity that has come to me with both hands. Whatever came to me, I experimented with it. Whatever you do is a learning experience.

You’ve done web series, ads, movies...how is each medium different?

There is only one difference, one being on stage and the other being in front of the camera. However, whether it is  theatre, film or web series, content is king.

Future plans?

Nothing concrete as yet. The third season of Girl in the City  is going on air now and also the second season of Little Things will be out soon.

What do you like to do outside work?

I like sleeping since that is one thing that I am not able to do when I am working. I also love to sit on the swing in my house and listen to music.