Sumeet Vyas on Tripling 2: I felt Chitvan will make a very cool father

After watching the five-episode series Tripling 2, we sat down for a chat with its writer and actor Sumeet Vyas to know how he managed to keep the fun element of the show intact while exploring the emotional aspect of its prime characters, Chanchal (Maanvi Gagroo), Chitvan (Amol Parashar) and Chandan (Sumeet).

Q. The first season of Tripling happened when the audience was just warming up to the web series format and Tripling 2 has come at a time when the digital platform has taken off. So what special attention did you pay while writing it?

The whole idea was not to be predictable. When we wrote the first season, it was a different genre of content altogether, essentially catering to the youth. It was also a new age idea with the kind of parents we showed or the bond the siblings had. It was very different and relatable. While writing this season, we just did not borrow from whatever we had done last time. We tried to create a fresher story which had its own feel so that when someone watches the second season, he/she does not feel, ‘oh I have seen this before.’

Q. Tripling 2 is an emotional affair too, but audiences expect fun from the series. Was it difficult to balance it out?

It was a conscious decision to not just make a comedy fluff in the second season but also to have an emotional connect with the audience. The next step was to show the growth of Chandan, Chanchal and Chitvan in their respective relationships. Also, the whole Pranav plot gives the story some sort of drama and it drives the story a little faster. I believe if you have a destination for your story in your mind, then your plot picks up.

Also, what we tried to do this time is we tried to give a certain character to the cities that we travelled to. So, Lucknow has a little more Lucknow in it with the portrayal of Gajraj Rao sir’s character. As you will watch the episodes, you will see a little bit of the city and its culture in the story. We wanted to not just cross those cities but also include them in the story as well.

Q. Do you think meeting the expectation is going to be a challenge?

If you start writing the story based on your guesswork of what people might expect, then you will never be able to create an original story. So, while creating a story, it is always advisable to fearlessly create it. In this case, we did not get out of the universe of our previous story, but we fearlessly wrote our story instead of getting bogged down by what people might expect. We knew humour will happen situationally rather than trying to bring it in with words and puns. The show gets funnier as the siblings reach Kolkata and Sikkim and as they search for Pranav, it gets even more bizarre and funny.

Q. What was the thought behind writing Chitvan as a father?

I was really keen on knowing what kind of a father Chitvan would make. We all love him and we all know how bizarre he is. But we also know that he is a crazy man with a very clean heart and I would love to see a man that crazy and that all over the place being a father. I felt Chitvan will make a very cool father. Just when we saw that he is still careless and does stupid things, there comes a genuine moment when he actually loves the child and cares for him. Seeing Chitvan with this child, Chandan actually imagines his father with Chitvan and how he was when Chitvan was born. Life sort of comes full circle there. This we thought will make for a perfect end to the third episode.

Q. Do you think the relationship between the siblings has evolved?

Of course, it evolved. They have seen more life. Like Chitvan’s character and the stage he is at, he has to take a definite call as to how he wants to take his life ahead. A part of him wants to be careless, non-committal and a part of him loves the child and the kind of life he feels around him. He is torn between which one to choose. Similarly, with Maanvi’s character. All this while she kept complaining that she doesn’t get to be ambitious and do extraordinary things as she is bogged down by her husband and his lifestyle, and now, she is in the spot. She is getting to do what she complained about. That’s her journey.

Q. Does the inspiration for Tripling come from your real life experiences with your siblings?

Bits of it comes from my interaction and experience with my siblings or from people I have known and their interactions with their respective siblings.

Q. Have you ever been on a road trip with your wife Ekta Kaul?

Not really. We have been on a lot of trips but not on road trips except for a small part of Sikkim that we went by road because we landed somewhere and then drove to Sikkim. So it was a tiny road trip but still, we are planning to go for a road trip and I hope we are able to do that this year.

Q. Are you Chandan in real life too or do you have traits of Chitvan or Chanchal too?

I do have traits of Chanchal and Chitvan as well. I do end up doing things which are very weird. When I look at them in hindsight, I think it was so bizarre, why did I say it or do it. In fact, both Akarsh and I are a bit of Chandan, Chanchal and Chitvan.

Q. What do you want the audience to take away from Tripling 2?

I want the audience to grow with the characters. When we were writing the second season, we had a clear idea that we really like this franchise and we would like it to grow. And, for a franchise to grow, it is very important that the audience, at different stages of life, comes back to the show and feels like they are part of us and are growing with us. I watched Before Sunrise and Before Sunset and over the years, it felt like I grew with the characters and that is such a beautiful feeling. So, I thought that it will be great if we can create something which happens at its own pace and the viewers feel they are a part of our growing up years.