Mukesh Jasoos Exclusive: Creator Heena DSouza and actor Rahul Bagga in a candid conversation with Cine Talkers
Mukesh Jasoos is currently streaming on Disney plus Hotstar. It is a lighthearted show filled with good entertainment. The plot of the movie revolves around a typical loser and detective with questionable skills. The story is narrated in short instalments which makes it an epic dose of fun. Mukesh Jasoos features Rahul Bagga and Paritosh Tripathi in pivotal roles and is directed by Heena D, Souza and Digant Vyas.
Cine Talkers recently got engaged with Rahul Bagga and director of the series Heena D, Souza in a conversation. Scroll down to know more.
*Mukesh Jasoos has received so much love and appreciation from the audience, how does it feel?
Heena and Rahul: We are overwhelmed with the response.
Heena: We didn’t expect this kind of reaction, because when we were making this series we were tight on time, we had hardly one month to finish writing, and then we didn’t even have a week for pre-production and we jumped into shooting. Amid everything we just wanted to execute everything smoothly without goof-ups. Never even once we thought about what would be the response of the audience. But the response we got is amazing and especially when you have not expected it to happen.
Rahul: The timing of our show is very important, I think in this time of crisis coming up with such content was very necessary. Because everyone is in pain right now and through Mukesh Jasoos we could make them smile. And at the end of the day, the feeling you get after all of this is very satisfying. In this journey of fame, we all tend to do such work which we cannot tell our parents, we watch some content which we probably cannot watch with our family. And I would like to thank Heena that after a long time, I am doing something as an actor, that I can tell anybody and everybody to watch it. Because you can watch it even with your family and I guarantee you that you will find a smile on your face.
*After looking at the script, did you always knew that you would be able to do justice with the character of Mukesh Jasoos?
Rahul: Honestly what I think is the vision which the writer and director have come up with, if you could only do 70% or 80% of justice to the character they have visioned for you, the work is done. There was only one thing which I was thinking, that Heena has given me responsibility and I have to honestly convey that to the audience. That’s it.
*Heena please tell us more about the bonding you and Rahul have?
Heena: The relationship between me and Rahul is such that he has acted in two of my short films. And whenever I call him and say Rahul Come and he is there. He never questions why what is the work or how much am I getting paid.
*Rahul, you have completed over 21 years in this industry? So how has your journey been so far?
Rahul: My journey has been sweet and salty just like lime soda! I never thought of pursuing acting as a career because I was doing CA at that time. But somehow Theatre happened and I found a place where I can express myself and I saw a huge transformation in my personality. And I understood one thing that rejection is a part and parcel of our profession.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7ZfniUZpYE
*Heena you worked as a content writer in an educational firm and today you are a director and a scriptwriter, how has the journey been so far?
Heena: See I won’t say that my journey has been a tremendous struggle to me because I was lucky enough to find a good doorway Humara Movie, Vinay, Preeti, Pallavi. I mean they are one of those people in the industry who are genuinely in it because of the love of art. So one day I just went to Vinay and I told him that I want to make films and that’s how I made my first short film ‘Vigna Bharta’. And he(Vinay) didn’t even ask me as it was a very low-budget film. It was the first film that gave me the confidence that Yes I can write a screenplay and Yes I can direct a screenplay. Their ‘Humara Movie’ has been mentoring me. Our short film Pressure cooker has won a Filmfare.
*What is the biggest challenge you face as a theatre actor in Mumbai?
Rahul: After coming to Mumbai, people like me come from theatrical backgrounds. We don’t have mentors here, who can mentor us. The biggest setback we face is the art we learned before coming here, now we have to make money out of that art. But I think I have been blessed that I always found my way out to do practice as an Actor.
*You have done theatre and it is said that people who come from theatres come with a firm hand and bring a lot of discipline, so do you think these qualities help you on- camera?
Rahul: Yes! Definitely. I mean look at the series trending right now in India. The Family Man 2, Maharani and Mukesh Jasoos. The leads of these shows are from theatres and they are brilliant at their jobs.
*What makes Mukesh Jasoos different from shows of the same genre?
Rahul: If you look at the content of Mukesh Jasoos, it is not just a comic detective series, it consists of impactful details regarding social factors and highlighting some unknown facts about our society. The character of Mukesh Jasoos has such an intense and wacky back story. Broken relationships, weird relationships and people are into it and they can’t get out of it, because this is what life is and this is what life offers you. And it makes the series even more relatable to our day-to-day lives.
*Did you think that the love angle of Mukta Ram and Pooja will be so impactful?
Heena: Yes! When we were writing about this angle of Muktaram we were very excited. It is such a fun scene, and it is a very filmy scene to shoot. Kind of an ironic love story.
*Rahul, What do you have to say about Kalyani Devi’s love angle?
Rahul: That was fun!
*What would you like to comment on the violence against doctors?
Heena: My approach to Indian Medical System and Indian Doctors is that healthcare in India is very cheap and we are blessed in that manner. And I respect the doctors in India as they don’t get paid what they deserve.
Rahul: What I think is there are two kinds of people in every profession. And it is an individualistic stand that we need to know how to be truthful to our profession. And I think the majority of the doctor fraternity has been fighting for us in these hard times and that’s the reality.
*Rahul, you gave your 21 years in this industry, did you ever come across that moment you thought of giving up?
Rahul: Yaa! I gave up last year. But for me, giving up doesn’t mean that I won’t act after this. It’s more like I don’t have to thrive this hard and I’ll simply go with my instincts and with what I am good at. I know my work and I am honest with my work
*How long does it take for you to get out of the character you’re playing or it will remain with you forever?
Rahul: For Mukesh Jasoos I didn’t get the time to imbibe the character, it came out naturally, but yes getting out from it was tough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ5lZHPxMxQ
