- By Simran Srivastav
- Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:10 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sumeet Vyas has established himself as a versatile actor after playing different characters and starring in several successful projects. But his characters Mikesh Chaudhary aka Mickey in 'Permanent Roommates' and Chanda Sharma aka 'Baba' will always remain favourites. He is back with the third season of 'Permanent Roommates', which has been receiving a positive response from the audience. Sumeet is currently experimenting with his roles and has played a serious role in the latest crime thriller film 'Sajni Shinde Ka Viral Video'. In an exclusive interview with Jagran English, Sumeet talked about the possibility of 'Permanent Roommates Season 4', founding success on the OTT platform, less buzz around his film 'Sajni Shinde Ka Viral Video', his future projects and more.
1. You played the role of Mikesh after 6-7 years. Did you feel any difficulty in becoming Mikesh again or was it easy for you?
No, it wasn't easy. But we were also very conscious or rather afraid that we would be able to retain what we had achieved because it had been so long. But funnily enough, the moment we started reading the scripts and conversing with each other, it immediately came back. It was like a physical memory back then. Like, if you learnt swimming in childhood and went to the water after a long time, you would remember it in some time. So, it was like meeting an old friend after a long time.
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2. Both Permanent Roommates and Tripling resonated with the urban youth when OTT platforms were not even a big thing in India. Did you expect such a huge response from the audience?
At that time, I didn't know if this was going to land because the concept of a web series did not exist. We were used to watching soap operas. So, we did not have any expectations about having a limited-edition episode series which was not the conventional type. As we kept making the episodes, people were receiving it well and we sort of gained confidence that this is going to work. Then we made another show, Tripling, that worked and more shows like 'Pitchers' and all the other shows. So, it was very reassuring to us and if you want to tell your story to your audience, you should do it. You should try.
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3. Is there any possibility of Permanent Roommates Season 4?
Absolutely. I'm also a fan of this show and I would really like for season 4 to come. Thankfully, season 3 has done very well and people have received it so well. It's gotten a lot of love for us and we should make another season with it. We want to make a show that we keep people looking at and it can be 'Friends' or 'How I Met Your Mother' of India. It's a feel-good show and its purpose is to make the audience happy.
4. You have found more success on the OTT platforms than in movies? Do you feel that you are being labelled as an OTT actor and that it can have an effect on your Bollywood career?
I don't think about it too much and don't take it very seriously. Or maybe I don't understand much. If good work is being done here, then it's good here. I never thought that this was an inferior medium and then eventually I'll do Bollywood and then I'll arrive as an actor. As long as the audience is watching my stuff and they are appreciating it and responding well to it. And actually, it doesn't matter if it's a film or it's a web show. It doesn't matter. Now, the people working in the film are also on OTT and everything has become fluid.
5. Your movie Sajni Shinde Ka Viral Video released recently but we did not see a greater buzz for the film. Do you think it will be able to leave the impact which it intended on social media and cyberbullying?
It is a very interesting thriller and word of mouth is very important for the films like these. I think more than any publicity, promo or song, when people really like a film, it doesn't matter if it has been publicised well or not. There are so many films and shows that did not receive any kind of publicity, but did very well because they were good films. And this is a very good story and I have very high hopes for it. My dear friend, Mikhil Musale, won a national award for the Gujarati film 'Wrong Side Raju' and he is a very talented filmmaker. So, I really hope that the film does well for him also.
6. You have been experimenting with your roles a lot recently like playing negative roles in Afwaah and Mrs Undercover or doing thriller shows Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke, and Aar Ya Paar. Is there any genre you want to explore?
I really like a thriller as a genre. I like to watch it also. And since the work that I am writing is not a thriller, I generally write more about family, comedy or lighthearted stuff. So, as an actor, I want to work in films that have more thrill, and more action, which I also enjoy watching. So, I really hope that that happens.
7. Can you tell us about any other future projects you are working on?
I am currently directing a play called 'Purane Chawal' and it's an adaptation of a Neil Simon play called 'Sunshine Boys'. It is going to open at the Prithvi Festival. I am actually directing the play after a decade and working with some very senior revered actors like Kumar Mishra and Shubhav Jyoti. So, I really hope that I am able to do justice to that.
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8. You are multi-talented. You can act, you can write and now you are also directing after a long time. What's your favourite thing to do in all these things?
I just love being in the business. I love the act of telling the story. So, I have never been proud of just being an actor or being a writer. I didn't see these things in a different manner. I started with theatre many years ago and I used to work in a theatre company where we would do everything. We would act in a play, then we would also be doing costume design for something. I would also be writing a play or composing music for it. We were always involved in the process of putting the story together. That's why my orientation is like that. I am only doing one thing and I am always interested in how it's been told.
