From making relatable family content to getting invited to the United Nations headquarters as an ambassador for YouTube’s global initiative, Creators for Change program and becoming an actress — renowned YouTuber Prajakta Koli, lead in the famous Netflix show Mismatched, now adds another feather to her cap as she takes on immersive audio projects, different from her previous fortes. The nine-episode Audible Original series Desi Down Under, in which she stars, promises a thrilling blend of adventure, romance and comedy revolving around an unforgettable journey of three young Mangaloreans — Meenu, Rahul and Deven, who find themselves training as lifesavers at the breathtaking Coogee beach in Sydney, Australia. Featuring popular names like Taaruk Raina and Adarsh Gourav, the English and Hindi series aims to ignite a sense of wanderlust and inspire Indian youth to pursue their dreams. To uncover more, we chat with Prajakta, who lets us in on some heartwarming anecdotes from the recording sessions of Desi Down Under.
Introduce us to Desi Down Under. Can you tell us a bit about your character?
Desi Down Under is a beautiful coming-of-age story about these three young people — Rahul and I, who are twin siblings and our childhood friend hailing from a coastal community in Mangalore. There is something that has happened and it has affected their lives very gravely and they feel very passionately about manning their shores. The trio wish to change several things that are happening in the community and about fishermen who go to sea. So, they decide to enrol themselves for this life-saving course that is happening at Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia. The show opens with them flying to Sydney for their life-saving lessons. And what happens there is how things change, how they put their guard down, try new things, make mistakes, learn, etc. Do they get through their training? Is there something happening between Meenu and Deven? It’s light, fun and enjoyable.
How different was the production process from what you usually do and what was it like to work on this audio project?
It was an entirely different experience, very new and very challenging for sure. It was my first-ever audio show, so, I did not know what to expect, but Mantra Mugdh, our director, had a huge role to play in making sure that I didn‘t freak out. But as a ‘reader Prajakta,’ I really appreciated it. I love reading books, my favourite thing about books is it’s an escape. I do not know where I am, or what I’m doing and I love that by reading books I can give myself that escape. Every time I finish a book, I come back feeling so much pressure, like I’ve just taken a vacation. It is quite daunting, it is quite nerve-wracking to be in a studio by yourself, trying to imagine that you’re in Australia, surfing on a beach watching other people face the waves.
A scene that was challenging for you to perform?
Personally, I don’t know how to swim. However, Meenu, my character, is a surfer and a phenomenal swimmer. There’s something that happens that has to do with life and death and in that moment I remember I had no clue how to perform that scene because I had absolutely no experience. But that’s where Mantra came in and held my hand, step by step, till I hit the right note with whatever they needed me to deliver.
Can you tell us a bit about your co-stars Taaruk Raina and Adarsh Gourav and the dynamic between your characters in the series?
Meenu, Deven (Adarsh Gourav) and Rahul (Taaruk Raina) all are in their twenties. Rahul is my sibling and twin while Deven is an old friend who I might or might not be in love with.
Have you ever been to Sydney or had a similar experience travelling abroad for the first time? If so, how did that influence your portrayal of the character?
I’ve never been to Sydney, but I’ve been to Melbourne and I would love to go again. Because, the last time I was there, I was literally there for like five days and I was working every single day. So, I never really got to see the city, try the food, talk to people — none of it. Some of my closest friends recently moved to Brisbane, I even have creator friends there that I meet every now and then across the world. So, hopefully I can travel sometime this year, meet up with everyone and go to Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach and all these places that we’ve been talking about so much.
What kind of an impression did the character Meenu leave on you?
I think over the episodes, Meenu kind of lets her guard down, she slowly starts to feel a little less conscious about everything, getting a little less calculative about her decisions and then how the show ends is very surprising when compared to the way the show starts. So, I think one of the things that I learned from her was that it’s okay to put your guard down every now and then.
Desi Down Under also talks about a budding romance between two characters?
Meenu and Deven have been childhood friends, have grown up together and they’ve been there for each other like best friends do. But there’s also this underlying track that they’re more than friends. We slowly discover that they are so scared and they find they value their friendship so much that they think they might be stepping over it and might stop being friends. And if that’s going to be worth it? So, they’re very scared about this, but it’s very cute how everything pans out.
What can listeners expect from Desi Down Under and why do you think they should tune in?
One, because it’s free and secondly because it’s a very light listen and it’s not many episodes. Mantra has done a great load of work by actually travelling to Sydney to record live sounds of the beach, the city and the airport and that’s all been used in the show. So, it’s an immersive experience, where you really feel like you’ve landed in Sydney and you’re on a Beach. In fact, they have also recorded with actors during their time in Australia, which is crazy.
We hear you also have another audio project coming up soon?
Yes, my second one for Audible, it’s called Marvel Wastelanders Universe where I’m a part of Hawkeye, so, that is again very different. I always wanted to be a part of the Marvel Universe and here I play Ash, the estranged daughter of Hawkeye, one of the few surviving Avengers in a dystopian uncertain future.
Desi Down Under is now streaming on Audible.