Rasika Dugal and Mukul Chadda on Fairy Folk
Power actors and couple Rasika Dugal and Mukul Chadda are all set to appear together in their first feature film Fairy Folk directed by Karan Gour after having worked together earlier on a short film Banana Bread during the lockdown. The magical realism relationship drama has already done the rounds of several film festivals including Sydney Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and Jio MAMI. As the film is all set to hit the theatres today, we speak to the lead couple.
What made you say yes to the film?
Mukul: I have seen Karan’s earlier work and am a fan. The role he was offering was very exciting. The joy and challenges of working in this film led me to say yes.
Rasika: I had done a film with Karan in 2012 called Kshay and it was my first film with a central character. It was a true blue indie film and we had become friends. I liked working with him a lot. I think he is trying to do something new and interesting playing around with the form of the film which ties around with the content. He’s a little bit of a maverick and likes to do everything in the film himself. I thought it was nice to work with him after a decade to see where we have reached in our creative journey. When he came and said he wanted to do an improvised film I was thrilled as an actor. I thought it would be something very fun to experiment with.
Could you tell about your characters?
Mukul: My character Mohit is a professional poker player. He sees things as a puzzle he is trying to solve, sometimes even becoming obsessed with finding solutions; and when he finds one he would want everyone to follow that same solution.
Rasika: Ritika is a whimsy person; instinctive and impulsive. She pretty gracefully finds her way through the ups and downs of her relationship. She’s one of those who focus on one thing which is her work as an actor and finds everything else peripheral. She would not want anything from her personal life to be a burden for her.
Having worked as improvisers before in theatre, how similar or different was the process while working on the film?
Mukul: The principles are similar where you take a suggestion and do a short scene to a one-hour play on that. Some of the things that help are being comfortable in the unknown and not panicking; you are happy to discover the character as the scene evolves. Those skills help. It’s slightly different here because it was within the structure of a film. You know the character and the overall scene. There is a form of imposition from the top but within the scene, you have full freedom to react the way you like to.
Rasika: Mukul’s done more improve than I have. We used to work with a troupe called Improv Comedy Mumbai. I used to appear for rehearsals and workshop to practice the skill. My challenge in doing improve was that I felt I wasn’t good enough or hadn’t practiced enough. I was always nervous about letting my team down in a live show. But I felt comfortable in doing the shoot. I felt that the little structure that it had gave me comfort and direction.
What is your mantra for a healthy relationship?
Mukul: It’s difficult for anyone to claim, I certainly can’t, what is the key to making a relationship simple or healthy. I want the character onscreen to be as complex as possible and my personal life as simplified as possible.
Rasika: Mostly if you are having fun in the relationship then it’s worth sticking on to.
If you had to improvise one habit of each other, what would it be?
Mukul: Rasika thinks she has left her phone at home… but she actually hasn’t and rarely does. It happens so often that you shouldn’t think to take it seriously anymore. But each time, she genuinely panics and worries.
Rasika: This is so easy and I have been trying to use this character quirk of Mukul’s in an onscreen character of mine. He talks to himself a lot. Earlier I thought he was talking on the phone but it’s not the case. Sometimes, he’s having long conversations with himself in the shower.
How was the reaction to Fairy Folk at film festivals?
Mukul: At different screenings, people reacted differently. This is the kind of film from which different people will have different takeaways.
Mukul, your web series Sunflower Season 2 is also releasing on March 1. Could you tell us about your role and how does it feel to have a double premiere?
It feels lovely to have a double premiere with two different projects. One is a dark comedy murder mystery and the other is a magical realism relationship drama. My character is Dr Ahuja who prides on having a double PhD and he’s a Hindi medium professor of Chemistry with a short temper who puts up a façade of being calm and composed.
Upcoming projects…
Mukul: Dhoom Dham, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Ishq Jhamela
Rasika: Mirzapur 3, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, Little Thomas