Priyanka Sarkar on playing DSP Agni Basu in exciting comic-thriller Kuheli

My character's name is DSP Agni Basu and Kuheli is actually the name of a small, isolated fictional town in the mountains. This misty town itself is a character. This is where my character arrives to investigate and gets embroiled with the other characters and situations.

While there is a rough side to my character, as one would expect in a thriller, there is another added layer: comedy. This series is actually a comic thriller and the comedy is situational, not enforced through enactments. The comedy is relatable because you would notice, during times of great crisis, there is something humorous going on around you. So while the characters are not having fun, the audience will definitely feel the comedy. And Agni Basu is an amalgamation of the comedy and the thrill.

I have previously played a female cop in the Hoichoi thriller, Mahabharat Murders. However, the work experience was different than on Kuheli, mainly due to the added comic layer. This is my first time being part of such a unique story. I had a lot of fun with the entire production, our director Aditi Di [Aditi Roy] and her team and my co-actors.

As far as homework is concerned, we usually don't get the time. We tried to follow the script and Aditi Di suggested several movies and series based on cops so that we could take notes.

I surrendered to Aditi Di. From my experience, I have realised that comedy is the toughest because the timing is very crucial. And personally, I think I am scared of this genre the most. However, Aditi Di helped a lot because she is a director to whom you can surrender. This sense of comfort developed back when I worked on Lojja and I know she is keeping an eye on every little detail and she will not allow any compromise. So she will extract that quality and I have put my complete faith on her.

Moreover, my major chunks are with Durbar [Sharma] who is an incredible writer and performer and he is very selfless as an actor. He is always concerned about how the script can be enriched and the scene elevated. So I always received that constructive advice and everyone on the cast was equally involved.

I really don't know. However, each and every project I have worked on with Hoichoi are extremely special to me and I could experiment with different characters. So I have faith in the team and the way they develop their shows.

Kuheli was an opportunity for me to try something new and I am hopeful.

This is an extremely important point. Like I said, Kuheli itself is a character. We have shot this in Sikkim, which is relatively unexplored since we don't shoot there much. The place therefore, creates a sense of isolation, since the landscape is not that known.

Moreover, the fog and mist in Kuheli is also used as a distinct character. The human characters who reside in this town are extremely layered and gray. You can't judge their motives in a single world. In reality, none of us are either good or bad, we are a mixture of several emotions and that has been beautifully expressed in the script. I believe the audience will be forced to think about the layered complexities. The series has suspense as well as the right balance of emotions and fun that should appeal to the people.

Not really. But yes, there is thrill and suspense that will give you goosebumps. This is not a typical action series, although there are a few chase sequences. Kuheli is a thought-provoking thriller that relies on comedy.

There were several factors. I felt the project was unique and as an actor, I don't get the opportunity to be part of such fresh ideas, very often. The scope to explore comedy and my previous experience working with Aditi Di made me want to get back on set with her.

With such an amazing cast, I knew the quality would be top-notch. So, I took this project considering all these aspects and I hope I have been able to create a place of trust within the audience who will appreciate the work.

The biggest challenge is always the tough schedule since we have a lot of work and very little time. Another challenge for this series is that we had to shoot a few scenes in Kolkata wearing winter clothes. While our filming in shooting happened in February, by the time we shot in the city, it was already hot. So managing the remaining scenes in Kolkata wearing sweaters and jackets was a fun challenge.

And we also had a lot of fun. Aditi Di and her team are extremely supportive and literally pamper their artistes. Moreover, we had a lot of good food together. And during our outdoor schedule, we would have our meals together which would be so much fun. I have worked with everyone on this cast previously except Susmita [Dey] so the comfort zone was already there. And shooting in a new location is always fun.

The biggest advantage of OTT platforms is that I can have access to content from all over the world and I can watch whatever content I want to. So, I enjoy watching all kinds of works. I like to watch gore and zombie related content, which people might not expect from me. Zombie and apocalyptic content are among my favourites, I absolutely love watching such series. And we don't have such content here at all, so I would like to watch that happen and an added bonus would be to work in such a project.

I also like to watch mystery thrillers and at times I enjoy a good love story or fantasy series. I just hope good content continues to be produced, no matter in which language.

I am very grateful as a professional that I have had the opportunity to work in diverse projects and that such unique work is happening.