Mukul Chadda on The Office: The characters will grow on you

Excerpts from the conversation:

What is The Office all about?

Well, it is a show about an office and the quirky characters who work there. They might seem a little exaggerated but they are very realistic. When you watch the show, you will realise that such people exist in real life and may be in your office too. It’s a relatable yet a different series. There are not many shows like this around and I am sure the audience will enjoy watching it.

Since it’s an adaptation from a popular series, do you feel there would be more expectations?

Have you not been on Twitter? (laughs). But it’s a good thing. I am happy if there are expectations of people. Though there shouldn’t be any comparisons as the shows are very different from each other. There have been many adaptations and each has its own local flavour.

What are the Indian flavours added in this series?

There a couple of characters that would only fit in an Indian subcontext with their distinct personality and style. The characters are the biggest difference you will find in our show. I think the writers have done a fabulous job with that. Otherwise, it’s a basic office set up but it’s the people that make the show. It’s a complete sitcom that you can even enjoy one episode at a time without the fear of losing the plot.

Is it difficult to shoot with a straight face while doing comedy?

I hope they release a blooper reel for people to realise how much fun we had. It was a big team with all kinds of people and Gopal (Dutt) is such a natural that we would be constantly laughing. There’s another cast member Abhinav. He was our best audience as most of the time he would burst out laughing in most of the scenes.

While you ace the comedy space, your wife (Rasika Dugal) is making her mark in serious roles. Are you both trying to create a balance?

(Laughs) Not at all. It’s not that I am only a comedian and she is just good at dramatic roles. We both would hate to be known that way. No actor likes doing just one thing. We are greedy people and would love to do all kinds of roles.

Do you have a personal ‘bad boss’ memory?

Bohot saare hai (there are lots). I have been to an office for six years in a suit and tie and even had a terrible boss once. There are many relatable stories from the time I was working in the US. So, once my boss, who wanted to impress his boss, called us to work on the weekend. I had signed up for a play then and we were rehearsing on weekends. Now, in foreign states, working on weekends is voluntary. So, I refused, and he got pretty upset about it.

Why should we watch your show?

Because it’s really well-written, relatable, hilarious and you will have fun watching it. Also, the characters will grow on you. Some of them might not seem likable initially but you will start enjoying them soon. So, watch several episodes at a go.

Directed by Rohan Sippy and Debbie Rao, The Office also stars Gauahar Khan, Ranvir Shorey, Gopal Datt, Sayandeep Sengupta, Samridhi Dewan, Priyanka Setia and Abhinav Sharma among others.