Exclusive - Mannu Kya? Karegga debutants Vyom and Saachi call OTT a boom and say AI is a complementary tool, not a replacement

They also shared how humble the veteran actor Kumud Mishra is, sharing the fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the set. Vyom and Saachi also reflected on whether artificial intelligence is actually a threat or a boon.

Excerpts from the exclusive interview:

Ques: How do you land the role in Mannu Kya? Karegga? Were there any struggles or challenges you faced while trying to bag this role as a debut actor?

Vyom: I am a complete outsider. I am from Delhi. My mom is a housewife, and my dad has a government job. He is a joint general manager in the airport authority.

Saachi: I think the struggle, if you can call it that, started 8-9 years ago. So, it's not just about this film being a struggle; it was the journey. It was a bittersweet one, let's say. I'd rather not use a negative term like 'struggle' for it. But it was a long journey with ups and downs. I got a call one day; I remember it was June 29th, and after that, I auditioned. I had to go through 4-5 more rounds of auditions. Then, I did a screen test with Vyom because he was already locked in for the role at that time. After that, it got finalised, but it took a while. It took me 2 months of auditioning for this film, but I eventually bagged the role."

Ques: Your song Humnava has become a massive hit and even created a world record with 8000 students dancing together. How does it feel to be a part of such a historic moment?

Saachi: It feels great. When we went, we witnessed that over 8000 people had gathered for us despite it being a rainy day. It was a surreal moment to see 8000 people matching steps on our hook step. It was unreal.
Ques: Mannu Kya? Karegga features prominent actors like Kumar Mishra. Was there any moment you two both felt starstruck?

Vyom: More than being starstruck, we were in awe of all the senior and veteran actors because we didn't know they were so humble, down-to-earth, and natural. In fact, I remember on Day 1, Kumud (Mishra) sir came to the set wearing shorts and carrying his chappals (slippers) in his hand. We were shooting at a house where there were strict instructions that no one was allowed to wear outside shoes inside. You had to bring plastic wraps for your shoes and soles. So, Sir was carrying his chappals in his hand, and I think he arrived around 12 PM because he was told to come in the afternoon. I jokingly asked him, "Why are you carrying your chappals in your hand? Let someone else carry them for you." And he said, "No, no, beta (child), my chappals will get dirty if I put them down." He was so funny—he is very down-to-earth and cool, very chill. We were surprised. We had thought that with his experience, he might be hesitant to talk to us, but instead, he was talking to us like we were family. We were like, 'What a personality he has!' It was a starstruck vibe, but we felt like family, all of us.

Ques: Is there any particular scene or shot where you faced any challenges, emotionally or physically?

Vyom: In our song 'Halki Halki Baarish.' When you watch the video, you'll see that we're completely soaked throughout, from start to finish. But what you might not know is that for that 3-minute-long video, we spent 15-16 hours in chilled water, at a temperature of 3 or 4 degrees, filming at night in Dehradun. Imagine being in the mountains, on top of hills, soaked in cold water; it was truly torturous.

We had to be in chilled water, but we couldn't show it on our faces. We couldn't let the emotion of feeling cold show on our faces as we were shooting. Between takes, we'd have to look like we were having a great time, smiling and enjoying ourselves. But as soon as the director said 'cut,' we'd quickly grab a towel and shiver uncontrollably.

I don't think there were any major performance-wise challenges because, luckily, we were very prepared. We all had workshops, and we had done our homework, so there weren't any significant challenges in that department. However, the physical challenge was the cold weather. It was really chilly during the shoot.

Saachi: There's a song called 'Saiyaan' in the movie, where I had a solo dance performance. It's a folk song for the sangeet ceremony. But on that very first day, I fractured my toe. Physically, I think that was more challenging for me than Halki Halki.
I found it difficult to dance, as one of my toes was lifted off the ground due to the injury and there were many difficult steps, plus it was a 5-day shoot. So, that was the most challenging for me in terms of physicality.

Ques: What actually inspired you to pursue acting?

Saachi: To be honest, I've only known this since childhood. There was no particular event that inspired me. I always had a passion for films and dance; I used to do Bharatnatyam and Kathak. My dream was to become a heroine and work in films. I didn't have a plan, but since I can remember, this is what I wanted to do in life."

Ques: Is there any anecdote or any memory that you would like to share about working together or working on the set with directors and other actors?

Saachi: I remember one evening when we were all gathered, discussing the songs for the film. We hadn't finalised anything yet because Lalit sir had given us varied options, and we liked them all. I, Rajesh sir, Charu ma'am, Kumud sir, and Vyom were all sitting together, brainstorming. There was a lot of debate about including the song 'Fanaa' in the film, which had different lyrics back then. We were so convinced about it that we put a lot of pressure on the team, and eventually, they agreed. It was a memorable day because now people are really loving that song, which has been beautifully sung by Mohit Chauhan ji. I feel it's one of my core memories."

Vyom: One moment that we loved on the set was during the shoot for 'Saiyaan.' When you watch the song and video, you'll see the entire cast and crew come together at the end and dance as one team. The atmosphere was like a wedding celebration, with flowers and leaves being tossed in the air, drums playing, and everyone dancing. Even our director, Sanjay Tripathi sir, joined in, and we had insisted that the DOPs, Raghav sir and Sanjay sir, be a part of the crowd as well. Everyone was dancing, and we captured that beautiful moment on film."

Ques: How was the experience of working together?

Vyom: I think, in rom-coms, getting the chemistry right is really crucial. It's like a marriage for the next 3 months. If the chemistry isn't right, you'll start feeling off from Day 1, wondering how it's going to work. Love is such a pure emotion and you can't fake it; if you do, the audience will get to know. So, genuine chemistry and being comfortable with each other are very important factors in making a rom-com. Luckily, with Saachi, I don't know if she felt the same, but I felt very comfortable around her. She's the kind of person who's happy-go-lucky, chill, and enjoys herself without holding back. She didn't have that invisible shield; she was very open in that sense."

So, when you're shooting a rom-com with people like her, that kind of chemistry becomes a necessity, and she brought that to the table for me. I'm very happy as an actor that it was a give-and-take that happened naturally on set.

Saachi: I totally agree with Vyom. I feel that in a rom-com, it's crucial that your co-actor matches the effort that you're putting in. Our chemistry and friendship started kicking in from day 2, maybe not day 1. Because there's a bit of awkwardness when you're meeting someone for the first time. But we became good friends, at least during the Dehradun schedule. We shot our first song in Mauritius and were quite comfortable with each other there. Although we didn't have workshops, we had a lot of fun during the Dehradun schedule. We've had a lot of fun, and he was always there for me, even when I got stressed. We even cried on set sometimes. He was always there as a shoulder to cry on, and we'd go out together. He was just very supportive."

Vyom: And in fact, she proposed to me by the end of the schedule. No, I'm just kidding.

Ques: Are there any projects that fans can anticipate in the future?

Vyom: There's a film I've already shot and is ready to release called 'Durlabh Prasad Ki Doosri Shadi.' It's been a while since we've seen films like this. It's similar to movies like 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' or 'Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana,' which we last saw around 2017, almost 8 years ago. Since then, either films like this haven't been made or haven't been good enough. Not just at the box office, but the stories haven't resonated with the audience, maybe because they've been too shallow. But I'm confident that when this film releases, everyone will love it. It's a film for everyone, whether you are 6 years old or 80 years old. It's a very fun film, and I'm hoping it will release in the next 4-5 months. So, that's one of my upcoming projects.

Ques: OTT has opened more layered roles for actors. How do you see this space changing the industry for actors like yourself?

Vyom: Earlier, when OTTs weren't around, films used to be 1.5 to 2 hours long. Even if it was a lead actor, they would only be seen for about 30% of the entire film. So, in a 2-hour film, 30% would translate to around 30-35 minutes of screen time for the lead actor.

So, even if an actor wasn't that good, it would still work because the director would frame the shots in a way that hid the actor's flaws. They'd focus on the parts where the actor did well and minimise the parts where they didn't."

With OTT, because it's a long format, if you calculate the total time for a show, 8 episodes x 40-45 minutes is almost like a 5-6 hour web series. Now, you have to be a good actor because you can't hide. When you're performing for 6 hours in front of the camera, you can't hide your acting skills, especially without songs. In a web series, there are no songs, so you need to genuinely show emotions. I think that's how audiences have come to understand what good acting is. Now, they've set the bar higher. I'm glad OTTs have changed the game."

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"Films we used to see earlier and the ones releasing now—I'd say some are still clichéd, made with the assumption that what worked before will work again. But the audience is much smarter, more informed, and well-researched. They've seen international cinema because of the internet and OTTs, and they don't want the same old Bollywood standards—songs and one-dimensional stories. Now, audiences demand good content, and that's why we've seen a post-COVID slump at the box office. Fortunately, I think that 4-5 year phase is almost over because we've seen many hits this year. I'm really hoping 'Mannu Kya Karega' will be added to that list, where we've adapted to changing times. Hopefully, this will make us, me and Saachi, notable actors.

Ques: What makes Mannu Kya? How does Karegga stand out from other recent rom-com releases?

Saachi: I feel that we've been missing college campus romantic films in the industry for a while now. Maybe after films like '2 States' or '3 Idiots,' I don't think we've seen a good college campus love story. It's a genre that audiences have enjoyed in the past, and I think the industry is lacking in that department right now."

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Ques: Do you think AI will create more space for actors or reduce opportunities?

Vyom: I've been reading about AI a lot and researching its impact on Bollywood. Many filmmakers are still saying that AI shouldn't be used. But the problem is that we're thinking about it from the wrong perspective. Bollywood is a distinct sector compared to world cinema, but our audience isn't segregated; they're consuming content from around the world. Imagine if we create a gap where international creators, especially in Hollywood, are using AI to make their films 10 times better, and we in Bollywood decide not to use it. Our quality will become 10 times worse. There's already a gap in quality, and if others continue using AI while we don't, they'll move ahead, and we will be left behind.

Some are hesitant because they think AI will replace artists, but that's not the case. AI is a complementary tool, not a replacement. If used properly, it can help writers write better by acting as a bounce board for stories. If we completely abandon it, it's like refusing to use a sword and fighting with a pocket knife instead.