Siblings Chandan, Chanchal and Chitvan have taken the audience for quite a joyride in the last two seasons of the web-series TVF Tripling. Now in the forthcoming third season of the show, which premiers on October 21 on Zee5, the three siblings played by Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo and Amol Parashar, respectively, have another crisis to deal with: their parents’ separation. Parashar, 36, who has played Bhagat Singh in Shoojit Sircar's Sardar Udham (2021), among other films, and plays the character of the happy-go-lucky Chitvan on the web-show, shares his experience of working on Tripling. Edited excerpts:
A show such as this requires a lot of chemistry between the lead actors. Did you know Sumeet and Maanvi from earlier or did you have to work at breaking the ice on the sets?
In our case, we got lucky, because all three of us knew each other even before we shot the first season. We were friends and have even worked together earlier. So that aspect was taken care of and a lot of people have told us that the chemistry shows on screen as well. We didn’t have to find a rhythm. Also, when you’re friends, you’re also more selfless. When the bond is real, then egos don’t come in between. You can speak your mind and that makes for a good working environment and off-camera camaraderie as well. I think I can speak on behalf of all of us that in terms of on-screen chemistry, this is the easiest project we have done.
Every season has had some conflict but this time, the conflict seems more difficult for the siblings, your parents' separation. How do you, as actors, navigate the space of a serious situation within a show that is supposed to be light-hearted?
I think the writing takes care of most of it. It’s just that the actors need to be convinced because, sometimes, your personal beliefs can become a hurdle. Again, in this case, we are very much in touch with each-others’ sensibilities and the sensibilities of the show. I probably already knew how Chitvan would react to the parents’ separation, we have all become the characters and the writing happens keeping that in mind. Sumeet likes to discuss even when he is writing the script. So, there is a collaborative journey in the writing as well.
This season is slightly more dramatic and amped up as compared to seasons 1 and 2, although I’d like to believe that fake pregnancies and husbands running away are also serious problems but there already was an awareness that we are stepping into a slightly more dramatic space with this one.
The crux of this show is relationships. What do you take back from the show when it comes to relationships?
I remember watching the first season of the show and my younger sister asked me when was the last time we went on a road trip together. She lives in Europe and we would talk to each other once or twice a month. That’s how it came naturally to us. Then, when you do a show like this, you yourself become aware that you are showing dysfunctional siblings, a dysfunctional family, and that is the reason people are laughing at the situations. That’s when you become aware of your dysfunctional ties with your own siblings. Over the last six years, my relationships have changed with my siblings and parents. They are definitely not as distant as they used to be. I don’t know if it is because of the show or a part of growing up.
How much has the OTT space and shows such as Tripling added to your career?
I would say almost everything. We don’t know what our careers would have looked like if we didn’t have OTT or shows like Tripling, but as of now, it has definitely been almost everything for me. Even the non-OTT work I have done has resulted from this work. Shows like Tripling and the subsequent shows I have done have made me reach out to people through stories and characters that were relatable to me. I can speak on behalf of many, many actors whom I know, who have been around for the last decade, vying for the same parts. Ten years ago, we could not have imagined having so much work. We used to feel that opportunities come to, maybe, 10 out of 100 of us, but today, it feels good when at least 95 of us don’t have dates because of so much work or to hear someone saying that they are buying a house or a car. I don't think that would have been the case had this medium not been there.
What’s next in the pipeline?
I have shot for a couple of films and they should be out, mostly on OTTs. I feel more comfortable on OTTs because I know that’s where my audience is and it is a better way to reach out to people. Soon after Tripling comes on air, I will start work on a very funny film.
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