Embracing the change

After creating a separate fan base with her youth-centric roles in various web series, Mithila Palkar is now exploring versatile characters. In an interview with Millennium Post, the Chopsticks actor talks about her journey of choosing different characters, understanding the expectations of her audience, experience of working in web projects and much more...

Your recent film Chopsticks on Netflix is doing really well and people are appreciating your performance. How did you come across the project and what made you take it up?

Chopsticks is getting an overwhelming response from all over the world, which is extremely sweet and I am very grateful to my audience. We wanted to make a really sweet film and we are so happy that people all across the world are connecting with it.

I got the opportunity to work in this film through a team of Vinyard and Exceed. I read the script and met Sachin Yardi sir (writer and director).

I told him that I absolutely loved the character, and moreover, I had never done such a thing in the past. The roller coaster journey of Nirma (my character in the film) is what made me excited to take up this role.

In Chopsticks, and other projects you have shared screen space with some renowned actors. How was your experience working with them, have you ever felt left out or inferior?

My experiences with co-actors like Irfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Vijay Raaz and Abhay Deol have been fantastic. It was a wonderland for me because I have never been to an acting school, so whenever I got the opportunity to work with other actors, I have always put my best foot forward.

Also, I have never ever felt inferior or left out, in fact, they have always been welcoming and have always made sure that I never feel out of place at all.

As you got fame through web, what do you think about web as a platform for actors and directors to expand their horizons? .

I have been advocating the internet since I have started working with the industry. I wouldn't have known it any better if I wasn't completely into it. I started working with 'Filter Copy' in 2015 and then things started picking up from there in 2016. That is when I realised that web is something that is going to boom very soon and that is what exactly happened in the last three years now. There is so much content that is being made for the audience. More than convenience and accessibility, as an artist, it is extremely liberalising as one gets to explore so many genres and languages.

Over the years, the web has escalated in terms of content, viewership, and competition as well. Do you have a fear of lagging behind? What is your strategy of sustaining here?

For me, the internet is a true definition of art as it doesn't restrict anything. And most importantly, now there are no specific heroes or heroines, they all are characters, who are focusing to elaborate the story in their best possible way.

Every actor has their own favourite character. Which one is yours, and according to you in what kind of role does the audience enjoys you watching?

I actually don't know what my favourite character would be because every character that you play is special for different reasons. But I would say that I have played the role of chubby bubbly girl so far, and the audience has taken it well. But when it comes to entertaining the audience via a different role, Chopsticks gave me a hint that I could be accepted in other roles too.

Share one difference and similarity in Bollywood and web platforms?

I personally feel that every experience varies with the audience and content. Even in terms of the number of days of shooting, it varies. I shot Karwaan in fewer days than I shot for 'Little Things'. So, there is no such difference of the platform, it depends on the project.