Empathy and delusion are much required for an actor: Mukul Chadda

Actor Mukul Chadda who is well known for playing the lead role of Jagdeep Chaddha (the Michael Scott equivalent) in the Indian edition of international hit show "The Office", was former investment banker from New York.

Mukul has acted in different roles and genres in films and shows like "Ek Main aur Ekk Tu", "Bichoo Ka Khel" and the short film "Banana Bread" which he and his wife, Rasika Dugal co-wrote during the early stages of lockdown.

He will be next seen in Amit Masurkar's film "Sherni", and Vikas Bahl's show "Sunflower". Speaking about the qualities an actor should have, the "Gurgaon" actor says, "Empathy and delusion are very much required for an actor to get survived in this industry." He shared some important moments in his life. Let's have a look into it.

How was the experience playing the role of Jagdeep Chadda in the Indian adaptation of US sitcom "The Office"?

It was absolutely wonderful. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to play such a wonderfully flawed and fun character. Every day posed a new challenge, in trying to make Jagdeep's antics feel believable. And of course, it was great fun along the way.

What has been your biggest take away from the character, Jagdeep Chadda?

Playing Jagdeep has been a very huge learning experience for me, since he is very different to whom I am and unlike most people. Frankly it was a constant struggle to keep him believable. And make the scenes funny. There's a lot the process taught me.

How did you overcome the challenges in your initial stage of making it in Bollywood?

The biggest challenge in being an actor is to keep getting work, in roles that you find challenging and enjoyable. That is still a challenge. I feel one is constantly trying to prove oneself, will get recognition more widely for the work, in order to get more and better work. It's a chakravyuh and we're all stuck in.

How did you keep yourself motivated in pandemic period?

It's been a tough year for everyone. I'm grateful as I was luckier than so many others this past year. Nothing terrible has happened to me or my loved ones. And somehow the frustrations of the lockdown have led to some creativity in the form of writing and making our own short film :-)

Share your favorite moments for "Banana Bread" at the time of writing?

I think initially my favourite moment was the time Rasika and I would eke out every day from all the household chores we were doing, to brainstorm ideas for a short film. It was the one hour of respite and hope in the day, which magically turned very productive. When I think back to that time, those are my fondest memories of it.

The teaser of Sunflower is recently released which looks really intriguing, how was the experience of working with Vikas Bahl for " Sunflower"?

"Sunflower" was a magical experience. The script was wonderful and I got to play a character very different from what I normally get cast for; and shooting on set was a whole lot of fun.

I felt awful when the shoot ended, I wanted to go back and shoot a few more scenes. Sadly, I can't say more about it right now. Wait for a few weeks, and hopefully you'll be able to see for yourself.

What are the future projects you are currently working on?

I am working on a film with Amit Masurkar called "Sherni". There's also an independent film titled "Fairy Folk", directed by Karan Gour that might release later this year.