‘Didn’t know what she’d throw at me in a scene’

A still from the film

Mukul Chadda holds his next, Fairy Folk, close to his heart for a singular reason - it sees him share screen space with actor-wife Rasika Dugal. While the two have collaborated on television commercials and a short film, this project marks their first feature film together. "I always enjoy working with Rasika. There is a lot of mutual respect and trust. We have worked together in improv shows, ads, and even co-wrote, shot, and acted in Banana Bread during the first lockdown. But with Fairy Folk, the level of engagement was far greater," says the actor, best known for his portrayal of Jagdeep Chadda in the Indian adaptation of The Office.

Tricky questions of love and sexuality take centre-stage in the upcoming magical realism drama, as an entity from the woodland crashes into the lives of a jaded couple. The slice-of-life film, directed by Karan Gour, was shot over 35 days in the city. Chadda, who plays Dugal's husband in the film, says, "The improvisational style of filmmaking created an environment where I had to trust my co-actors a lot more, during the takes. I would never know what Rasika would throw at me in a scene, but I trusted her choices. We went with the flow." Besides Fairy Folk, Dugal will soon be seen in the second season of the acclaimed web series, Delhi Crime.