Building the character together

Priyanshu Painyuli plays a journalist in the murder mystery

I've manifested this," smiles Priyanshu Painyuli, who has realised his dream of working with Vishal Bhardwaj, thanks to Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley. Four years ago, he was set to lead Bhardwaj's Midnight's Children, but the project was shelved. The actor, however, was optimistic that some day, he will get the chance to collaborate with the filmmaker. And his belief has paid off.

Being on a Bhardwaj set, Painyuli says, felt like an exciting match as the duo built his journalist character Sitaram Bisht. "Vishal sir ropes you in with the confidence that you know your craft; he wants to see what you bring to the table. Every day was like playing a new match with him, as I improvised the scenes, and he had fun seeing that. My approach to acting has changed after working with him." The actor has a newfound admiration for the auteur's keen eye for details. "[He taught me how small things like] keeping a glass on the table after sipping water can also be dramatic."

Vishal Bhardwaj

The SonyLIV murder mystery, led by Wamiqa Gabbi, has a stellar ensemble cast. Sharing screen space with veterans like Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Neena Gupta was as much a dream come true as it was nerve-wracking. "I was a little nervous initially, but things changed when I started spending time with them," says Painyuli, admitting that he was a bundle of nerves before filming his first scene with Naseeruddin. "Naseer sir has an aura. So, I was shaky even though I knew my lines. He then calmed me down, and Vishal sir sweetly said, ‘It's nice to see that an actor like you also fumbles.'"

One comes away enriched after collaborating with such senior actors. Painyuli says a piece of advice from Gupta is something he will remember as he takes on new projects. "We were talking about on-screen chemistry. Neena ma'am said, ‘When two good actors concentrate on just being actors, the chemistry naturally happens.' That's what I saw happening with these artistes."