'Kohrra' actor Barun Sobti talks about raising daughter Sifat in an unsafe country: 'I shun that topic'

Barun Sobti

It has been an intense ride for Barun Sobti with Kohrra (2023) and Asur. So, the actor is changing up things by taking up a slice-of-life comedy in Raat Jawaan Hai. The television's heartthrob shares that he is instinctively drawn to fun content and uses them as breaks between his intense roles. We're not complaining; we're always excited to see the actor showcase his versatility with his dramatically different roles. In a chat with mid-day, Sobti talks about how the JioCinema show is more about friendship than parenthood and his experience of being father to five-year-old Sifat and one-year-old Meer.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

What made you say yes to this slice-of-life show after fronting dark offerings like Kohrra and Asur?
Lately, I have been doing a lot more intense [shows]. So when this came my way, I decided to take it up because it was against the grain of what was actually working. Everyone seems to be working on dramatic stories, murder mysteries and gangster shows. Something like this has not been happening much. That's where I wanted to be, and to top it all, the show is brilliant. In life, my inclination is to make people laugh. I love doing funny things and being stupid. Raat Jawaan Hai is a slice-of-life, coming-of-age show. It is about people who've become parents recently and are still trying to make light of it.

So, is it about parenting or friendship?
It's packaged as a coming-of-age, parenting show, but at the heart of it, it is about friendship.

Do you feel that people somehow lose out on friendships when they embrace parenthood?
It's hurtful and sad at the same time because this is the time of your life when the responsibility quotient is so high. I'm 40 now, so my parents are getting old, and my kids need all the attention I can give them. So, irrespective of what you may say or do, your friendship suffers a bit. I have been very fortunate that way. All my friends call me a good friend. I try to accommodate as much as I can and I keep in touch with all my friends.

However, that scenario would be different for men and women. Do you agree?
Hundred per cent! If you come into my house, you can tell immediately that I have two kids. You have to be blind - or a man - to be unable to tell, but the fact is that the woman is the mother of the child. So, I agree 100 per cent that it's different for me. My wife [Pashmeen Manchanda] has been doing a good job of being a good friend, but it is taxing. Your family comes foremost, so friendship does take a backseat sometimes. It takes great friends like Avinash [his character] or Radhika [played by Anjali Anand] to keep the balance intact.

Director Sumeet Vyas has incorporated his own experiences into the show. Could you relate from your experiences before having a baby?
[I could relate] a bit, but I'm different from Avinash. Khyati [Anand-Puthran] is the writer and creator of the show. Sumeet brings in a lot of improvisation. We didn't do any scene without him improvising something crazy. When the whole world is thinking north, he thinks west. It didn't feel like he was making his directorial debut. He was conscious, confident [and brought the] right amount of sensitivity that men need to have in the age in our country.

In a country where women are so unsafe, did you feel apprehensive when Sifat was born?
I purposefully stray away from that topic whenever someone brings it up; I shun that topic. This might be stemming from the confidence that I see my daughter has. I think she is the kind of girl who will grow up to be someone who can take care of [herself]. So, this thought has not crossed my mind because she is extremely confident. Deep down in my subconscious, I've done all of my jobs to keep us safe. I had read somewhere that 99 per cent of the things that we worry about in life never come true. We suffer far more from imagination than we do in reality.

What's next for you?
I'll work on a slice-of-life show called Ikhattey that Dice Media and Civic Studios are making.