Ravi Dubey: Go all chips in when you step in a new role

Ravi Dubey

Turning producer was a natural progression for Ravi Dubey, who has been the blue-eyed boy of television over the past 15 years. Even as he dived into the world of production with Udaariyaan, he hasn't forgotten his first love - acting. Dubey is eagerly waiting for the release of his first web series, MXPlayer's Matsya Kaand that sees him as a shrewd con artist. In a chat with mid-day, Dubey talks about what sets the con caper apart, and his efforts to run a successful production house with actor-wife Sargun Mehta.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

You graduated to production earlier this year. Does the responsibility sit heavy on your shoulders?
I've been part of the creative industry for the last 15 years. Now, we have the opportunity to be storytellers. So, the experience of all these years kicks in. I won't deny the challenges as a producer. There is a crisis to meet almost every day. But when you overcome a crisis that was overwhelming, you become better at your job.

Did you feel like quitting at any point?
Not even for a second. When you step into a new role, you go all chips in; there is no other way. There's no harm in calculated risks, but you also have to be ready if things blow up in your face. I did not think of retreating as an actor or as a producer. The fear can sometimes be overwhelming, but Sargun and I are a team, and we are constantly [motivating] each other.

What was your initial reaction when Matsya Kaand came your way?
I only got a paragraph about my character; I only knew that he was a con artist. But I immediately embraced it. It felt like there was a bit of me in the character, and vice versa. That got me excited. The project did not start immediately. After the 2020 lockdown was lifted, we began to jam from October. We decided on multiple looks [for my role], and [I picked up] the various dialects I had to use. The show went on floors in the second week of January.

With several shows based on con artists, most prominently Money Heist, how does Matsya Kaand differ?
The story is set in the heartland of the country, not in say, Hong Kong or Morocco. It is integrated with our daily life, a world that we are part of. In a con show, you have to keep the viewer engaged, and the pacy narrative does that. I would watch the show even if I were not a part of it because of its impressive cast - Ravi bhaiya [Kishen], Piyush Mishra, and Rajesh Sharma. I've had the good fortune of sharing screen space with them. You're already operating from a space of corruption when you're copying [another show]. It's important to have originality. In that regard, Matsya Kaand is different from anything you've seen out there.
[Even though we enjoy] the realistic content dominating the OTT space, there is a part of us that is waiting for Manmohan Desai kind of storytelling. We enjoy those powerful one-liners and edge-of-the-seat cliff-hangers. Those who are fans of that will like Matsya Kaand.

Finally, will we see you as an actor on television?
I am involved in television as a producer, but I am disconnected from the long-term format of TV. My last acting stint on television was in February 2017. I am happy to commit to something that has a start and finish date.

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