When friendship takes centre stage

When friendship takes centre stage Coming from a Marathi theatre background, SumeetRaghavan and RupaliBhosle of Sony SAB’sBadi Door Se Aaye Hai share much in common apart from the sets of their show Badi Door Se Aaye Hai lead pair SumeetRaghavan and RupaliBhosle bonded over their common backgrounds — both had worked in the Marathi industry and have done a fair bit of theatre too. These common interests forged a rare comfort level between the two, which helped develop a great chemistry onscreen as well. In a candid conversation, Sumeet and Rupali share interesting bits about their journey as co-stars. Edited excerpts from the conversation. So, how did the ice break when you two met on the sets for the first time? Sumeet: It took a while initially because this was the first time we were working together. But once we started working on our scenes, we developed a rapport. It helps that she too comes from the Marathi industry and dabbles in theatre as well. Our common backgrounds helped us connect. Rupali: I must admit it was a little difficult at the start. I was a little nervous when I realised I was being paired opposite Sumeet, given his experience in the industry. But when we started working with each other closely, we got comfortable. Despite his seniority, he was extremely warm. This is my first Hindi serial, and he supported me a lot. Was it awkward filming the romantic scenes considering you were sharing screen space for the first time? Sumeet: No. We are actors at the end of the day. Rupali: It was awkward for me since I had never worked with Sumeet previously. But as time passed by, we became comfortable. The credit for this goes to Sumeet since he has been extremely understanding. In fact, there were times when he calmed my nerves and helped me deliver my best. So who is a better co-star among the two of you? Sumeet: I think Rupali is a better co-star since she is a very sorted person. Rupali: Undoubtedly Sumeet. He makes things easy for me. So, who takes more re-takes? Sumeet: We take retakes only when we start laughing in the middle of our scene. Having said that, we are quite professional since we have a theatre background. We are habituated to delivering our dialogues by heart, so there is no scope for retakes. Rupali: We opt for retakes only when we end up laughing between scenes. Is there any particular scene that’s made it’s way to your heart so far? Sumeet: The song sequences on the show are my favourite. I personally feel that they are well-packaged. Rupali: There was a sequence where our daughter, 333, lands on Earth to meet us. By the end of the episode, I had to see her off, and I felt genuinely bad since I am a mother too. Is there any scene that’s made you go ‘I wish I had done it better’? Sumeet: I don’t think so. We are professionals; we do our best for every scene. Rupali: None, actually. I am not the type who regrets anything because I give my 100 per cent to all my scenes. Can you reveal the one thing you like about each other and one thing you dislike about each other? Sumeet: Rupali is extremely hardworking, and one thing dislike about her, are her PJs. Rupali: Sumeet is extremely disciplined. There is nothing I dislike about him. What’s your off-screen equation like? Sumeet: We are good friends, and that’s about it. Rupali: He is very friendly. In fact he is more like a father figure. Where are you most likely to be found during breaks on the sets? Sumeet: In the makeup room with my guitar. Rupali: My makeup room. Atul Malikram 9755020247 Mailer.atulmalikram@gmail.com