Masaba Gupta believes Saiba and Parth from Modern Love India would not nonetheless be collectively: Interview

In an anthology of splendidly layered Vishal Bhadwaj rom-com and an achingly delicate Hansal Mehta story, Dhruv Sehgal made a movie for me. Sehgal makes his directorial debut with I Love Thane, a chapter of Amazon Prime Video’s Modern Love: Mumbai, an adaptation of the favored US collection which gives fictional retellings of actual love tales discovered within the well-liked New York Times Modern Love column. (Also learn: Modern Love Mumbai review: Dhruv Sehgal, Hansal Mehta’s beautiful stories are worth going through anything)

Written by Sehgal and Nupur Pai, I Love Thane follows Saiba (Masaba Gupta) – a 34-year panorama designer on the courting app circuit, wading by means of males who vary from uninteresting to demeaning to dominating. That is till she meets Parth (Ritwik Bhomik), the audit officer she’s coordinating with on a brand new undertaking. In one another the 2 discover a comfy connection and strike up an escalating situationship.

As Saiba, Masaba Gupta gives up the uncommon, lived in efficiency that requires an actor to not do, however reasonably to be, guiding us by means of a narrative that seeks to seek out the magic inside the everyday-ness of life. Over Zoom, Masaba spoke to me about discovering Saiba, the artwork of crafting compelling chemistry, and the place Parth and Saiba could be in the present day.

Edited Excerpts:

I’ve to begin with the plain query – how did you come to be part of I Love Thane and what was your first response once you learn the script?

When I first learn the script, I did not perceive it. It’s as a result of I do not come from that world, I’ve by no means been on a courting app. I do know mates who’re on them in fact, however that world was very alien to me. When I learn it I believed “why are these folks talking like this? Who’s occurring dates like these? Who is that this lady? What’s improper together with her?”

But I beloved Modern Love and I actually like Dhruv Sehgal’s work and I used to be dying to do one thing within the fictional house. After I met Dhruv, I understood the world and Saiba much more. The one factor he stated about her that actually drew me to her was that she’s hopeful and that was one thing I might actually relate to.

In phrases of how I used to be solid, apparently Dhruv hadn’t seen Masaba Masaba. He stated he really approached me as a result of he noticed YouTube interviews of mine, and he stated “people just like you and this character has to be very likeable. You have to root for her”.

So, I went for it and thru 10 days of taking pictures I actually had no thought the place we had been headed. But I had quite a lot of religion in Dhruv’s capability to inform a narrative for what it’s. And now right here we’re.

It’s fascinating that you just say you didn’t absolutely perceive her at first as a result of, from an outsider’s perspective, there are facets of her that felt much like you. The indisputable fact that she’s additionally this impartial girl who runs her personal enterprise. In phrases of making her, how a lot of her was already on paper and did something about her evolve after you got here on board?

No really she was set in stone on paper from the beginning. In phrases of discovering her, I did a workshop with Pooja Swarup, who’s a theatre artist, and what I beloved about that was she had me have a look at footage of flowers and colors and he or she requested me “if Saiba were a colour, which colour would she be?”, and I picked a delicate pink. When I seemed on the flowers I stated I believe she’s this actually lovely lush flower however one which’s additionally a bit unhappy.

And she’s not a bodily particular person by way of displaying how she’s feeling. She’s by no means overdoing it or over-reactive. She’s simply nonetheless. Even in that scene with Prateik Babbar’s character the place he’s being nasty, she’s identical to “f*ck you” however she’s by no means screaming.

The phrase I related together with her most was therav (stillness) and that is additionally a phrase I affiliate with myself.

Speaking of being nonetheless, yours was additionally a type of uncommon nice efficiency the place there wasn’t a lot to do. You needed to simply be. There had been no grand dramatic scenes or revelations or a lot exercise as such. It was simply you inhabiting the small nuances and stillness of her life. Was that robust? To simply be?

Oh my god sure, as a result of I’m a really animated particular person. I’ve a mood and I do react and I really feel the necessity to say one thing about every thing. I bear in mind there have been many scenes the place we needed to do a number of takes, particularly the robust ones like when Parth and I are sitting by the lake and I say “I like hanging out with you”. It’s as a result of I couldn’t overdo even the smallest factor. You understand how you might have private trainers who make the smaller muscular tissues of your physique stronger? That’s what Dhruv did for me. He made me use the smaller nuances of emotion and play with that. But it was actually onerous as a result of I used to be frightened I’d come throughout as uninteresting on display screen.

Even when she’s conversing with somebody, it’s inside. All the dialogues within the movie are the characters’ inside dialogue lastly popping out. That’s what we all the time stated – the dialogue is Saiba’s interior dialogue that she’s lastly okay talking out loud. That absolute shedding of her guard and feeling the liberty to talk her thoughts.

Was there a particular second or scene throughout the shoot the place you felt “I got her. I know who Saiba is now”?

You know, apparently there’s an entire scene that’s been lower. It was one other one of many dangerous date scenes and it was by far one of many hardest scenes I’ve ever executed. It’s simply this man who’s clearly a prick and I’m drained and exhausted and he’s humiliated me and I used to be like ”Dhruv it’s a must to let me scream!” And he was like “you can’t. You’re not going to let him know how you’re feeling or give him the satisfaction or knowing he’s upset you”. That’s the second I felt i obtained her, and after I felt like I lower the chord between myself and Saiba and I turned her.

Parth and Saiba have such a beautiful, understated connection. It’s simply these few comfy conversations with chemistry that’s effervescent beneath the floor. What’s the key of making that simple chemistry with a co-star? Can it’s manufactured or is it extra – you both have it or you do not?

You know if it wasn’t for Ritwik and who he’s as a performer and particular person I don’t know if Saiba would have been in a position to be Saiba. My mum as soon as instructed me that you would be able to have chemistry with anybody however the different particular person ought to be on the identical wavelength once you’re making an attempt to create a scene or emotion. But the chemistry with Parth was fascinating as a result of I did a studying with each actor besides Ritwik earlier than taking pictures. I really met him for the primary time after we had been taking pictures the lake scene. We had been very nervous as a result of we’re so completely different and we had been nonetheless looking for these two folks.

There’s additionally that scene the place we’re consuming Misal Pav and in my thoughts I used to be pondering it’s a date and after we shot it, I turned a bit bubbly and excitedly began asking Parth all these questions on himself and Dhruv was like “no this is not a date. This isn’t the typical girl and guy trying hard to impress or charm each other. You have to gradually break it open bit by bit”. And I believe that’s what you see. With every stroll and interplay we’re breaking one another open a little bit bit extra.

But I believe that chemistry was simply consolation. And typically instances that is what chemistry is – the consolation of figuring out that you just’re with a very good, form man. And that’s the factor proper, all of us women are searching for that cool dangerous boy that we wish to change (laughs) and we ignore all of the fantastic males who’re wanting to provide us precisely what we deserve and I believe the honesty of Parth’s character that appealed to her. That and their stillness. It’s the stillness of Parth and Saiba that introduced them collectively.

Where do you suppose Saiba and Parth are in the present day? Are they nonetheless collectively?

It’s humorous you ask me that as a result of I used to be eager about it in the present day and actually, I don’t suppose they’re collectively anymore. I believe the pressures of the world or the dependancy of being on an app would triumph. At the chance of sounding like an outdated girl, perhaps we’re all hooked on discovering the subsequent smartest thing that provides us consideration. Maybe we’re simply hooked on what’s subsequent and what else could possibly be on the market. I name this technology “generation undecided”. A technology that’s actually unsettled and nonetheless discovering its floor. They need dedication but additionally don’t need it.

I believe the fun Saiba will get searching for that new hope each day on that app, and the concept that perhaps there could possibly be extra – perhaps that causes them to collapse. Or perhaps it’s his must be precisely who he’s and never wanting to place pointless effort to try to make one thing work, perhaps that might pull them aside. Because there’s their world after which there’s the true world, and perhaps the true world catches as much as them.