Actor Mukul Chadda recently shared the screen with his wife Rasika Dugal in the film, Fairy Folk, which has been receiving rave reviews from the audience and critics alike. After earning praise at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Sydney Film Festival and other such platforms, the film released in theatres in India on March 1.
During a candid chat with The Free Press Journal, Mukul reveals that Fairy Folk was different from all the work that he had done prior to that. "It is different in so many ways. The narrative combines the bizarre with a rooted story about a couple. It's funny and it's tragic. The style of filmmaking is not like anything I've experienced. I really wish more films are made in this improvised manner," he says.
He further explains, "Working in an improvised process without scripts or staged movement -- if done right, of course -- can be very freeing for an actor. Also, shooting a film linearly -- in the same order that you watch it -- is also great for an actor. The whole process felt much like theatre."
Mukul also quips that it was very easy to work with his wife Rasika and no other actress could have played the part better than her. "The improvised style of filmmaking can only work if all the actors have great regard for each other, and trust in one another, which was of course present in our case. And once that's in place, there is no scope for differences of opinion, because every offer by a co-actor in a scene is a valid one -- one that one must accept and go along with," he states.
Mukul shares that he decided to be a part of Fairy Folk and play the role of Mohit in it because he felt that he had a wonderful journey. "My character Mohit goes on a rollercoaster emotional journey through the film. I couldn't understand some of the choices he makes, and that made me dig deep to try and understand and play that character," he says.
"I was also excited about the process of improvising dialogues for the film; it was a challenge and a joy. And, I had also seen Karan's previous work, and I was keen to work with him," he adds.
Mukul avers that Fairy Folk does not really aim to start a conversation or give answers, but rather, it asks questions to the audience and their conscience. "The film tells a story of a couple, of a relationship. Along the way, it triggers thoughts on desire, on relationships, on what attracts us, and on gender identity. None of it is done with an aim to send a message, but like all good films, it asks more questions than it is supposed to answer," he maintains.
Before concluding, Mukul reveals the best feedback that he received for Fairy Folk. "A writer reached out to me on social media and said he couldn't believe the same person had done both The Office and Fairy Folk with such aplomb. I thought that was wonderful to hear," he gushes.
