I had never seen or done a film about stand-up comics: Shweta Basu Prasad on 'Comedy Couple'

Actor Shweta Basu Prasad says that she decided to take up the Zee5 movie Comedy Couple as she has never seen or acted in a film about the life of stand-up comics. Speaking to DH, she adds that she shared a lovely rapport with her co-star Saqib Saleem as he is a 'chilled out' guy who became his character while working on the movie.

Shweta also revealed she wants to be a part of good content irrespective of the medium.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What encouraged you to give the nod to Comedy Couple?

I love exploring new characters and genres. Comedy Couple, which was offered to me in July, revolves around a couple that is into stand-up comedy. I had never done or even seen a film about comics/comedians and this encouraged me to take it up.

Also read: The basic idea is to go out and have fun: Saqib Saleem on 'Comedy Couple '

How did you prepare for the role?

Generally speaking, I write a backstory for my character and discuss the same with my director. Thereafter, I go by the director's orders. For Comedy Couple, we watched a few stand-up comics initially but then decided to stop the practice before beginning the shoot.

How is Saqib Saleem as a co-star?

Saqib is a delight to work with as he is a chilled-out guy. He essentially became Deep (his character in Comedy couple) while working on the movie. We kind of fed off each other's energies while working on the movie.

What is your take on the OTT/streaming revolution?

OTT is a democratic platform as everything gets space. Normally a small film gets a limited release and then disappears from theatres but this is not the case in the digital medium. It is also like a writer's medium as we have fleshed out characters.

Films are being promoted through virtual press conferences amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

I don't mind it as there is no need to dress up and I can promote a film from the comfort of my house.

How do you deal with failure?

I like to go with the flow and take each issue one thing at a time.

Are you open to taking up more digital shows/movies going forward?

Ultimately my job between 'action' and 'cut' is the same. The medium really does not matter too much.