OTTplay Logo
settings icon
profile icon

Exclusive! Abhilash Thapliyal recalls fun, drinking experiments for his role in Faadu, despite being a teetotaller

The actor is known for portraying SK Sir in the TVF web series Aspirants. He will be seen next in Faadu, a web series directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. The series also stars Pavail Gulati and Saiyami Kher  

Exclusive! Abhilash Thapliyal recalls fun, drinking experiments for his role in Faadu, despite being a teetotaller
Abhilash Thapliyal

Last Updated: 07.09 PM, Jan 24, 2022

Share

Actor Abhilash Thapliyal aka SK Sir of Aspirants is having a busy year with several projects lined up. He has completed the shoot of two feature films and is currently working on the web series Faadu, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, along with Pavail Gulati and Saiyami Kher. The actor who got into acting after a stint on the radio is known to do characters that are strikingly opposite to his personality. He also interestingly notes that he has been receiving work from directors, whose names also start with an A like his, since the start of his acting career. Well, he may call it a coincidence but it has definitely done wonders for him. His recent character SK Sir in Aspirants became an iconic role and he is overwhelmed with several messages and wishes from fans and UPSC aspirants ever since.

In an exclusive candid chat with OTTplay, the actor opened up about his upcoming projects, his journey in acting which started because of his popular The Muffler Man videos on YouTube and how the current political situation has got him worried about doing any more political satires. Excerpts:

You are currently working on Faadu, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. Could you tell us a bit about the drama and your character?

Abhilash Thapliyal/Instagram
Abhilash Thapliyal/Instagram

It's a beautiful show and character. I like my characters to look and talk differently from me. The show is well written and the character I play Roxie is beautiful. When I was reading the script, I cried three-four times within its 3-4 episodes. The shoot is going on. We are currently shooting in Mumbai and we will then continue shooting in Konkan areas for another month or two. It is a very interesting character for me. I don't drink alcohol. I don't enjoy it. But I play a drunkard. He's always high. To understand him as an actor was a challenge as I had to figure out how to always be high, how to talk and behave like an alcoholic. We had a lot of discussion on that. I am not a trained actor. I came from a radio background. So as an actor, it has been a very interesting learning experience for me.

So, what exactly is the show about?

It is a drama. It is a poetic love story. The way the characters deliver the dialogue is very poetic. I would call it a poetic drama. There is a rhythm in every character. It is a story of a family and their journey and a couple. A lot of things happen parallely.

We heard rumours that you tried drinking for the first time. Were you sloshed and/or have a severe hangover the next day?

My father is a retired army officer. They have an army canteen where people say you get the best alcohol. I have a small bar even though I don't drink. There are a couple of bottles that are almost empty and full of dust now. So when my friends come over, they take the bottles and drink. and the bottles stay as is in that cupboard. I asked my friends what would be the safest thing to try and they said tequila. I took 3 shots and I had no idea what is going on around me. I was zoning out on and off. I had asked my wife not to enter the room. I just want to understand that high. The problem with such characters is that they can be caricatures. And I want my character to be as real as possible. I called some of my friends and asked if I sounded like an alcoholic. My friends pulled my legs all night. There were a few other experiments we did during the shoot which I am not talking about. It was fun shooting and the co-stars are so lovely, both Pavail and Saiyam. We know our characters, we keep rehearsing and gossiping.

The series is mainly shot in the slum areas. How was the experience shooting there during the pandemic?

We always talk about social distancing, wearing masks and sanitising. When you go to slums, you realise they don't have an option there. They live in small rooms with several people. It is very congested. It is their reality. It was challenging at the start to shoot there. But I realised it is someone's reality and people are living in those areas. The challenge was especially shooting a scene where I was lying next to sewage. There was dirt all around. Some pigs and dogs were roaming around. Flies were buzzing around. But it has changed my perspective. People were very sweet. They came waving. Many students had watched Aspirants and they were calling out to me, saying SK Sir. Many came to click pictures. It all went well.

So did you freak out and get all frantic about getting cleaned up?

It takes an hour for me to get ready. The skin tone, hair, arms and legs were decked in makeup. Taking it all off is a bigger struggle. Apart from that, we were all as conscious as we would be in a five-star hotel. The slum was just like any other location for us. The story is set in that location. We were trying physical distancing as much as possible despite working in small lanes. There was a bit of anxiety that if someone gets infected, the shoot will stop, leading to issues not only for actors but also technicians and others who work for small wages. So that was adding more responsibility for us.

You have mainly worked on comedy projects, especially on TV and radio shows. Do you worry that you'd be typecast and is that why you decided to take on serious roles with Aspirants and now Faadu?

I don't have that many options that I can pick projects now. I do what comes to me. I was never in a situation where I could decide what I want to do. I am a common man from Delhi and I somehow landed in Mumbai. I never had an option to do comedy or serious roles. All works were coming to me, even now with great directors. I am trying completely different genres - drama, thriller. I never expected it. If it is a good story, I just love to do it.

A BTS image from the sets of Faadu shared by Thapliyal on Instagram
A BTS image from the sets of Faadu shared by Thapliyal on Instagram

What are your other upcoming projects?

I shot two feature films already. One will be officially announced soon. The other will be releasing in August. There is another interesting project that I am crazy about. But I can't say much about it now. There is a delay happening due to the COVID-19. But I am excited about that project. There is another film I'll be starting at the end of this year. The director's name starts with A. I have been working with directors, whose names start with A since the beginning of my career.

The series Aspirants has become one of the top Indian shows of the year 2021, according to IMDb. Did you expect that kind of response?

I never expected it. I knew it would be a good show since it's by TVF but never thought that the show and the character SK Sir would become iconic. You can never predict what is going to happen. You can give your best as an actor, director, writer and editor, but what happens with the show later is not in your hands. I never expected SK Sir to be loved so much. People still comment on Youtube about SK Sir. When people crack UPSC exams, they message and inform, saying Aaj, hum ne exam crack kar liya hai, aapke aashirvaad se. Many people thought I am from Bihar and a lot of people from Bihar started sending their love. They ask which town I am from and if I were actually a tutor. It is a beautiful feeling and I never thought this character will be so loved.

Your character SK Sir gained a lot of popularity, especially for the motivational speech at the beginning of the series Aspirants, setting the tone for the entire series. The speech is also available in audio format for people to download. Being a voice artist, was it easier to shoot the speech and were you able to get it in one shot?

I prepared a lot. I was given that scene during the audition. I had two scenes. This was one of them. Since I am an Army man's son, I do whatever I do with great dedication. So I remembered those lines from the days of the audition itself. All the shots were done in one take. They shoot it with different angles. Every time, they shoot, I knew what I am doing. As I said, I like to do something, completely different from myself. I did a Bihari accent. Being a voice actor, it was easy when it came to voice but the challenge is matching the dialogues with facial expressions. Usually, voice artists are good with doing dialogues but with expressions, they flatter. I had to keep the sync. It was important for me since I was not part of the TVF world. The other characters are familiar with the TVF audience but they do not know me. And the series begins with me.

I was worried thinking about people's reactions but TVF was convinced about me. It was their conviction that I got to do SK Sir and that monologue. I have a few IAS friends. They say that monologue gets circulated on their WhatsApp groups. It is so amazing. I had gone to Jaipur over two months ago. The head of the tourist department, Nishant had messaged and asked me to meet. The character touched upon so many lives and that was amazing.

image_item

So, when will we be able to watch Season 2? Any updates?

I would also like to see season 2. Many ask me what happened to SK Sir. Some others characters got married, some had their hearts broken but we do not know what happened to my character. People ask why couldn't SK Sir crack when he was the most hardworking and simple person. I also wonder about that. I would also like to know what happened next with SK sir, if he got married or stopped writing poetry.

Your YouTube videos Muffler Man are also well-known but you haven't uploaded in a while. Any reason for it?

I feel a little scared doing political satire now. There were many incidents in 2021. People are not open to political humour. They take offence. There was once a time when Shekhar Suman would mimic Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lalu Prasad. It used to be fun to watch them and even the politicians used to take it positively. Today, politicians don't understand humour that well. So what if I do a satire and someone files a case against me? I don't want that. I am just controlling myself. Bahut saare characters shuru kiye the, jo ab nahi kar raha hu. But you never know, I might.

How did you get into acting? Would you call it a happy accident?

I got the opportunity to become an actor due to Muffler Man. I was performing Muffler Man at an event in Delhi and Amit, who made Badhaai Ho, came to me and asked me to shift to Mumbai. He asked why am I doing audio formats when I am clearly meant for the visual medium. I came to the city but never thought he would contact me. I worked with him and then started doing TV shows and ads while radio was also going on alongside. I did a short film too. That's how my journey has been and people have started seeing me as a serious actor now, which is interesting. I would keep doing it until I enjoy it.

Get the latest updates in your inbox