Ravi Dubey: Go all chips in when you step in a new role

Turning producer was a natural progression for Ravi Dubey who has been the blueeyed boy of television over the past 15 years Even as he dived into the world of production with Udaariyaan he hasnrsquot forgotten his first love mdash acting Dubey is eagerly waiting for the release of his first web series MXPlayerrsquos Matsya Kaand that sees him as a shrewd con artist In a chat with midday Dubey talks about what sets the con caper apart and his efforts to run a successful production house with actorwife Sargun MehtaEdited excerpts from the interviewYou graduated to production earlier this year Does the responsibility sit heavy on your shouldersIrsquove been part of the creative industry for the last 15 years Now we have the opportunity to be storytellers So the experience of all these years kicks in I wonrsquot deny the challenges as a producer There is a crisis to meet almost every day But when you overcome a crisis that was overwhelming you become better at your jobDid you feel like quitting at any pointNot even for a second When you step into a new role you go all chips in there is no other way Therersquos no harm in calculated risks but you also have to be ready if things blow up in your face I did not think of retreating as an actor or as a producer The fear can sometimes be overwhelming but Sargun and I are a team and we are constantly motivating each otherWhat was your initial reaction when Matsya Kaand came your wayI only got a paragraph about my character I only knew that he was a con artist But I immediately embraced it It felt like there was a bit of me in the character and vice versa That got me excited The project did not start immediately After the 2020 lockdown was lifted we began to jam from October We decided on multiple looks for my role and I picked up the various dialects I had to use The show went on floors in the second week of JanuaryWith several shows based on con artists most prominently Money Heist how does Matsya Kaand differThe story is set in the heartland of the country not in say Hong Kong or Morocco It is integrated with our daily life a world that we are part of In a con show you have to keep the viewer engaged and the pacy narrative does that I would watch the show even if I were not a part of it because of its impressive cast mdash Ravi bhaiya Kishen Piyush Mishra and Rajesh Sharma Irsquove had the good fortune of sharing screen space with them Yoursquore already operating from a space of corruption when yoursquore copying another show Itrsquos important to have originality In that regard Matsya Kaand is different from anything yoursquove seen out thereEven though we enjoy the realistic content dominating the OTT space there is a part of us that is waiting for Manmohan Desai kind of storytelling We enjoy those powerful oneliners and edgeoftheseat cliffhangers Those who are fans of that will like Matsya KaandFinally will we see you as an actor on televisionI am involved in television as a producer but I am disconnected from the longterm format of TV My last acting stint on television was in February 2017 I am happy to commit to something that has a start and finish dateAlso Read Telly Tattle Ravi Dubey talks about companionship