Sumeet Vyas, who has worked across platforms — films, OTT and television — makes his teleplay debut with Zee Theatre’s Gunehgaar directed by long-time friend Akarsh Khurana. The actor-writer concedes that it’s primarily the film-maker with whom he has worked in several projects including TVF’s Tripling in which Vyas plays Chandan Sharma, that got him on board the telefilm. In a candid chat Vyas reveals more about the crime drama and updates us about the new season of Tripling. Excerpts.

What was it about Gunehgaar that got you on board?

To be honest, it’s just the greed of working on a play with Akarsh again. We have been working with each other close to 15 years. We started off with theatre, then we wrote Tripling together. I have acted in his film and web series as well and I have been pestering him to do a play with me. So, this script came by and we got together again.

What is it about Akarsh that you like the most?

For any artiste, working with friends is the most convenient thing to do. It’s a cushy spot to be in when we are with like-minded people. Since we have worked in so many projects he knows where I come from. He treats his cast and crew with a lot of respect and sensibility, he gives enough space to blossom and to create. He doesn’t come with a set of ideas that he wants to implement on everyone. And we all enjoy that space as an actor, set designer, cameraman or music composer. Everyone wants to express themselves, that’s why they are in this field. I can uninhibitedly explore a character when I am working with him.

What kind of freedom did he give you in Gunehgaar?

He gave me a basic outline on how he saw the part. The best thing about him is he doesn’t micro manage the performance of an artiste. If he notices something going away from the original idea then he comes and discusses it. However, sometimes it’s a little unnerving because with freedom comes responsibility and I don’t want to disappoint him.

Tell us more about your character Om.

He is inspector Om, an impulsive person though not in a completely negative sense; he is little imposing. He made some decisions in the past that are haunting him in the present. So, he and his girlfriend Mrinalini, played by Shweta Basu and Mr Bansal, played by Gajraj Rao, are stuck in a situation together because of a particular incident that happened in the past. It’s a very Hitchcockian drama, a whodunit where everything happens in one house or space and all the drama happens because of the interpersonal conflicts of the characters and not external force.

How was it working with Shweta and Gajraj?

I have worked with Gajraj sir before and I have a lot of regard for him. He is kind and giving actor. Shweta, I worked for the first time; is a thorough professional. Her performance is clean with no nervous energy; she is very sure of what she wants to deliver. It’s very inspiring to see that.

Given that this is your debut teleplay, does the format make any difference to your performance?

Beyond a point it doesn’t matter. If you are doing it for camera then certain technicalities comes into play. But beyond that there’s not much difference. If we were doing it on the stage then it’s different altogether. The teleplay format is a nice experiment — a hybrid between theatre and film. It’s my first play that was captured on camera and I quite enjoyed it and would love to do more.

Did it not remind you of your theatre days?

It did remind me of my theatre days because the way we were capturing scenes were quite theatrical. We would do long scenes or complete the scene in one go. Also, it was in a confined space and the things that we were imagining, the audience was imagining the same. So, in that sense it’s theatrical.

What’s the update on Tripling?

It’s in the production stage and I am looking forward to that. We have waited a long time for the new season. We wanted to be sure of what we wanted to say instead of just making it for the sake of it. This time we had a story to tell and I am sure the audience will love it.

Apart from Tripling, where else we will see you next?

There’s another show called Aar Ya Paar on Disney+Hotstar. That is an ambitious project. I hope that pans out well.