Didn't think my Undekhi character Rinku is a negative one, says Surya Sharma

Surya Sharma reprised the role of the devious brat Rinku in the second season of SonyLIV’s Undekhi. The character carries out various morally repugnant deeds in order to keep his uncle (Harsh Chhaya) out of prison after the latter kills a dancer out of sheer arrogance. 

The actor, however, didn’t feel his character was a villain when he was offered the part. “When I read the script, I didn’t feel he was a negative person because whatever he was doing, it was to save his uncle,” Sharma told Cinestaan.com a few days prior to the release of the show's second season. “He has the responsibility of ensuring that his father doesn’t go to jail. Even if he does, he has a way to get him out. In the show, he does appear negative and grey.”

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Siddharth Sengupta, the creator of the show, offered the artiste the role when he was shooting for Hostages, which was backed by the same production house, Applause Entertainment. “It was Applause that had pitched this show. Siddharth narrated the story during the lunch break when he was shooting Apharan and asked me to call later after giving me the script. It is said that you become an actor the day you get a narration or the script,” said Sharma. 

It was because of Undekhi that the actor got to play a meaty negative part in Netflix’s Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, which was directed by Sengupta. “Just before Undekhi was released, he approached me for Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein,” said Sharma. 

The actor claimed that viewers would see a different side to Rinku in the latest season. “Personally, I also wanted to explore the character more. In the second season, you will see a lot of events happening in his life and how he even becomes vulnerable at times. He is very sharp-minded but sometimes even he has to think about what to do next. Ultimately, he does what he wants to because he thinks from the heart,” he said. 

Rinku speaks in a Punjabi accent, which wasn’t much of a challenge for Sharma. “I have done my schooling and graduated from Chandigarh. So, although I didn’t speak Punjabi then, I could easily understand it. And my local language in Himachal is Dogri, which is influenced by Punjabi,” he said. 

Sharma, a relative newcomer, has mostly acted alongside experienced artistes such as Harsh Chhaya and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. “I feel blessed that Harsh sir and Debu sir are a lot supportive,” he said. “Both of them are experts in improvising and in being spontaneous. You will be able to perform a scene well only when your co-actor is giving. There is no ego among all the actors of Undekhi.”

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The show also stars Ankur Rathee, Anchal Singh, Ayn Zoya and Apeksha Porwal. The second season introduces two more actors: Meiyang Chang and Nandish Singh. 

The trailer of the second season sees Sharma and Bhattacharya pitted against each other where they respectively vow to kill and save a tribal girl. “People had liked our chemistry [in the first season]. This time you will get to see even better chemistry. Towards the end of season one, you saw them shaking hands for a reason. But in the end, Debu sir's character plays a game with Rinku and he gets pissed. The second season will pick up from here,” he said. 

Commenting on the fact that he has played a slew of negative characters, the actor said, “Very honestly, I don’t have many options. I am from Himachal. I don’t have a filmi background. I am here to work. When I came here, I thought I should gain the skills and then the audience would take me forward. And I don’t judge my characters. If you look at all my negative characters in Hostages, Undekhi and Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, you will find them to have different personalities and possess diverse qualities.” 

He added, “My dad has helped and supported me a lot. I don’t think I would have been able to come to Mumbai without him.” 

Sharma is happy to finally play one of the good guys in Bhakshak, a film by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, which stars Bhumi Pednekar. 

Sharma had his first tryst with acting when he was a kid. “I did my first skit in the third standard and won first prize. I never participated in debates or science projects. So I felt I could get recognition for this. Following this, it became routine for me to perform in plays and get first prize for my school,” he said. 

The actor has no qualms admitting that he gets nervous not only before the release of his projects but also during promotional activities. “I was nervous even for today’s interviews,” revealed Sharma.

“I was getting anxiety attacks at night thinking how it would go. It’s normal and I don’t feel shy about admitting it. Also, once you admit that you are nervous, you stop feeling nervous.”

Directed by Ashish R Shukla, Undekhi (Season 2) was premiered on SonyLIV on 4 March.