Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Nimrat Kaur on their new film 'Dasvi'

Is it ever too late to go back to school? And what if you happen to be behind bars when you make that decision?

When an uneducated politician, Ganga Ram Chaudhary (Abhishek Bachchan), is jailed for his involvement in a scam, his domesticated wife Bimla Devi (Nimrat Kaur) takes his place as Chief Minister of an Indian state; Bimla eventually goes on a power trip of her own while Ganga Ram after a serious of verbal tussles with straitlaced IPS officer Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam), experiences an epiphany of sorts and decides to take up the challenge of finally pursuing his high school qualification.

Dasvi (meaning ‘tenth’) is a comedy that brings together two quirky lead characters amidst the milieu of North India. The trailer promises a family-friendly film (releasing April 7 on Netflix and Jio Cinema) that in the stars’ own words, is not meant to be preachy in any way but aims to deliver clean and quality entertainment.

Both Abhishek (an underrated actor in our opinion) and Nimrat stand out in the Dasvi trailer, their Haryanvi accent and comic timing impressive; Yami Gautam as an upright police officer makes a mark as well; what remains to be seen is if all the elements of Dasvi come together seamlessly and impress OTT audiences.

Meanwhile City Times caught up with Abhishek and Nimrat for a chat about their Dasvi characters, taking on comic roles, memories of their own school lives, and more.

ABHISHEK BACHCHAN:

The Dasvi trailer is so funny and impactful and the premise itself very unique. What stood out for you when you first read the script?

I thought the entire story was very engaging and interesting, and told in a very light-hearted manner; I liked the style of narrative and how the director was wanting to tell the story.

You were last seen in thrillers Bob Biswas and The Big Bull. Did you want to take a lighter route with Dasvi?

By the time Dasvi happened, I had just come around Ludo, Breathe, Bob Biswas; I was looking to do something lighter, and this just fit in perfectly.

You look like you had a lot of fun playing the role of politician Ganga Ram Chaudhary…

I did actually, very much so.

How satisfying is it to pull off a comic role as compared to an intense or serious one?

It’s all the same, I think; you are very content when you manage to pull off a film the way it’s intended to be. I don’t think there is any difference for an actor (between film genres); as long as you manage to do justice and your audience likes it, that’s just what you are looking for.

When you’re doing a comedy, is there a kind of light-hearted atmosphere on set?

I’m not so sure, but yes, I think when it is a light-hearted film the atmosphere on set is slightly more jovial. When you’re doing an intense scene or an emotional scene, the mood does reflect on the set as well. So I think when you are doing something light-hearted, by and large it is more jovial but, I mean, everybody is still working very hard!

You have a very convincing Haryanvi accent in the trailer! What was the most challenging bit about playing Ganga Ram?

Thank you! I think obviously to walk that very tightrope between being responsible about telling the story in the right way, and balancing the right dose of entertainment with what you are trying to say and get the message across.

We didn’t want to lecture anybody. This wasn’t a film about being preachy in any which way. The attitude I think director Tushar Jalota has, is to tell a nice story and make people smile through it.

What also stood out in the trailer is the banter and verbal battles between you and Yami’s character. What was it like doing those scenes and working with her?

It was great! I really enjoyed working with not just Yami but even Nimrat; it was my first time working with both of them. I really think I’ve come out a better actor after getting to observe them and collaborate with them.

They’re such generous artists, and it was really wonderful to work with both of them — (they are) so professional, so disciplined, so on-the-ball and such masters of their craft!

The focal point of Dasvi is obviously education; looking back on your own school life, how serious a student were you?

I was serious when it came to subjects that I liked! We all have our favourites, but when I was in school, I was always into my sports and my drama. Those took precedence over everything else.

I actually thoroughly enjoyed my schooling life. Some of the happiest days of my life were my school days. I enjoy learning. I wouldn’t say I was a brainiac, suffice to say I was an above-average student. For me it was more about learning, it wasn’t just about studying.

Dasvi is releasing on OTT which has seen a real boom since the pandemic. What does working for OTT mean to you personally; does it kind of give you the chance to appeal to a wider, a global audience?

I guess the numbers would probably agree with you, but at the end of the day as an actor you’re just happy that people are getting to see your work and your films, and I am happy about that. Yes, the kind of reach and penetration that OTT platforms have for worldwide audiences is spectacular, so that obviously is a silver lining.

But the predominant emotion is that I’m happy people are getting to watch the film.

NIMRAT KAUR:

The Dasvi trailer is so funny and impactful and the premise itself very unique. What stood out for you when you first read the script?

It was a no-brainer because I’ve never been offered a part like this before, and I absolutely fell in love with it, from the get-go!

I just heard two lines, that she (Bimla) is very innocent, homely and just somebody who is relegated to doing chores of the family and home, and everything in her household.

Hopefully they’ll take away whatever they want to, whether it’s certain scenes or performances or narration. Dasvi is about so many things; it’s about second chances, about it never being too late to do something in your life. Honestly I really can’t find (only) one.