MUMBAI: Gopal Datt has taken up the role of Dwight Schrute from the US version of "The Office" and says for its Indian remake, he steered clear of "mimicking" the popular character.
"The Office" is a 13-episode mockumentary where typical office characters find themselves in atypical situations.
Played to critical acclaim and love by Rainn Wilson, Schrute is an eccentric but endearing character on the show whose pop culture footprint is so strong that his quirks and dialogues continue to dominate memes even today.
Datt, who has created a space for himself by featuring in several comedy sketches on the web, said he was drawn to Dwight's "interesting" persona.
WATCH THE OFFICE (ENGLISH) TRAILER:
"The best part about Dwight is that he's eccentric, he's irritating and yet quite loveable and endearing. That's a very interesting thing about his character. We have retained that essence even here," the actor told PTI.
On the Indian remake of the show, Datt will be seen as TP Mishra and said though by and large the two characters are similar, the writers have contextualised him for home audience well.
"I had seen the UK version long ago but saw the US version only after we started shooting. I did not watch it deliberately because then somewhere in the back of your mind you think 'should I try and do exactly like that?' "I wanted to make sure I don't mimic his eccentricities. So I wanted to design my character. The larger quirks of both the characters are the same. But since this character is Indian, there are things like how he only uses 'swadeshi' things."
In the Hindi version, the show is set in Faridabad and chronicles the 9-to-5 lives of the employees at Wilkins Chawla as they navigate their mundane routine that invariably gives rise to comical situations.
Filmmaker Rohan Sippy and Debbie Rao are attached as directors for the Hotstar special.
Backed by Applause Entertainment, "The Office" will stream from June 28.