BENGALURU: Robin dies in Mirzapur 3. The idea was not to give out the spoiler but Priyanshu Painyuli, who plays the character, assures that it’s alright to speak about it because there is already a buzz around it and ‘people have started expressing their disappointment about killing such an interesting character’.
What Painyuli is trying to say is that the news of Robin’s death is just a tease for his audience to find out how it happens – which he believes is more interesting than the news itself. “It is quite gruesome. The team has received many comments saying that ‘this is not the way to kill a special, beloved character’. I remember telling my director long ago when he told me about Robin’s death, that this is one of the most shocking parts of the season,” says Painyuli.
Following the success of Seaon 1, Robin was introduced in Season 2. But Painyuli initially didn’t realise the expectations that would come with the role. “I did not realise this when I was shooting for it or during the building of this character. Obviously, there was a certain amount of nervousness because I was entering a world that was already built by these beautiful performers. I love watching Ali [Fazal] and when I was entering Season 2, my aim was to make the character stand out,” recalls the actor
For Painyuli, the way Robin shifts his image was the most interesting aspect of the role. “In the beginning, he is a nice guy but then there is a mystery that shrouds him. We don’t know if he is actually a good or bad guy doing nice things for his love.
He is helping Guddu bhaiya [Fazal’s character] but then there is another side to him. It is quite evident that he doesn’t belong in that world of goons,” notes Painyuli, adding that over the season, he turned into a chameleon who blends into whatever situation he is in.
“Those big glasses, the hairstyle and that world he has created of his own is something he has made up. His biggest strength is that he knows other people’s weaknesses and knows how to talk. So he plays with that. There is more to him, which will now be a mystery,” Painyuli adds.
Robin’s iconic line ‘Yeh bhi thik hai’ will be missed for sure. The popularity of the dialogue is evident from the number of fans videos which count the times Robin says the line. Painyuli spills the beans about the person who inspired it. “I had gone for a camp and the manager used to reply to any query like this. He would talk very slowly and had a very different way of saying it. I felt it would be an interesting touch to Robin. But the line became synonymous with my character and we improvised it to use it when Robin means something more than he is saying,” he says.