Crowned as the first breakout star of the digital revolution in India, actor Sumeet Vyas owes much of his popularity to the TVF shows Permanent Roomates (2014) and Tripling (2016). While the former established him as the face of congenial urban relationships, it was Tripling — with its languid but bitterly comic riffs on the road-trip genre — that revealed another side to Sumeet: that of the writer-actor.
With Season 2 slated to stream on TVF Play from April 5, Sumeet makes haste to point out that the new show is no hack job, but rather a worthy, thought-out continuation. “We didn’t want to just cash in on the hit numbers of the first season,” he said. “We wanted to create a credible extension with a fresh story. That’s why it took us a year to finish the script.”
Like Season one, Sumeet has collaborated with writer-director Akrash Khurana to pen the bumpy misadventures of siblings Chandan (Vyas), Chanchal (Maanvi Gagroo) and Chitvan (Amol Parashar). Sumeet and Akarsh go back a long way as friends, having worked in each other’s plays and later on their mid-air stoner comedy High Jack (2018). “I essentially enjoy writing with someone. It’s an intimate process, almost like having a psychological session with your friend,” Sumeet said. “When I was co-writing Love Per Square Foot with Anand Tiwari, we’d stop often and discuss every detail of the story. We just wanted to know each other in and out.”
Though he has been working in feature films since 2009, Sumeet received critical praise for his leading turn in Rakhee Sandilya’s Ribbon (2017), followed by a popular appearance in Veere Di Wedding (2018). On balancing his film work with his web commitments, the actor refused to differentiate the two mediums beyond a point. “I love working in movies as well as shows. Going to theatres is a cultural experience while digital platforms make for more personal viewing,” he said. Asked if he feels OTT platforms would eventually override public exhibition, the actor cautioned, “Look, I am happy that producers are investing in cinematic experiments that can only happen on the internet.
Digital platforms do not have box-office pressure. A lot of small-budget, non-starry films are getting bigger releases on OTT. Having said that, I don’t think digital is replacing cinema. When satellite television came into the scenario, it was assumed that no one will go to watch a film anymore. But that didn’t change anything.” Tripling Season 2 is directed by Sameer Saxena. The music is composed by Assamese artist Nilotpal Bora (of Majuli fame) and features a track by Papon.