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Dr Theyie Keditsu, who plays Grace Reddy, was spotted at a restaurant. The next day she was offered Paatal Lok 2.
Never in her wildest of dreams did Dr Theyie Keditsu ever think that she would act, and that too in a blockbuster show like Paatal Lok 2.
Dr Keditsu was spotted by the Paatal Lok 2 casting crew at a restaurant where she was dining with her husband and four children in Kohima.
The next day she got the offer to act in the show.
"It was just after the pandemic. And I thought, my God, what have I to lose? I spent two years, running away from death or the possibility of death and life is too short. Let's try it," says the professor who plays the graceful Grace Reddy in the series.
A champion of the traditional Naga mekahla [sarong], she has spent the last few years promoting the beautiful garment and has worn her own elegant mekhalas and jackets in the series.
The show has brought her many congratulatory messages, especially from her students, and friends who are surprised to see her as an actor.
Coming from a family of doctors, the academic tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih what it meant to act for a non-actor, the experience of working with seasoned professionals and some funny anecdotes that she carried back with her.
For someone who is not an actor, but a professor with a PhD and MPhil and far, far removed from the world of acting, how did this role happen?
It was just after the pandemic, and as we all know during Covid we were all holed up at home. That confinement had got to me. I think there were many of us who wanted to get out, stretch and get some space.
I was just very hungry to step out of the domestic space.
Secondly, there was a research associate from Nagaland who was helping the production with many aspects of the production. So she was known to me and somebody I really respect and trust. It so happened that I had gone out for dinner with my kids and husband and she had come to the same restaurant with a group of people including the showrunner, director, casting director. They had all come to Kohima for a recce and to explore the casting.
It just so happened that we were in the same place for a meal. I met her and we said hello and I think at that point she thought, oh, yeah, maybe she could play the part.
The next day she gave me a call saying, I have a very strange request, and would you be interested in just trying it out? And I thought, my God, what have I got to lose? You know, I spent two years, running away from death or the possibility of death and life is too short. I thought, let's try it.
Was it difficult to learn your lines, emote and act alongside actors and performers for whom acting is a profession?
They were just wonderful people.
There was a small acting workshop for all of us from Nagaland which was really fun.
I've taught theatre and acting because I teach English literature, but this was a workshop done by professionals.
Shashi Bhushan, Nitin N S Goel and Sawan Tank who took our workshop were actors from Bombay. They were wonderful. We had so much fun.
It was such a positive workspace.
Everybody was kind, understanding and patient. My first day of shooting was with Nagesh Kukunoor who plays my husband in the show.
And Nagesh Kukunoor is such an experienced director and actor, isn't it?
I'm a mad fan of Shah Rukh Khan. I have watched everything and anything under the sun that has to do with Shah Rukh Khan from the old movies to the latest.
But other than that I don't really watch so much Bollywood films. Honestly, I hardly get enough time to watch anything at all in my line of work. So I didn't really know Nagesh as an actor, and he was the most down to earth person. He set me at ease and told me this is what happens, this is what happens, etc because he has such a lot of experience directing. He just put me at rest.
Had you watched Paatal Lok season I?
No. We were encouraged to watch the first season, but I just didn't have the time. I was the person who hadn't done their homework and just pretended I knew what they're were saying. I couldn't admit it because it was too late for me to say 'oh by the way I haven't watched it'. So I didn't know the actors and how great and amazing they were.
They had no airs about themselves. They were just really regular, normal people doing their job with focus and dedication. It was such a great experience to watch them.
It was only after I finished shooting that I watched the first season and it was really amazing.
What are some of the incidents that have stayed with you from the shoot?
Two that I can think of. One is a funeral scene where Nagesh and I had to lay wreaths on the tomb of the deceased. We were holding candles and flowers and as we put them on the grave, Nagesh's candle fell on the flowers which were synthetic and caught fire.
But my goal and purpose was to honour the three gentlemen who had given us a nice workshop. I wanted to follow everything that they had taught me and be a good student. They had said no matter what, do not break out of character.
So I am standing there thinking, oh God, this is a fire which is becoming big, very fast, and on the other hand I'm also thinking, oh, but then they said, don't break out of character.
I thought if Nagesh is not breaking out of character, I will not be the first one to do so and will just wait. Let the whole jungle burn, but I will not do this. [Laughs]
But finally somebody did say cut. And the fire was put out.
Second was on the day I had say my first speaking lines. I had memorised my lines and and was a little nervous. I didn't eat that morning because I had to report very early.
The scene was where I am having a very serious, intimate conversation with the dead politician's wife in her house. Suddenly the sound technician came saying that there was some kind of sound... actually, it was my stomach rumbling! But I again thought that I am not going to be the one to say it.
I thought I've never acted in my life and I don't think I ever will. I had made sure to memorise my lines and my only standard for myself was that I am not going to be the reason why somebody does a retake.
I just kept quiet and they did another take. The sound person said that since it was an old bungalow there must be some mice in the roof and actually sent some people up to check whether there was a chidiya or chuha.
Somehow we managed to finish the shoot.
I only had guts to confess this on the last day of the last shoot. My last part was with Nagesh and I told him how foolish I had been that day with my stomach rumbling and I didn't realise that when you're miked up so is the entire crew and everybody can hear you. So my secret was out!
One of the crew members told me we were looking for mice in the roof when they were in your tummy and everybody knew who was the cause of that trouble.
How many days did you shoot and where?
Six days in Darjeeling.
Did you get to meet the lead actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishwak Singh?
The only person I became a little friendly was Nagesh because our scenes were together. I shot one scene with Jaideep and one with Ishwak, but they were very, very, quick scenes.
I understood how much work and labour goes into the process of acting. I mean, for me it's just this one off thing because I was just one minor character. But they're the stars.
They are carrying the show on their shoulders. They really need to focus, to be in character, so I didn't want to disturb because I realised they were at work and did not want to interrupt any of their processes, etc.
The entire story takes place against the political and social background of Nagaland. As somebody who belongs to Nagaland, do you think it was well captured?
I haven't watched the show yet, but I did read the script which was given after the workshop. When I read the script I thought, wow, they've cast really well because I had the opportunity to do the workshop with almost all of the Naga actors.
Secondly, as somebody who teaches literature and media, I thought this was such a well written script. I would have given them full marks.
It was very nuanced. The the story isn't exactly about Nagaland, Nagaland is just a metaphor of life in general. And I thought this is what it should be.
I did have an opportunity to have maybe one or two good conversations with Sudip Sharma [the showrunner], and the writing was a process of coming to terms with a lot of his own experiences of growing up in the North East.
It was just a moment of reckoning with his past and it is such a wonderful, beautiful reckoning because it tackles so many issues head on, and comes to such a cathartic resolution.
Do you think you'll be getting more roles?
No, I don't think so. It was good fun though.
What if you do?
My goodness, I don't know. We'll cross the bridge when I get there.