Ahead of the brand new season of one of the most acclaimed series Potluck, The Pioneer interacted with Cyrus Sahukar, who spoke in deep about the series, his character and more.
Tejal Sinha
Cyrus Sahukar needs no introduction. Every time that one would hear his name, we’re sure you’ll have this jolly host in front of your eyes.As amazing as a host he is, he is also an equally amazing actor too.
The first season of Potluck turned out to be a critically acclaimed web series, and for all the obvious reasons. Sony LIV is back with a brand new season of this dramedy series, which will premiere on February 24.
As the MTV’s popular host is also back with Potluck 2, The Pioneer quickly connected with him, ahead of the new season’s premiere.The Shastri family in the series is a close representation of almost all the families. Just like any other Indian family, even the Shastri family seems to be a peaceful family from outside. But as we dig in deeper, we realise that there’s nothing called a “normal family.” And for all the right reasons Cyrus thinks that this is why Potluck is a very word of it.
As the first season received immense love, we asked if the second season is going to be even more crazier. To this, he says, “I don’t even know if this is going to be crazier but what I really respect about it is, I see a lot of shows, season 1 is one thing and season 2 deals with the pressure amped out of proportion and throwing mega plots of drama.
Potluck stays true to its essence that in life it’s the day-to-day living that’s actually the crazy thing. We all keep waiting all through life for this mega moment, one mega problem that’s actually day-to-day of navigating parenthood or children or marriage that really sort of takes a toll and Potluck is about a sensitive look at everyday life.
With it coming the single day, you can go through a lot of drama, trauma, learning and some feeling of lost and it doesnt have to be mega, it doesn’t have to be somebody dying, sometimes it can just be about disappointment of not getting a job, getting fired, or dealing with the fact that you are not able to handle children or you feel that as a couple you are not able to communicate, et.al and I like that. Thats where a lot of our life goes.”
Every series or a film that has a second part or a second season, could much pressurise the actors and the team to perform better. So when we asked about the same to Cyrus, he had a different take on this. Let’s hear, what he says, “That pressure would come from the writing team not from the acting team as much. At the end of the day, I always tell people if I had to do Potluck, I would have probably done it very differently. If I had to write situations for Vikrant’s character, I would have done it very differently.
But at the end of the day, I am as colourful character as it goes through my script. From my side, I just had to be true to how Vikrant was. Pressure is, to be honest in that kind of world. I always tell people when they ask why this isnt been written as a modern family.
And I’m like ‘bro where’s the culture?’ The culture has to be built in writing scripts and reading scripts. Its not like we actors are turning up and we are improvising scenes in the air. They are all scripts that have 20 different writers and writing rooms and I’m hoping that family drama will slice a life and that’s atleast what the theme of potluck is trying to find.”
We hear many actors saying that the characters that they work on are relatable to them in real-life too. But as we ask Cyrus about how relatable or similar was Vikrant to him, he says there is just one similarity which is, “My similarity with Vikrant would be on one aspect, the fight or argument we have with friends and other people, specially in city like Mumbai, everybody is always talking about what’s their next move.
How are you going to get more work? Many people are living successful life, which is not only about money and power. If you want it, please go for it but don’t rumble upon the rest. Happiness and peace can also be attributed to simple living. Some people are good parents, not very successful and their life is also successful. Vikrant thinks like that and so do I. Apart from that it was a pure acting job. He is very analytical in thought and I am very scattered in mind.”
Despite being a comedy show, Potluck resonated with the audience due to its relevant content. Was it a task for you to keep the essence intact? “That’s a fear more than a task. We are always petrified that will it hold true, will it be relatable. I dont have kids, I am not a father of three kids. I don’t know what is life. What I like about Potluck is its not like this fairytale where everyone is happy.
I feel it talks about the basics and if it stays true, then its good. I have seen fathers sharing a great bond with the kids and also many in my friend circle, to date getting scared to talk to their dads. Many are also mollycoddled by their mothers when they come home. There’s so many types of India, and if you can find that relevance, its really nice. Vikrant is very compassionate to his mother and her choices but still finds the action with his father called loose and thats because they have their own problems as a man growing up in this world.”
An unknown fact about this always jovial and fun-around host cum actor is that he was grown up in a family full of women. As Potluck is about a father trying to build a happy long-lasting relationship with his kids and their families, Cyrus also opens about his childhood days, as he says, “My childhood was very very offbeat. My parents separated when I was three. I had very little communication with my father.
I was brought up by my mom, my elder sister, my nani (maternal grandmother), my maasi (maternal aunt). So it was a family full of women. A lot of my childhood was about finding my own self and my own identity in Delhi which could be quite easy to label people. Delhi is very snoopy, and navigating amongst youth was tough for me. I had a lot of confusion, seeing people not know where their life is gonna go and the pressure they have to deal with. I am super compassionate about it because I completely understand.”
Did you know, Cyrus who has turned out to become a huge name in the hosting industry, his first hosting job was for a washing machine product? “The only thing I feel is that I was extremely hard working and extremely conscious and had zero problems with doing any jobs, I had for two straight years doing nothing but trying to get a hosting job, was paid three thousand launching a washing machine.My childhood was about survival and I don’t know if it was common because many kids are a lot more sheltered. I was very close to the wonderful women in my life,” signs off the skillful, who is looking forward to working in a crime-thriller genre.
