As the much-anticipated release of SonyLiv’s new series Bench Life approaches, The Pioneer sits down with some of the key players behind the show to dive deep into their experiences, character portrayals and the vision driving this corporate comedy-drama at Taj Krishna.
From the witty yet immature Ravi, played by the dynamic Charan Peri, to the creative force behind the project, producer Niharika Konidela and the talented director Manasa Sharma, we bring you exclusive insights into what makes Bench Life a series to watch this season.
Charan Peri, portraying the role of Ravi, a young corporate employee on the verge of personal and professional conflicts, offered an exciting glimpse into his character. “Ravi is married, but he’s mentally still stuck in his college days,” Charan explained with a laugh. “He’s immature, wants to go to Goa, chill with friends and live that carefree life, but now he’s got a family, a wife—and that’s a whole new dynamic. It’s about how he mentally deals with this situation.”
When asked how Ravi’s journey unravels in Bench Life, he said, “He wants to go on this Goa trip without telling his wife, so you’ll see him trying to navigate that. Does he find a mentor? How does he deal with these desires while balancing his responsibilities? That’s the crux of the character.”
Interestingly, he admitted that playing Ravi wasn’t too much of a stretch for him. “I didn’t need to do extensive corporate research because this character is very similar to my life,” he shared, adding, “This guy is on the ‘bench’—which means he’s not assigned any tasks at work—so he’s outside the office most of the time. I found that super relatable and I think many people will, too.”
Delving deeper into the character, he shared an amusing anecdote about how Ravi’s behaviour hits home. “I remember the days when I used to lie to my mom about where I was going or cover things up. Ravi does that a lot with his wife and it’s hilarious. You’ll definitely have a blast watching him squirm through these situations,” he said, laughing.
Comparing his experience from his previous show MAD to Bench Life, Charan highlighted the shift in creative freedom. “In MAD, everything was more relaxed, even on set. We were free to experiment and improvise a lot. But in Bench Life, there’s a proper structure to the characters. My director, Manasa Sharma, had a clear vision and I had to stay within that. There was no room for improvisation—just playing Ravi as she envisioned him.”
One of the most exciting aspects of Charan’s journey in Bench Life was working with veteran actors like Rajendra Prasad and Tanikella Bharani.
Reflecting on the challenges of comedy, Charan admitted, “Comedy is tough. You can’t just act—you have to feel it. It’s definitely challenging, but that’s what makes it so rewarding. I had a lot of fun navigating that balance between Ravi’s immature antics and the more serious, emotional undertones of his story.”
Niharika Konidela, who wears the hats of both actress and producer, opened up about her journey in production, starting from her first venture, Muddapappu Avakai. “I was a producer first and then I became an actor. I didn’t even know I was producing when I did Muddapappu Avakai—I just thought I was putting money into something I believed in,” she chuckled. “It was only later that I realised there was a term for it—production.”
Bench Life marks Niharika’s seventh production under Pink Elephant Pictures and she explained what drew her to this particular story. “Manasa narrated the concept to me and I was hooked. I didn’t even know what being ‘on the bench’ meant in corporate terms, but I was fascinated by how the show portrayed it. It’s about why these characters, who should be worried about losing their jobs, are actually happy to be benched. It’s about how they use that free time to explore other avenues.”
On the challenge of establishing her identity as a producer, Niharika said, “It’s about baby steps for me. I don’t have long-term goals of where I see myself in ten years. If people see our name associated with a project and immediately think, ‘This is going to be good,’ then I’ve done my job.”
When asked about the challenges of producing Bench Life, she surprisingly said the process was quite breezy. “With big names like Rajendra Prasad and Tanikella Bharani on board, it wasn’t difficult. They were all committed to the story, which made it easy for us. The real challenge was shooting in real IT offices—on weekdays, no less! We had to coordinate our shoots with actual employees working there. That was tricky.”
She also praised Charan Peri, who, despite not having an extensive acting background, stood out to her. “We chose Charan because he has this rare quality—he’s got a serious face, but he does comedy so well. That’s hard to find. Manasa herself has a great sense of humour and I think is really funny,”she admitted.
Director Manasa Sharma, known for her previous hit Okachinna Family Story, brings her unique narrative style to Bench Life. “This project is different from anything I’ve done before,” she shared. “With Okachinna Family Story, we focused on a single family. But in Bench Life, we’re juggling four distinct stories, which makes it more engaging. I wanted each episode to have that emotional punch, leaving the audience with something to think about.”
Manasa’s approach to directing Bench Life was driven by her desire to balance comedy with emotion. “Comedy is the foundation, but it’s the emotional undertones that will stay with the audience. By the time you finish watching the series, I want viewers to feel both entertained and moved.”
So, what can audiences take away from Bench Life? Charan summed it up best: “It’s not just about software or corporate life. It’s about relationships, emotions and how each character deals with their circumstances. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and most importantly, you’ll see a part of yourself in these characters.”
