EXCLUSIVE! Mind The Malhotras Star Cyrus Sahukar: 'I Find the Representation of Men Ridiculous When It Comes to Comedy'
Mind the Malhotras actor Cyrus Sahukar talked to LatestLY about his new show. He revealed to us details about the reaction to the show, his family and why his big screen roles have been limited. Check out the interview.
An entire generation knows Cyrus Sahukar as the beloved, celebrated VJ on television. While he has appeared in movies like Rang De Basanti, Delhi 6 and Aisha, his acting talent was not fully explored until he featured in Amazon Prime's comedy series, Mind the Malhotras. The new show is getting the kind of love from the audience that warrants a season 2. Mind the Malhotras Review: Like Any Family, Mini Mathur and Cyrus Sahukar’s Comedy Works Despite Its Flaws.
In a conversation with LatestLY, Cyrus says"I am truly blown away by the sweetness and kindness I am getting from people." This is Cyrus' fifth show this year, after two for MTV, one called Signature Masterclass, a travel show and a quiz show. The most wide-ranging positive response has come for his shenanigans as the lead protagonist, Rishabh Malhotra on MTM.
"I went to have pani puri with my mom in Juhu, and I had about 8-9 people come up to me, all from different age demographics. People have been very kind," he says.
Mind the Malhotras also stars Mini Mathur playing the female protagonist, Shefali Malhotra. Cyrus has worked with Mini on multiple occasions but this would be the first time they teamed up for a fiction show. "It has been amazing collaborating with Mini, because, A- you have a friend and B- you have an intelligent artist to work with," Mini Mathur and Cyrus Sahukar's Mind the Malhotras Gets a Thumbs Up from Twitterati.
We have seen Cyrus do some crazy, quirky stuff, for instance, his Simi Grewal parody alter-ego Simi Girebaal. But in Mind the Malhotras, we see the most toned down version of Cyrus Sahukar. "I was going with (toned down). A lot of people have really appreciated it. It was very easy for me to tone up. The thing is Mind the Malhotras is a very put-a-smile-on-your-face comedy, it is not slapstick comedy. I wanted to add sincerity to Rishabh's life, who is an average guy", he says.
Despite being a talented actor, Cyrus' entries on the big screen can be counted on a few fingers. "I will give you my honest reason behind it. At 22 or 23 I did Rang De Basanti, then I did Aisha and I did one movie with Mira Nair. But, I have worked non-stop since 2001 as a host. If you just chronicle the last six months I was on MTV's Anti-Social Network, Elevator Pitch and Master Class with Shah Rukh Khan and Kangana Ranaut. I did two quiz shows. I spent a large time hosting shows, therefore, I have not pursued acting as a priority." Now, he is all set to pursue acting as enthusiastically as the field demands.
Apart from being busy, there is a very specific reason that held back Cyrus from picking up every role that came his way. "The reason for me being choosy about films is A, I was busy, and B, I did not want to do roles where I am the...I find comic characters for men written as very weak people."
Well, you'd have to agree. For instance, the second lead, usually the hero's friend, in a film, is someone who is always the butt of jokes for no apparent reason. Even the leading men in a comic role have limited options. "There is always this weak man or a guy who can't do something. I don't want to do that stuff. I find the representation of men ridiculous when it comes to comedy. They are almost portrayed as dumb or stupid or the guy who keeps flipping on a banana peel or beaten up by his wife every morning. You won't find Rishabh bashed up by his wife but he is not evil either. He has the dilemma of the average people," Cyrus says.
Ask him if his family is in any way close to the fictional Malhotras and you get an inspiring and poignant answer. "My family is so far from The Malhotras," he reveals, "I would not say it's weird, but it was not an easy childhood either. My parents separated when I was 2-years-old."
"I got to live with my mom, my sister, my aunt. So, I grew up only around women. I have only met my father three or four times in my life. I went through my own levels of teenage angst, and other feelings of craziness and loss. But I was also deeply loved by people. I was in comedy and I loved it. So, the family is dramatically different from the Malhotras," he concludes.
Cyrus brings a very relatable vulnerability to Rishabh in Mind the Malhotras. One has to be a terrific actor to be able to translate that on screen. You will instantly fall in love with Cyrus' Rishabh. A feat of an addition to his filmography. We are going to look forward to getting more of this crazy, mad Malhotra on season 2.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2019 07:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).