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Sail, brother, sail
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In Star Plus's "LOC", actors Sanjay Mishra and Manoj Pahwa tread the humour track to cement peace between India and Pakistan.
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Unlike in "LOC", Manoj Pahwa and Sanjay Mishra are close friends.
THEY GO to a barber in the age of glitzy salons. In fact, they go to the same barber in Mumbai. Often together.
They take their holidays in concert. Not to swish tourist points but to unheard, sleepy towns.
When not shooting for screen roles or rehearsing for plays, one picks the camera to click away pictures, the other accompanies, also sniffing around for street food. Because, both simply love good food.
With such similar likes and dislikes, it becomes a complete real role reversal then for Sanjay Mishra and Manoj Pahwa on reel when both bay for each other's blood in Star Plus's comedy show LOC. Sanjay as Chand Mallik from Pakistan, and Manoj as Gurpreet Malick from India, are in a constant war of words and deeds against each other and their countries, all the way at St. Martin's Spice, an Indian restaurant in Downtown London. And their episodic tussles with humorous lines, their non-stop scheming against each other which often boomerangs, keep viewers in splits from 8.30 to 9.30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.
Says Sanjay, "We are lucky that the viewers' initial response is good. It is difficult to sustain a comedy for half an hour and here, we have an hour-long show. Both Rabba and Khuda must be at work." To play the role of a Pakistani, he didn't have to "become any different as they are so much like us." The only change he had undergone was to apply henna on his hair. "Since we go to the same barber Naushadbhai, he suggested to colour my hair and gave me this Rameez Raja cut for the role. For Manoj, he chopped it a bit," says Sanjay. Besides LOC - Life Out of Control, Sanjay features in yet another comedy of Rajeev Mehra, Office Office on Sabe TV, a channel driver for years now.
Typical mannerisms
Manoj, a regular in Delhi's Mandi House theatre scenario in the 1980s, says, being a Punjabi, "it was no difficult task to act as Gurpreet Mallick with those typical pronunciations, the glint in the eyes with the sudden mention of tandoori chicken, etc."
"But more than that, since I share such good vibes with Sanjay, we could be so realistic on screen. Our off camera chemistry has worked quite well on camera too even if it is to deride each other," adds Manoj.
With the talent to act humorous, with looks to supplement it, both though never wanted to be typecast as comedians. "It was never a conscious effort. But in our entertainment industry, if you do a particular role well, you get typecast," states Manoj.
Having started acting with the role of Laxman in the annual Ramlila in Delhi, he had to fight his family to become an actor.
"So, I didn't have much choice with the roles. I didn't want to go back to family business," he says. And now, besides doing LOC, he has two films - Akoori (releasing this June) and Nitin Manmohan's Tathastu.
For Sanjay too, it was a similar case of getting typecast. And so, we saw him making fun of politicians during elections on Sahara Rashtriya and Aaj Tak.
"Let's hope somebody thinks we can do other roles too," says Sanjay, sharing a wide grin with pal Manoj.
SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY
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