No comedy this! Pranay Dixit all set to play a gangster

Lucknowite Pranay Dixit, best known for his comic roles in ‘Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain’, ‘Lapataganj’ and ‘FIR’, he is playing Chhota Shakeel in director Ram Gopal Verma’s next ‘D Company’.

Lucknowite Pranay Dixit, best known for his comic roles in ‘Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain’, ‘Lapataganj’ and ‘FIR’, feels that makers tend to typecast actors in certain genres but it depends on the actors to break that shell. Contrary to his image, he is playing Chhota Shakeel in director Ram Gopal Verma’s next ‘D Company’.

Lucknowite Pranay Dixit is playing the role of Chhota Shakeel in Ram Gopal Verma’s next D-Company (Sourced photo)

“Due to my comic timing, 90 percent of my work has been in the comedy genre and roles that I have been offered are in the same zone. Many a times, I have asked people to cast me in different characters. They mocked me but I insisted,” said the actor.

Pranay had done a few hardcore negative roles in ‘Savdhaan India’ which eventually helped him get this role. “I was doing negative characters to balance my craft. On YouTube I uploaded some monologues in dark zones. And it is one of the images from ‘Savdhaan…’ I shared with the casting team that landed me in the role.”

Telling more about his work Pranay said. “After lockdown I did episodes in ‘Bhabhi…’, ‘Happu Ki Ultan Paltan’ and ‘Madam Sir’. One day I got a call for a photo and then an audition. I was selected but it was for a small-time criminal part which hardly had few lines. When I went to meet RGV, I was shocked that they wanted me to play Chhota Shakeel who was the second most powerful person in Dawood’s (Ibrahim) gang.”

To get into the character he was asked to tan himself and was given scars to get that intense look. “Sir gave me freedom to build the character. I heard Shakeel’s interviews and tried to frame the character based on the storyline. I am having the best experience of my 11-year-old acting career.”

Earlier, too he has done the film ‘Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans’ but did not get much recognition. “This film will be followed by 8-part OTT series as it’s a big journey. We will shoot the remaining 20% in March and then the series will follow. I will keep doing TV but want to focus more on films and web-shows to showcase my all-round skills,” he said on a parting note.