‘Main Monica’ actor Ravi Mahashabde says, “Lingapally was a challen ging role for me because I had to speak in a south Indian accent”!

#RaviMahashabde plays the character of a cop named #Lingapally in #MainMonica. The web series is written and produced by #RanjeetChitrakar, #AmberWasi, and #TanyaGanguly and presented by Arre, streams on #AmazonPrimeVideo. The actor talks about his experience of making the project.

“I met the three writers and producers Ranjeet Chitrakar, Amber Wasi, and Tanya Ganguly at my friend Virendra Saxena’s house. Immediately we struck a chord and I had fun meeting them. I found the same fire in them that I have of doing good work. I wasn’t aware that they were there to discuss Main Monica with Virendra Saxena at that time. That night we talked a lot and exchanged numbers and after 2-3 years I got a call from a casting agency for the role of Lingapally and I sent my audition to them. I also got a call from Ranjeet saying that it was his project. I was happy as it would be fun working with the people I know. I was confused about the title initially, Main Monica but when I read the story it was so good, I really enjoyed shooting and working with the team. Lingapally was a challenging role for me because I had to speak in a south Indian accent. I wanted to know the backstory of the character to prepare for the role because when Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who is also playing a character with a south Indian accent, I too had to get my accent right. Every character in the story has so many things of their own but for Lingapally, I had to find the purpose and I did and so that’s how the character is portrayed on-screen,” he says at a go.

Lingapally is a character who is from the South and Tullu is his mother tongue. “If not an IPS, how he became an SHO, who stays in Matunga, is what I did with the character Lingapally. There is an actor who shot with us for a few days. I learnt a lot of Tullu from him. Wherever I felt I could add Tullu, I did that to make people believe that it’s a Tullu character,” he shares.

The actor shares that the ambiance on the set was exciting and fun. “I remember once I reached the set, I talked to a few people in a Lingapally accent, and in return they talked to me in the same mannerism. It was really fun. Whenever I talked to anyone they would respond to me in Lingapally’s accent and that gave me a surety that people would love the character,” he adds.

The Thriller genre is catchy and therefore is loved by the audience. Ravi explains, Agreeing, “Thrillers are fast and generally have content people want to watch. People don’t have to scratch their brains nor do they have to connect emotionally. They just enjoy watching the action that is going on. I don’t think Main Monica is a thriller. It’s a truthful performance and at the same time it has an interesting story. There are certain things like the relationship of two friends, enmity between Mangu anna and Lingapally that make people relate to Main Monica all the more.”

Feedback around Main Monica has been positive. “I loved the writing and people have loved it too, both the story and performances. A lot of people are complimenting, my friends and family who never lie to me, my fans and people who follow my work are loving it here. I appreciate what the writers have done in Main Monica,” he adds.