Ishaan Khatter | The Perfect Couple on Netflix

[Music] isan welcome to London how are you so much thank you I am very well I feel Grand yes and how are you excited about this show what are you feeling at the moment oh yeah there's definitely a buzz and an energy in the air and um uh it's been a long time coming you know we we spent four months in the cape uh making this baby and it's uh of course for me it's it's uh it's it's a landmark for me in my career it's it's kind of a new beginning and um yeah I'm excited so tell us a little bit about how this the perfect couple came to you uh talk to me a little bit about the process so um I mean it was a self tape and it was the tail end of the um pandemic I think oh wow uh in 22 and um um yeah it was just uh one of those things that was a bit serender is cuz there was a deadline on the date um I was I was busy working on the day I had I not done the audition on that day I don't think I would have made the deadline of being able to do it and as luck would have it I didn't have anyone U helping me with the tape I didn't have anyone for cues so I decided to just run it off my own voice um and send it in uh with my fingers crossed and it seemed to have worked so in the future I I will be following that protocol for sure exactly and here we are today isan I must must say to you I mean your body of work so far has been absolutely phenomenal like I remember watching you beyond the clouds and I think up until this date I still go on about how how phenomenal your character was in that film it was just outstanding I mean I know that genre was different to of course what what we're here to speak about today but just explain to me a little bit about how you look back on some of the projects that you've done and how you've grown as an actor uh it feels like um you know paradoxically if it'ss like a long and short Journey at the same time you know it's only been five or six years and um it's also amazing that we're here in London uh with the first premere for this one because the the first premere that I ever had for my debut film for beyond the clouds was at BFI yeah so uh yeah it's it's a small circle but it's a full circle and uh uh yeah it feels um I feel grateful I think that I've had some opportunities early on in my career that uh have been really varied and allowed me to sort of um find different facets to me as a performer MH and I enjoy that you know that's one of the things that uh really keeps you driven in this profession and um yeah I mean I feel like I have a really long way to go it's you know it's only the beginning but um I do feel grateful for sure and and how would you say you choose what comes to you like you know you get lots of scripts and stuff and lots of work that comes to you but what is it that actually makes you say yes to something like a show like the perfect couple uh I think um of course the big drawing was the fact that um Susanna beer was you know helping it and uh she is a high caliber filmmaker somebody who has um really really you know done her dues and been around for so long doing phenomenal work consistently um you know I've been a fan of her Danish films and I recently really enjoyed the undoing and the night manager so so yeah so that was definitely um a big one for me and and uh what a wonderful cast I mean just just to be able to share the screen with an icon like Nicole Kidman in itself is is tempting enough absolutely um and um and yeah it's a great setup you know with um one laps and Netflix and um that aside for me as far as the character was concerned I think um what I look for is an opportunity to do something with the part um and I think this had that this had room to fill in the spaces and um there's a sort of like air of mystery with this character which I really enjoyed I think you could really tell that in the first literally like 30 seconds cuz I think in the beginning of the first episode you could see you like in the background and then you come with the drinks and you know it kind of it's it is like there is a little mystery you're absolutely correct I mean it's I think I mean I've only seen the first episode but I think it would build up over over the rest of the episodes yeah I think um um also Susanna with her her choices I mean she's she really knows what she wants um but that's what I found even when I read it and I think it's translated on screen is like the way it builds is very very interesting um so that to me was a big one uh just the fact that it felt like just a part uh and and not a typical sort of tokenized diversity role as well if I may say that that that was very exciting um and um and yeah and the writing was was really fun I mean if you're a fan of murder mysteries love them I was just saying that I was like I think there's a there's there's a little fun aspect to it as well given you know although it is like a thriller murder mystery thing but it's some of the on Liners in it are so funny they are so so funny so I think that really keeps you like really hooked onto it you've just seen the one episode yes yeah yeah I'm just SE the one I well I I hope there's more where that came from I think you enjoy yeah no I think that's what like that's what I was just saying just when we were just waiting but I think it's like I just want to carry on watching it now so it is one of those shows where I'm actually I think if you're sold within the first 60 seconds then you know you're just going to carry on watching and you just want to know want to know what is going to happen so I think probably I'm going to spend the rest of my day watching it now um but yeah um so you just mentioned the diversity tick box and stuff you know you've done suitable boy this is you know you're doing the perfect couple as well but how as an you know an Indian Cinema actor how does that whole diversity tick boox kind of work for you I mean like you said it isn't one of those but um as a whole um for for like Indian actors to be going into mainstream and stuff like how does that how do you see it like is it are we getting there slowly is it do we still have a lot of work to do or I I I certainly think we and I'm in a good position to say that because my experience with this was uh very satisfying and I think that um uh it's a really exciting time for crossover work um I'm an audience first and and and then an actor right I mean I've been watching movies for longer than I've been in them and um and I can say that um I think now is possibly one of the most um like potent periods for globalization of Cinema and cross border work and um and I don't say it it's not just you know I'm not just saying it as a you know promotional thing or anything I mean I I felt that way when I read it is that oh that's interesting that's you know that's unlike anything I've perhaps seen before so um so yeah that's a big green flag for me and and I hope the audiences feel that way as well but um even putting that aside I mean it's just uh it's just a great uh mix of people and the cast is very very very interesting and exciting and and I think everyone was cast perfectly in their roles how was the vibe on set with such a wonderful cast it was great I think we um you know all of us you know younger actors on set were able to carry each other through the four months in the cape uh it was off season so there weren't very many people and uh yeah we sort of occupied and energized uh the town of chattam um during that period and um and yeah and there were just loads of barbecues and like we would go bowling and axe throwing and is keep each other entertained there were lots of off days I mean it's an onom cast so everyone had on days and off days and um yeah we we really got to bond over it so I'm I'm grateful that I I was able to have them to lean on and um yeah it was a fun time tell me about Nicole what is she like like o she's um well for one she really does have H have hypnotic eyes all the more in person I mean they tear through the screen but um I just I found her to be extremely warm um I think it was I think Eve recently said that she's very maternal and I would second that yeah um uh not in you know like um in in the nicest way possible like she she she really owns her position on set she commands it um and um and she has some really interesting ideas that often you know um one one is incident in particular which um opened up a lot of dimensions for me as an actor she interpreted a scene in a whole different way and I think it kind of shocked the set into waking up and I enjoy that so much a great day of learning for me as an and I think yeah like you said as an actor I think there's so much creativity that goes on like off screen and on screen so you know that's really nice but would you say it's different working on a set like this as opposed to what it's like in in Mumbai you know with uh Indian Cinema of course I mean it's it's kind of different on every set every unit has its own energy and and because like I mentioned I've been able to work with different sets of people almost every time um I've I've had that experience but of course this is this is a big shift it's a big cultural shift more than anything I think essentially at at the heart of it what we do is the same thing we're all creators storytellers um but I think there are differences in protocols and in in um in ways of working uh which mostly are cultural differences yeah um and um and yeah I mean I I think this was a highly you know like a high functioning you know sort of set and with with a bunch of esteemed people running it very very efficiently so um yeah it was easy to be a part of this for sure and in terms of big screen versus Ott platforms I mean do you feel that it's a more wider reach on Ott now like especially post pandemic like I think viewing habits have completely changed well I mean that really depends on um I I don't think it's a one siiz fits all kind of thing um uh for series of course you know the streamers are the mecca but um as far as films are concerned you know when you have the big event movie and it blows up in the theaters uh it also gets the streaming audiences and it reaches you know really penetrates so um and and my first love is the big screen experience is is Cinema so um I I I wouldn't exchange that for anything because I think that's it the format kind of really um elevates the storytelling um but having said that I think um the kind of you know content and diversity of work that one is able to watch as an audience on streamers is is very very exciting and uh yeah some of the best work is happening on there so and you've also got the rules coming up as well so that's something very exciting to look forward to for you yeah uh so isan finally I think if you could give a message to your UK fans uh people that are going to listen to and watch you um you know just a final message about this show that you'd like to give them um well I mean I had a wonderful I have to say like the UK fans were so beautiful and accepting when suitable boy came out and uh you know um I think this show is is going to have something for everybody I think it's it's uh it's a whole lot of unexpected fun um you know if you're a fan of dark humor and and satire and and and drama and um murder mystery suspense um this is your cup of tea so I hope you enjoy it definitely will thank you thank you so much thank you [Music]