09 February,2021 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Uma Ramasubramanian
A still from Metro Park 2
Kalpesh Patel has returned to tell the story of the great Gujarati family living in the US with the second season of Metro Park. Ranvir Shorey says essaying the role of Kalpesh, complete with his Gujarati tics, comes easy to him. "I grew up in Juhu, which is filled with Gujaratis. So the culture is familiar to me, hence easier to depict on screen. As far as Kalpesh Patel is concerned, I have made him a blend of people I know," says Shorey, whose character runs a local store while navigating life in New Jersey with his wife and two teenaged kids.
Little has changed in the mundane lives of the Patels and Menons in the recently dropped season of the Eros Now sitcom. While Shorey's character decides to contest in local politics, his wife hopes to make an addition to the family - nope, not a baby Patel; she plans to bring her mother to the US. "In the first season, we had just scratched the surface and introduced the characters. In this edition, the ride is becoming more fun as the characters' aspirations are bigger and crazier." Ask him if son Haroon is a fan of the comedy, and the actor says, "He has his own shows to watch. I don't encourage him to watch my shows because I don't want him to see me as an actor. I would rather he see me as a dad."
In the past few years, Shorey has explored digital entertainment with Rangbaaz, Bombers and High. The actor, who has vast experience in films as well as theatre, terms it the "best medium" for an artiste. "It's even better than theatres and films because here, you get enough time to flesh out your part and explore it in depth. Films don't offer that advantage." But one can't deny that the future of the medium is shrouded in uncertainty after the recent decision to bring video-streaming platforms under the ambit of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Amid talks that OTT content will soon be subjected to censorship, does he worry that the medium will be stifled? "I am definitely not in favour of censorship. Self-regulation is the best approach; censorship will be a regressive step. We have to move towards becoming a free society, not a more restrictive one."
