Tanya Maniktala: Unfair to box Tooth Pari in a genre

Whatrsquos your first instinct when you read a quirky script about a vampire falling in love with a dentist If yoursquore Tanya Maniktala you queue up for the screen test determined to be a part of this imaginative world After Flames Mira Nairrsquos A Suitable Boy and Chutzpah Netflixrsquos Tooth Pari When Love Bites promised to be a whimsical ride Collaborating with director Pratim Dasgupta and veteran actors was the cherry on top In a chat with midday Maniktala talks about being blown away by the script and adding her own quirks to the roleEdited excerpts from the interviewWhat was your reaction to the conceptI got a call from Shruti Mahajan casting director who told me there is a cool and quirky character and that I would be perfect for it She asked me to test for it When I read the script I wondered who are these characters I called up Shruti to ask what was going on in the script and she just kept laughing I wanted to get on board immediately and was over the moon when I was shortlisted When I got on a call with Pratim sir to understand the world of Rumi her character it set the ball rolling The plot of a vampire falling in love with a dentist seemed so funny that I was rooting for the coupleAt what point did you feel the concept was bizarreThat was a constant thought I was drinking blood which was a lot of beetroot juice in reality When I got a denture made for the prosthetics I was intrigued I still have a set of fangs with me as a souvenirWhich genre would you bracket this series intoBoxing Tooth Pari into any one genre would be unfair because there are so many themes going on simultaneously It is a fantasy romance thriller and satireHow was it working with Shantanu MaheshwariWe both were playing characters that were opposite to us and that was fun He is one of the funniest people I have met Shantanu is always open to trying new things out hersquod always give me suggestions when I asked for them He would also be respectful of my spaceAlso ReadVarun Mitra reflects on the journey to Deepak Rana in Guilty Minds one year laterWhat did you learn from working with veterans like Revathy and Adil HussainIt was an ensemble cast that I never dreamt I would work with Often it was difficult to stay in character because Rumi is straightfaced and composed while the other characters are hilarious The energy on set was always great because we knew we were creating something wonderful I was in awe of Revathy most of the time when the camera wasnrsquot switched on I wanted to learn about their experiences They are talented actors but they are also such fantastic human beings It was a great opportunity to see their human side without any faccediladeHow was your interaction with the directorAfter I was signed on for the project I went back watched some of his earlier works and realised that he has a lot to say On set he gives you free rein to do whatever you want He is collaborative and interested in listening to what you think the character should do I was like an eager kid who kept asking him if we could add this or that nuanceWhat was the one quirk you added to your characterSome traits are written on paper but when you are living the character you bring in your own flavour While processing the character I found that she has a tender heart When we started talking about Rumi we came to the conclusion that she was hurt She was still nursing a wound which is why she puts on a hard exterior