Pradeep Sarkar a true storyteller: Divyanka Tripathi and Rajiv Khandelwal

Mumbai: Actors Rajeev Khandelwal and Divyanka Thripthi Dahiya feature in the new web series "Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala". They say the director of the show -- the National award-winning filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar -- is a "true artist".

"Pradeep Da is a true artist, and one cannot just call him a filmmaker. He is a storyteller at heart. Since he is a senior in the business, initially one could feel a little intimidated by him, because he appears like a grumpy Bengali uncle. But once you start talking to him, you realise he is such a loving man!" Rajeev told IANS. 

"I spoke to him about his early days, and his love for art and paintings. These influences reflect on his work, especially in the way he treats the visuals in his cinema," he added.

Divyanka agreed: "Yes, he is an artist and he treats his frame like a canvas. That is why every Pradeep Sarkar film looks like a painting -- whether it is ‘Parineeta' or ‘Mardaani'. Also, I have to mention that though he is in his sixties he is a very progressive thinking man. That is why when we look at all the female characters in his films, they are well-balanced, with strength and vulnerability."

The story of the show revolves around two professional chef, Nitya and Vikram.

According to the actors, Sarkar was not in best of his health during the shooting but that did not affect his work.

"We have learnt the value of dedication and sincerity from him. He has ruled the ad-world and the (world of) cinema, but his passion and interest towards work has not gone down," said Divyanka.

Rajeev added: "On the set, he works for 13 hours, so even if we want it, we cannot chill out. He is an example before us -- so hardworking that even though we want, we cannot just fool around."

Produced by Ekta Kapoor and directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the show "Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala" also features Priyanshu Chatterjee, Barkha Bisht, Navneet Nishan, Manini Mishra. The show streams on the OTT platforms ALT Balaji and ZEE5.