13 Dec 2020  |   04:21am IST

Goa’s ‘masterji’, delivers a standout role in ‘Naxalbari’

Shot in the forest of Maina, Quepem, which were depicted as the Naxal controlled Gadchiroli region of Maharashtra, the latest hit in the OTT web series genre Naxalbari has quite a few film and theatre actors from Goa. But the one who has the most dominant standout role is Saiesh Panandikar- Sai to all. Panandikar in the role of ‘masterji’ the Naxalite ideologue, who controls strategy and operations of the Naxal unit, delivers a compelling performance. The affable actor in a conversation with Cafe spoke about the role and the experience of working with a top-end unit and actors for a web series which is getting international acclaim

Anwesha Singbal

The much-awaited 

‘Naxalbari’ Web series released on Zee 5 web platform opens with a massive blast in eastern Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli in which a ruling party MLA is killed alongside his entire motorcade. But even before the blast takes place, you cannot miss a white bearded man travelling on a motorbike through the thick jungles in the opening shot of the web series. A familiar face in the Goan film industry, writer and actor Saiesh Panandikar makes an impressive entry as the ‘Masterji’ addressing the locals in the Gadchiroli village where the entire plot of the series is set in.

Partho Mitra’s Naxalbari revolves around a Special Task Force (STF) agent, Raghav Joshi, who goes on a secret mission to curtail the revival of a Naxal uprising in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. And while the star cast involves big names like Rajeev Khandelwal, Satyadeep Mishra, Aamir Ali, Sreejita De and Tina Dutta, Goans are in for some major surprises.

“We must thank the pandemic”, says a delighted Saiesh Panandikar, lovingly called Sai by all, a literary and creative giant in Goa and one of the doyens of Konkani cinema who has been receiving critical acclaim and appreciation for his role in the Naxalbari web series. “The Pandemic brought several film and advertisement units to Goa since Goa was in the green zone. And with these, several Goans got an opportunity to act in the same”, he says.

After the crew got the permissions to begin shooting, Panandikar got a call in the month of June from Mohmita Pal, who was one of the casting directors. “She called me and I was auditioned for the role of home minister. The role was fixed however soon after 4-5 days, Priyanka Kadu, another casting director called me to inform that my role was changed to that of the Chief Minister which I agreed. Finally, in July, I was called for a dress trial when I met the director of the web series Partho Mitra and my friend cameraman Hari Nair. For the first time, I heard about the plot of the web series and was also made to realize that I was finally playing the role of ‘Masterji’ who is supposed to be a village master and apparently the guru of Naxals. The shoot started in 12 July in the deep forests of Maina, Quepem”, recalls Panandikar

For Sai Panandikar who had earlier acted in Strumm Sound’s Love in Goa, a Hindi musical love series with 4 music videos, this was a one of its kind experience.  “The music series did not have any dialogues. It was only acting. However, this was different. For the first time I was acting with a big unit”, he says.

“All experiences teach you”,  he says admitting he was initially little tensed in the first hour of the shoot. “The pressure was mainly because of the language. I am not fluent with Hindi and hence there were initial hiccups however I soon picked up. Series like these also do not want to reveal the entire script to the actors or at least I felt so. I was given part of my script during every shot and told what had happened before my scene and what would happen after the same. I had to then get into the role and assume how my character would play. The assumptions would sometimes work or sometimes the director would suggest changes that you should be prompt enough to incorporate. The camera captures your nervousness very fast, so you should be ready with the best. Sometimes even after I fumbled, the scene got captured. It was only later that I realized, it was shot in an angle that my fumble wasn’t visible”, he laughs out.

The actor, who has earlier performed in several dramas and films in Goa had to enter into a subtle mode and underplay unlike his own self and many other roles he has played till date. ‘It takes time to get that control on your own self but eventually, I managed it”. He says.

“I am glad I don’t watch TV serials or Web series”, he says. He also had no idea about the other actors and their fandom. “It was only after the junior artists flocked around them or someone told me, I realized how big the other stars around me were. They themselves didn’t make me realize it. So while I made mistakes and we had to retake, they calmly waited around and helped me out with the shots.” he recalls. 

And while he feels there is a lot to learn with such commercial units, working with the local crew is always an advantage. “There is a personal touch and understanding. Though there is a compromise from budgets to sets, the personal attention you get is worthwhile. Plus you get the entire script beforehand and enough time to prepare. We even take workshops or rehearse before the shoot begins however there is no such scope in huge commercial projects”, he says.

“Web series is a better and effective medium than cinema”, Panandikar articulates. “I got calls from across the world from relatives as far as in the US after they watched my web series online. That is the reach of these new web platforms. Languages like Konkani have a huge scope if we can do web series with English subtitles. We need to do those on professional lines”, he feels.

While he is basking in the fame that he has received in the web series, he does not fail to acknowledge the acting by several other actors who have done extremely beautiful roles in the web series (see box). “Pandemic might have opened up new opportunities for Goans and artists at large. We just need to work better and grab them”, he says.