How Panchayat 3's soul, Prahlad, developed with a sleep-deprived Malik Faisal
Panchayat 3 revolves around the character of Prahlad, played by actor Faisal Malik. He speaks exclusively to us about how he perfectly captured the feelings of his character and played the part of a martyr's father who just has a pure heart.
Ankush Pandey
INRO
- Panchayat 3's Prahlad, directed by Faisal Malik and available on Prime Video, is its heart and soul.
- In order to represent a grieving person, he lost weight and stopped sleeping.
- Prahlad Malik explains how he was able to get the moment where he shows Damyanti to his home just right.
From the first scene in TVF's Panchayat 3, Prahlad is a formidable character. His default look is one of grief, and he is dressed entirely in white, which draws attention to his lethargic and lifeless form. His sharp voice, as he tries to thwart Sachiv Ji's hasty departure from Phulera, when he tells the District Magistrate, "Samay se pehle koi nahi jayega (Nobody should depart before their time)," hits home. We become so invested in his sorrow over losing his army kid that we hardly realize we are watching a drama. When he disappears for a while, we become very concerned.
Actor Faisal Malik plays the pivotal part of Prahlad, also known as Prahlad Cha for the younger audience. Prahlad is the bereaved father of a soldier who was martyred and has no family left. He is the deputy chief of the Phulera panchayat. He is a performer who can take unimpressive material and turn it into something effortlessly endearing.
We must ascertain the person's experiences, how a particular catastrophe has altered his outlook on life, and how his life has come to an end while many around him have progressed in life. He is someone who engages in internal conflict. Thus, I believe I was successful in reflecting every single one of these feelings through my act," says Malik.
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One of life's most dangerous parts is being a heartbroken father with nothing to look forward to. Melodrama ranks highest.
Malik does not fit into any of them. We are pulled to him despite the depressing atmosphere surrounding him because of the way he walks. He conveys his suffering so effectively in the scene where he is standing on a water tank while intoxicated that you worry he could go too far.
You are therefore relieved when Vikas (Chandan Roy) obeys Pradhan (Raghuvir Yadav) and locks the water tank's steps. And you want to join Manju Devi, played by Neena Gupta, in berating Sachiv, Pradhan, and Vikas for being too preoccupied with their own lives and neglecting Prahlad.
The show's creator, Chandan Kumar, uses sequences of Prahlad drinking alcohol while sitting under a tree to hint at the enormous chasm in his life. Since returning home makes him realize how empty his life is, he won't go.
In order to embody the moody, exhausted feeling of his character, Faisal Malik starved himself of sleep and put on a few kilograms.
To make Prahlad look the way he does, I prepared and gained some weight. I worked on the look in his eyes when he is lying down but is not asleep, that exhausted look. I can't give specifics about it, but I talked about it with someone. I exerted some effort. To keep that exhausted look, I slept for just a few hours. In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, Faisal Malik says, "I could not just show up on set all dressed up and fresh."
Prahlad is anything but the joy, happiness, and ecstasy that his name suggests. But among those he calls his own, he is content. He takes on their issues and loses himself in them in an attempt to let go of the hurt he is carrying within of him.
He finds a means to cope with his grief by using the substantial solatium he receives from the government following the loss of his son. The old Damyanti, who wants to build a house for her grandson, or Vikas and his wife, who want to grow their family but lack the resources to rear a child, are just two examples of the people he donates the money to.
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(Alertof Spoilers) In my opinion, the most memorable scene from Panchayat Season 3 is when Prahlad tries to explain to Amma (Damyanti), who is brilliantly portrayed by Abha Sharma, the value of having a family to share your happiness and sorrows with. He brings her to the same house he has been escaping from all along. It hurts when he claims to have all the financial pleasures in life, like a mansion and a Rs.50 lakh cheque, but no family to share them with.
Before shooting the scene, Faisal Malik made a round of that residence to get the right amount of emotion.
"Before filming the scenario, I had never seen the house before. I went around the house, which the art director had done a great job of, and sat down for a while. I spent some time there. It then proceeded organically. The actor portraying Damyanti is also a superb artist. With a gifted artist at your side, aapki mehnat kam ho jaati hai (you don't have to work hard). According to Faisal Malik, IndiaToday.in, "That scene was written so beautifully that it became easier to perform."
Similar to us, the audience, Malik finds "such a beautiful emotion" in the moment.
Seldom do moments in life make you both happy and sad at the same time. Additionally, in the fifth episode, Prahlad gives you one when he chuckles at Pradhan ji's poorly received jab at Vidhayak. His innocent smile makes you think of the teddy bear-like feeling he had throughout Panchayat's first and second seasons. The fact that Pradhan, Vikas, and Sachiv continue the joke even though they realise it's not funny in order to prolong Prahlad's joy of laughing makes it even more wonderful.
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The on-screen chemistry between these performers is nothing more than an extension of their friendship off-screen.
"It takes a good atmosphere to create something amazing, and that atmosphere has only existed since the first season. Regarding his experience working in a panchayat, Faisal Malik says, "Hum log sab dil se kaam karte hain, aur ek dusre ko saath le kar chalte hain (We all work wholeheartedly and walk together, hand in hand)."
Their determination to give it their all is unaffected by the blazing sun.
There's a really good mood and a healthy atmosphere to this set. Even though it becomes rather hot when we shoot, we all take care to keep the surroundings comfortable. Hey, it's hot, it's zyada, but sooraj ko toh kuch nahi bol sakte na, vo toh apna kaam karne roz aayega. (The shooting takes place in intense heat. However, we cannot gripe about the sun. It will appear daily and carry out its duties. Thus, we also need to perform our duties," Malik argues.
Malik does not claim to be Panchayat 3's leader or its heart and soul. Rather, he contends that "a strong team produces all great shows."
Prahlad seems more like one of us since we grew up watching the larger-than-life heroes of 1990s cinema. Even though he is not your usual Bollywood celebrity, you can't help but feel something for him long after you've finished the programme. I hope there are more Prahlads to support!
