The Big Bang Theory and 2 Broke Girls are two of her favourite sitcoms. “If I like a show, I’ll stay up till 6am and finish it,” says Rachel White, who will be seen in the web series Mismatch on Hoichoi, from September 15. Mismatch is about two couples — Ayan (Rajdeep Gupta) and Diana (Rachel); and Shubhro (Mainak Banerjee) and Urmi (Supurna Malakar) — who come to know about partner swapping that’s organised through an app and decide to try it out. t2 caught up with the Calcutta girl who now lives in Mumbai, after a round of paintball play at The Breakout cafe on Allenby Road.
What kind of games were you into as a child?
I used to play a lot. I used to do basketball, javelin, shot put… played hide and seek and lock and key. I like adventure sports once in a while. We don’t get to do it too often now. I had played paintball before in Bombay. It is so much silly fun. And it brings back a lot of childhood memories.
Mismatch has the curious plot of two couples going in for partner swapping. Who do you play?
I play Diana, she wants to do a lot of things. Sadly, her husband is not into those things, which is why she is upset. She is also a brat in her own way. She is like a rich, spoilt girl. The husband (played by Rajdeep) is very obedient and docile. And then this whole idea to swap partners comes up. She is supremely kicked about it. Maybe she feels this is a way to get some excitement back in life. The story seemed very original. I found the overall theme really cool. It is something new.
How did the shoot go?
It was super hectic. Everyone was working on deadlines. Unlike movies, you don’t have the time to prep. You are like on the line of fire. And you have to deliver fast. Thankfully, it went off well. At times, we shot for 18-19 hours. On the last day of the shoot, I was popping Calpol. And that was the day I was supposed to do my making out scenes. We shot in different locations in Calcutta and Mandarmani, and the heat was really bad.
What’s the difference between shooting for a film and a web series?
For a web series, the target audience is the youth who are always on the phone. When shooting it, you have to make it more real. Shoot-wise it’s the same. We have not compromised in terms of the look and feel. It is shot exactly the way a movie is shot. This is a very bold show in a lot of ways. There are a lot of intimate scenes. For any actor, it’s not a walk in the park.
Did you have questions about your intimate scenes before the shoot?
As an actor I am prepared to do what I am supposed to do on camera. I had no issues. It’s so technical... shooting the intimate scenes with so many people standing around. This is the first time I did intimate scenes. Thankfully, there was such a wonderful team that I did not have an issue.
What’s next for you in Mumbai?
I finished a Hindi film, which is a serious, relationship-based story, also starring Shiv Pandit. My ads, music videos, another web series are happening. I have a very versatile face because of which it is very difficult for people to cast me. But it’s great that we are in a phase where so much of great content is being produced. Thank God, I am an actor in this time. I can take my time. I can weigh my options and I can wait for good opportunities. I don’t want to project myself as a hot girl. Two days later, I’m doing an ad where I play a mother to a five-year-old. I want to keep it that way. It helps me feel satisfied as a person that I’m doing different things.
Do you miss Calcutta?
I miss Calcutta so much. All my friends are here. People who I have grown up with are here. My house is here. I love coming back to Calcutta. Wish we could have shot Mismatch for a year!
Picture: Pabitra Das
