Over four seasons, the little-big phenomenon called Little Things struck a chord with viewers. The story of a young couple — Dhruv, played by Dhruv Sehgal and Kavya, played by Mithila Palkar — in a metropolis handling the ups and downs of their lives and live-in relationship, instantly felt relatable and feel-good.
Almost a year after its fourth, and what is said to be its final, season ended on Netflix, Dhruv and Mithila are back with Little Things: Jab Dhruv Met Kavya, Season 1, an Audible India original which traces the origin of their love story and is voiced by the two. The Telegraph chat with Dhruv and Mithila.
Mithila, you shared a recent picture of the award you two got for ‘best couple on OTT’ and captioned it as, ‘Little Things is a gift that keeps giving’. That’s true for this Audible origin series of Little Things too, isn’t it?
Dhruv Sehgal: It’s always a gift to be able to play these characters, to connect with the audiences again and to give them something and get something back... it’s amazing!
Mithila Palkar: Honestly, I would have never ever imagined telling the story of Little Things through just our voices. It’s really interesting and I am looking forward to the audience listening to it.
Given how close Little Things has been to you, what was your reaction when you were first approached to voice the series? Did you jump at it or was there some hesitation where you felt that story had been over and done with?
Mithila: I am biased with anything that has to do with Kavya, I just jump at it! (Laughs)
Dhruv: For me, it was a mix of both, I will be honest. I was involved with the show for five years, I had written it and so I was heavily invested in it. So when someone asks, ‘You want to do one more?’ you think twice because there is a lot of energy that goes into making this.
But when I was told this would be in the audio format, then I found it interesting. I thought it would be a new season, but in audio form, but when I was told that it would be an origin story of how Dhruv and Kavya met and how they fell in love, then I found it even more interesting and I said, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’
The best thing is that it felt new but familiar. For me, it was going back to a healthy food diet again!
What was the experience of voicing these characters instead of acting them out?
Dhruv: Every medium has its own technicalities. The challenges were there for a day or two, and then they went away. What remained was the fact that this was as enjoyable an experience as making the series was. Now if someone asks Dhruv and Kavya to do something on stage, there will, of course, be challenges — maybe not for Mithila because she has worked on stage — but then when we are in the process of it, I am sure we will realise it’s still the same. As a creator, I can’t take credit for it... it just exists. It may sound cheesy, but the soul of Little Things will always remain intact. It can be put in different vessels, but it will always remain the same. And that’s kind of nice.
Mithila: Acting with voice is something that I find very challenging. But apart from that, Dhruv and Kavya are so second skin to us, that playing them always feels like coming back home.
Dhruv, as a creator, when you were told about this origin story, did you feel a slight pang that you didn’t think of it yourself?
Dhruv: When I wrote Season 1, the thought for me was simply to tell a story that shows how a young couple navigates the daily-ness of life. The objective at that time wasn’t to show how Dhruv and Kavya fell in love.
What do you miss the most about being Dhruv and Kavya?
Dhruv: I think a lot about this. In a very weird way, I miss the sense of security. When you are writing new characters, there is no sense of security. When you enter a new office of a production that’s about to go on the floors, you meet 10-12 people and you don’t know anyone.... Then there are some of them who behave like they own you.
With Little Things, because we worked on it over four seasons and all of us were so familiar and comfortable with each other, everyone was involved in it for so long, we knew that nothing terrible would happen with the show... and if it did, we would laugh it off. That sense of comfort happens with other projects as well, but it doesn’t come as organically as with Little Things.
Mithila: I would say the same. I miss the ease of working on Little Things. I would just wake up, get ready and go on set without stressing about, ‘Oh meri lines! I have to remember this. I have to think what this character will do’. All that studying didn’t have to happen with Dhruv and Kavya... we just knew it because we had them within us.
I don’t think any of us who have been associated with this show will have this kind of a beginning ever again. We were all new! Me, Dhruv, our DoP (director of photography), our director, our editor, our producers... we were all experimenting with this show, and it just felt like a family hanging out. Every season was a summer vacation we looked forward to (smiles). That experience can never be replicated.
In hindsight, apart from the relatability and feel-good factor, why do you think Little Things became such a phenomenon?
Mithila: It’s a universal story, it can be set anywhere and it’s relevant.
Dhruv: For me, it was the intent that worked and that translated on to the screen. Those working on the show were just trying to be honest to what was on paper. I am not saying that the show doesn’t have flaws — it has moments which are not great, and not even good for that matter (smiles) and there are so many things in Season 1 that don’t work for me now — but I never found that it has bad intentions. It always feels real and honest. And that, I think, is the most difficult thing.
You can make a Rs 1,000-crore film and it can look fantastic, but it can lack honesty and truth. And honesty and truth are things that Little Things has had from Day One.
Dhruv, did voicing the Audible series feel like you were handing over your baby to someone else?
Dhruv: I actually felt a sense of relief and release in the fourth season of the series itself because I didn’t write it. I approached this series with a lot of fun and no sense of burden. I was just given a script, I had to do my lines, I had to prepare and come on set and have fun with people I can trust. It was very chilled-out for me.
Both of you have done quite a bit of credible work after Little Things. But when you meet fans and audiences, is Little Things always something that comes up early in the conversation?
Dhruv: Ya, ya, ya for sure! It’s a very good feeling...
Mithila: It’s the best feeling!
I know that a lot of factors have to come into play for a new season to be greenlit. But would you be game to play Dhruv and Kavya in a fifth season?
Dhruv: In my head, I always wanted the show to have its subsequent seasons every three-four years, for it to have a sense of growth and not have that feel of a sitcom.
So if there is ever a fifth season, it should happen after five-six years, when I will be approaching my 40s and I would love to explore Dhruv in this marriage when he has this number in his head. How his mind, body and world view is changing... that is exciting. But if you tell me to write a new season now, I have nothing to say.
Mithila, are you a ‘biryani monster’ like Kavya and Dhruv, like your character, would you trek anywhere to eat what you love and then get cranky if you don’t get it?
Mithila: I am not as crazy about biryani as Kavya is, but I do like it very often.
Dhruv: As far as Dhruv getting cranky when he doesn’t get his favourite food, I am that person!
