I was craving for light-hearted shows: Barun Sobti on ‘Raat Jawaan Hai’

Mumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) Actor Barun Sobti says he was eager to work on a light-hearted series like “Raat Jawaan Hai” that would give audiences a break from the abundance of intense dramas currently dominating the streaming landscape.

The comedy-drama follows three friends, Avinash (Sobti), Radhika (Anjali Anand), and Suman (Priya Bapat), as they navigate the often hilarious and chaotic world of parenting while juggling their individuality and relationships.

The actor, who received universal praise for his performances in crime thriller shows “Asur” and “Kohrra”, said he was instantly drawn to the story about new parents and felt it was written “delicately”.

“It was a novel idea. My wife and I watch content at night when the kids are sleeping. Everything looked the same, everyone was trying to sound very intelligent… It feels like we’ve seen a lot of this and there’s no light-hearted stuff.

“People were making shows with their brains and not hearts. When this show came, I was like, ‘It is all heart, let’s do this’. If I’m craving for such shows, the audience will lap it up on this,” Sobti told PTI in an interview here.

According to Sobti, “Raat Jawaan Hai” is one show of his that even his children can watch. He shares two kids with wife Pashmeen Manchanda.

“Things like ‘Asur’ and ‘Kohrra’ are much colder to handle. Compared to the larger milieu, ‘Raat Jawaan Hai’ is a much lighter show right now. My idea will be to show them a funny series that they can laugh at,” he added.

In the new series, Sobti plays Avinash, who leaves his corporate job to be a stay-at-home dad.

The show comes from writer-creator Khyati Anand-Puthran and director Sumeet Vyas, best known for his starring roles in “Permanent Roommates” and “Veere Di Wedding”.

As a parent, the actor said there are differing degrees of guilt experienced by mothers and fathers.

“I feel that all the time that I’m not making myself a great human being. Even when I’m at home, I play with the kids. My wife takes care of everything. Fathers feel guilty depending on what kind of relationship they have with their kids. (Likewise) mothers feel extremely guilty.

“I don’t know why, maybe it’s because they are missing their child. I don’t feel guilty (in that sense). I think, ‘I’m doing this for my family’. But mothers are not made to feel like that by society. They should not be made to feel guilty that they are not around them when they are shaping their future,” he added.

Sobti said he was initially worried whether people would connect with “Raat Jawaan Hai”. However, when the team did a trial screening of the series, they received a positive response.

“While shooting we were like ‘How many people will watch it?’ We showed it to many young people who are not parents and are far away from marriage and they loved it because of the structure of the writing, and the content,” he said.

“Raat Jawaan Hai”, produced by Yamini Pictures Private Limited, will premiere on Sony LIV on October 11.