Stars In The City: Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma bring the warmest ‘Killer Soup’

Gracing the HT Delhi office with a grand welcome with dhol, Killer Soup’s star cast members Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma were nothing but enthusiastic to shake a leg on the beats. Little did they know that they were in for a fun interaction with the winners of HT City’s Stars in the City contest, where the fans even came from far away places like Chandigarh and Gurugram. With their genius masterclasses and honest responses, they chatted with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor (Entertainment and Lifestyle), Hindustan Times.

The session began with them addressing the “less noise” around their upcoming black comedy crime thriller which will stream on Netflix from 11th January, 2024. “We are offering something so new and bizarre that we didn’t want any word to go out and take a chance with the content itself. It will be a surprise gift for everyone. If you start talking about it earlier, something goes out and this series is about protecting that something,” said Manoj, adding, “This is something that I have never seen or done, it is so unique. It gave us so much joy and we learnt so much under Abhishek (Director Abhishek Choubey) while making it.”

As she started speaking about her expectations and character, the crowd couldn’t stop their loud cheers and applause. “We have been full of excitement for the last two years, can’t wait to share it with everyone. I have never done something like this before and my character is also a bit grey. It is nothing like we have ever seen. It has so many elements in an unusual world, a fictional town,” shared Konkona.

Moving on to a lighter conversation, the two emphasised on the camaraderie they share and how fun it has been to work with each other for the first time. “Only Abhishek could bring us together,” Manoj laughed and continued, “Mai toh Koko (Konkona Sen) se bahut pange leta hu, we had so much fun on the set. I am so natural with her, there is no formality. Yeh rehearsal bhi bahut karti hain before any of her scenes, it is good to watch her do it.”

While the dark comedy genre has been explored quite a bit with several recent releases including Monica O My Darling, Darlings and many more, do you think that this space is the way to go, considering Killer Soup also belongs to this genre? “OTT is the best medium for dark comedy. One person can enjoy alone and laugh, you don’t need people around you which happens in the theatre, which is why we are seeing more and more of dark comedy on OTT. It is being explored more because of the digital platforms,” added the 54-year-old.

In response to a fan question about Manoj’s fitness routine and lifestyle, Konkona took over the answer and replied, “He is an inspiration. The discipline that he has is just amazing,” to which Manoj responded jokingly with, “It’s not about how I am looking, it’s about how I am feeling, humse poocho haddiyon ka haal!”

With the conversation moving forward to a more deep one, a fan asked the 44-year-old how her art has made them a better person in real life. “It’s very difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes, because of some characters, you get to explore a different world. Imagine one reality that we all are sharing but you are also living in another reality. I even at times related with some of my characters like Wake Up Sid, because I was also an outsider in Bombay, so I got to explore it like I never thought I would,” Konkona answered.

The Gangs Of Wasseypur actor completed his graduation from Delhi University and he is nothing but “thankful” for the experience. “I was in Satyawati college but after that I migrated to Ramjas. We used to perform in different theatres and I used to study for my exams just one month before they started. Addebaazi, nukkadbaazi vagerah mai itni nahi karta tha, because I had in mind that I have come to a big city, I have to learn the language, learn theatre, and learn English. Delhi University got some amazing teachers who became friends, fantastic theatres, and many books that guided me, I am so grateful for everything that it has given me,” he shared, when a fan who himself studies in DU took him back to those college days.