Sooraj Barjatya’s OTT debut ‘Bada Naam Karenge’ stars Ritik Ghanshani and Ayesha Kaduskar, who open up about their roles in this heartwarming series. The story follows Rishabh and Surbhi, brought together for an arranged marriage, yet sharing a secret connection formed during the lockdown in Mumbai. Set against the backdrop of small-town Madhya Pradesh, their journey explores love, tradition, trust, and enduring family ties. The series, streaming on Sony LIV, offers a touching exploration of modern relationships and familial bonds. Excerpts:

Ritik Ghanshani:

Q. How did you prepare for your character’s emotional journey?

A. Honestly, we did not intend to give any specific message through this story. It was meant to be a slice of life, a cute, romantic love story, a family drama where people could come, watch, and relate to it. The characters and the stories are relatable. This is something we all go through, something we all face, something we see every day. We just wanted people to sit, watch with their families, and enjoy. But people have automatically taken away so much from it. We’ve received many messages about how people have connected with the way my character, Rishabh, deals with his problems with maturity, or how he is secure enough to be vulnerable in front of his partner. That is rare. The same goes for the other characters as well.

So, I think people take away these things on their own. We didn’t intend to give any message specifically. For us, it was a beautiful story that we wanted to present honestly and with hard work. That’s all we did.

Q. What was the most challenging part of your role?

A. The most challenging part was to not come across as rude, ever. There were confrontation scenes where I confronted my elders and Rishabh. The way the character is designed, he can never hurt his family. He would never want that. So, he had to take a stand for what’s good, for what’s right. But at the same time, he can’t be disrespectful towards his elders. Not crossing that thin line was very important.

Even in the series, when there is a rift between Rishabh and Surbhi, I had to ensure that at no point does he come across as mean or rude. But at the same time, of course, there was a rift, so there was no denying that. So, that thin line where I could have come across as nasty was something I had to make sure I didn’t cross. Again, kudos to the director and Sooraj sir for helping me with that. I think when your team backs you up so well, even the co-actors, who are all experienced and legendary actors, it becomes a smooth process.

Q. How does it feel to see the show getting such positive feedback?

A. I think the genre itself has really resonated with people. I’ve been receiving a lot of messages and comments on my Instagram and other social media platforms from people saying this is the kind of content they needed, and it has come after a long time. There were so many releases happening, and people watched them because they were all light-hearted, cute, romantic stories. So, I think that was something missing for a while. To revive a family drama love story, I think there was definitely a vacancy for such a story. To deliver it now, I think it was the need of the hour, and that’s why it stands out and has been received well by the audience.

Ayesha Kaduskar:

Q. How did you approach your character’s personality?

A. So, for Surbhi’s character, my parents were brought up in Indore, and I spent a lot of my summer vacations there, spending time with my extended family, my granny, grandpa, uncles, and aunts. Being there for a considerable part of my childhood, I was used to the way people grew up in that state, in Madhya Pradesh, specifically in Indore. I got to see firsthand how people carry themselves. Surbhi is from Ujjain, so her background wasn’t foreign to me—it was something I could relate to from my own experiences with extended family.

In terms of other traits of Surbhi, what I like to do every time I get a new character is find things that are common between the character and myself. I do a little bit of homework and draw out a map of my character’s top five personality traits, and then I try to identify what is similar between them and me. For example, Surbhi is a very ambitious girl in the show, and I am also very ambitious in my life. Career comes before most things for me, so that’s something I could draw from my personal experience. Another thing is Surbhi has a very special relationship with her father. Unfortunately, my father passed away a couple of years ago, but until then, I had a very similar relationship with my dad—he was always there to support me, never judged me. So, the relationship Surbhi has with her dad was something I could draw from my own life. Also, Surbhi is a romantic, and I am a very old-school romantic at heart—I love Bollywood romantic gestures.

In fact, one fun fact is that Surbhi, who is a fan of Amrita Pritam in the show, was an idea I pitched to Palash and Vidit when we were finalising our episodes’ drafts. These things helped me make Surbhi’s character more convincing, drawing from personal experiences.

Q. What was your favourite moment filming the show?

A. A lot of moments were memorable during the shoot. Real-life locations, the technical aspects, and the dialogues Rishabh says—those moments were very emotional, especially the culmination point where Rishabh and Surbhi finally realise their feelings for each other against all odds. Despite the noisy location, we completely forgot where we were and how many people were around us. We just got carried away with that scene. That’s why I enjoy watching that episode now.

Also, some of my favourite moments were behind the camera—like late pack-ups and early mornings. Actors didn’t go back to the hotel after a night shift. Everyone would sit together, have breakfast, and talk about the day. Kavaljit sir, Jameel sir, Hrithik, and everyone would play table tennis. Even after long, rigorous shifts, no one felt tired because everyone enjoyed each other’s company. Those little moments are my favourite.

Q. How are you reacting to the audience’s feedback?

A. Every morning I wake up, and my Instagram is flooded with messages from the audience. My Twitter is also full of people showering us with compliments. It’s been a very overwhelming, surreal experience. It’s hard to digest how special what we’ve made is because it’s really reaching a lot of people. Many are saying this is a story they haven’t seen in a long time, and they’re really loving it. A lot of people are already asking for season two, which is honestly amazing. I’m very grateful for their love and just hope more people watch the show.

Q. What do you hope viewers take away from the show?

A. I hope the one thing viewers take away from our show is that old Bollywood is not lost. If viewers watch and like our show, I’m sure many others will be motivated to make content like ours. During this time when so many releases are doing well, it’s the perfect time to create new content. I also hope viewers realise that it’s not about villainizing one side. The younger and older generations can coexist if they both make small changes and support each other through everything. That’s one key takeaway I hope the viewers get from the show.