They first met a decade ago for an ad shoot in Allahabad that Rajesh Tailang remembers and Sheeba Chadha seems to have forgotten, but it's a friendship that has clearly stood the test of time.
The actors, two of the most famous faces in the streaming space, have reunited as on-screen couple for a third time in ZEE5's Bakaiti after Mirzapur and Bandish Bandits.
Asked about their great chemistry on these shows, Rajesh said, "We've known about it for years".
"We have known each other for many years. I knew about her even before that as she worked with many of my friends. In fact, I saw one of her theatre productions as well. We also met during an NCPA workshop. She has forgotten all these things but I remember everything," the actor told PTI.
Sheeba joked, "This is the first time you are telling me about this." "It has been more than 10 years that we have been working together," Rajesh said, calling Sheeba "amazing".
"Not just me, everyone says this. Working with her is fun but challenging. The way she details out her work, as an actor, you have to be aware of it and react accordingly," he said.
Sheeba is equally effusive in her praise of Rajesh.
"In whatever work we have done together, he is so well entrenched in that character that it makes your work easy as a co-actor. I feel easy while working with him... This will be out third outing together as actors. I don't know his (creative process) or how he arrives at it, but Mirzapur particularly, his work is amazing,” she said.
"With him, you don't have to cross a distance to arrive somewhere. It's really very safe space for me as a co-actor and it's him he creates that just by being himself," she added.
Bakaiti, a colloquial term for 'idle chatter', is a slice-of-life family drama about a middle class family in Ghaziabad and their everyday struggles.
"It's about everyday problems of our lives that we all go through. You will find the sights, smells and syntax very familiar. For the lack of a better word, it is very relatable," Sheeba said.
Rajesh said it will remind viewers of their homes where even little things lead to big discussions.
"It is a slice-of-life story of a family," he added.
