High or lows, I have enjoyed everything so far: Mithila Palkar on completing a decade in movies

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) There have been many highs and lows but it has been a joyride of a journey, says actor Mithila Palkar about her career in movies that will next see her as a feisty dancer in "Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos" opposite Vir Das.

Palkar went viral in 2016 with her cup song version of the Marathi track “Hi Chaal Turu Turu”, a rhythmic performance using a cup as a percussion instrument.

"I feel that the song was the marker of the beginning of many things and that was in 2016. So, this year will officially mark like 10 years of being around. It's just been extremely adventurous.

"There have been many highs, many lows and I have enjoyed it all, it's been a joyride. I have just been a wide-eyed child learning everything and taking it all in and soaking it all in because it's a dream life. This is what I had dreamt of and I am fortunate and privileged that I'm getting to live it," Palkar told PTI in an interview.

The 33-year-old actor said she was always interested in performing arts, right from her childhood, and became involved with theatre when she was in college, pursuing a degree in mass media.

She made her acting debut with "Majha Honeymoon", a Marathi short film and then she was cast in the 2015 film "Katti Batti", in which she played the younger sister of actor Imran Khan.

Shows "Girl in the City" and "Little Things" made her a popular face and landed her roles in the Irrfan Khan and Dulquer Salman-starrer "Karwaan" and "Tribhanga", headlined by Kajol.

"I never imagined it to work out exactly like this. The hope, dream and imagination was to be an actor. And I guess that is what continues to be because I feel like I always wanted to be a better actor today than what I was yesterday. And that is my goal every day and every year.

"Whatever opportunity I got, I have grabbed it with both hands. Even when I started, it was never about 'Oh my god, it's the internet' or 'Oh, my God, it's the theatre'. In fact, if anything, I love being in all of those places," she said.

"Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos", a quirky spy comedy that marks the directorial debut of actor-comedian Vir Das, reunites her with Imran after "Katti Batti".

He has a cameo appearance alongside his superstar uncle Aamir Khan, who has produced the movie. The film is also Imran's first feature project since "Katti Batti".

"When we met on the sets of 'Happy Patel', we had the realisation that 10 years ago, Imran did his last film and I was part of it. And now 10 years later, he has come back and now I'm part of this set. I was glad to be a part of that journey with him.

"It's always fun to work with him. And he's somebody who made me so comfortable on set because that was my first Bollywood film ever. He's such a warm and smart person," she said.

"Happy Patel...", which is set to be released in theatres on Friday, is co-directed by Das and Kavi Shastri. The comedian also plays the central character of Happy Patel, a comically inept spy who’s never passed his intelligence exams - failing MI7's tests seven times. Yet when his agency finally assigns him a mission, he’s sent undercover to Goa, India, to blend in and complete a critical assignment.

What follows is a wild mix of slapstick, chaos, confusion, and accidental espionage as Happy tries to navigate undercover duties, language hiccups, and a cast of quirky characters, including a fierce villain (played by Mona Singh).

Palkar plays Rupa, his love interest who is a trained dancer and skilled in self-defense.

"This character is just too bada**. I feel like she's a 'Teekhi Mirchi'. She's the most sought after dancer in Panjore. Her self-defense is at peak, like even if she feels a little threatened, she's like 'Don't come near me, I will beat you up'.

"I had not played that, I have not been part of a film that has comedy. And with Vir Das co-directing, co-writing and as somebody who has enjoyed his comedy all along, I was like, 'This is a great setup.' And, of course, Aamir sir was the producer." She praised Das for effortlessly pulling off the dual duties of being the director and the lead actor of the movie during the making.

"He's very good with blending in both those roles. Whenever he was on set, Kavi was the one on the monitor. But as an actor, he totally surrendered," she said.

Post "Happy Patel", Palkar will be seen in filmmaker Priyadarshan's horror comedy "Bhooth Bangla", where she is sharing the screen with Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal.

"It was a beautiful experience. I feel like Priyan sir has such a mentor's energy. It was nice to just see the way he worked, the way he planned and shot the scenes. It was a different way of working. I've never done that before.

"Akshay sir's discipline is incredible. And it shows whenever he shows up on set. Paresh sir comes from a theatre background. So, there was a little bit of that familiarity and he made me feel very comfortable," Palkar said. PTI RB RB BK BK