Mai: Sakshi Tanwar, Atul Mongia talk about why pineapple pastry scene was the best, cliffhanger ending and more

Created and co-directed by Atul Mongia, Netflix India’s latest original series Mai stars Sakshi Tanwar as Sheel, a mother who sets out to track down the culprits after her daughter is killed under mysterious circumstances. As she starts to ask questions and dig deeper, she soon finds herself sucked into a world of gangsters, murderers, and the mafia. Also Read: Mai Twitter review: Sakshi Tanwar’s Netflix show is out, fan says ‘International Emmys, here she comes’

A gripping cocktail of grief, revenge, and crime, Mai is one of Netflix India’s strongest dramas since Delhi Crime, led by a formidable Sakshi as a mother reeling with loss who finds herself sinking deeper into a brutal world to find her daughter’s killer.

Over Zoom, I spoke to Sakshi and Atul about creating one of the year’s most memorable characters, the moments that stayed with them most, that thrilling cliffhanger and the possibility of a second season.

Warning spoiler ahead for those who haven’t watched Mai.

Sakshi the heart of the show really is your fantastic performance as Sheel and how you bring to life a complex character. Atul, when you were writing the show and creating this character, at which point did you think ‘it has to be Sakshi Tanwar’?

Atul Mongia: It’s so strange that this question is asked so often and I have to be honest, I didn’t make the show with Sakshi in mind. We were, of course, aware of her and we knew how good an actress she is, but it’s not like Sakshi was the only person we had in mind. But I’ll tell you what changed it all. We sent the script to her and she read it and the first thing she spoke to me about was how scared she was to do this. And for me, that was the kind of actor you’d want to work with. She understood what it entailed and the journey she’d have to go on, and the moment that happened for me, I knew she was Sheel. We also did a session together where she did two scenes with me. I picked the two toughest scenes from the show and I would love it if Netflix released that footage someday because it deserves to be seen. I’ve kept telling her through this journey “I don’t know about how the show’s going to be received, but it’s going to be very special for you and a lot is going to come your way”.

It really is such a fine performance Sakshi, especially the way you navigate the coldness and compassion of Sheel. Was there a specific moment either on set or when you were with the script when you felt “I got her? I know who she is”?

Sakshi Tanwar: Honestly no, because even though there were times I would start feeling her pain and understand her thoughts, she’s still a mystery to me. I kept trying to figure out what she wants and I think even Sheel doesn’t quite know. Even the way we end the show at that hook point, things are still open and unresolved for her. So, I’ll figure it out when she does (laughs).

I couldn’t help but make a list of my favourite Sheel moments through the show. A heartbreaking moment like in the admission office or the pineapple pastry scene. Or even the more fierce scenes when she loses it at the medical waste plant or when she tortures Keshav. Do you have a favourite moment that really stuck with you?

Sakshi Tanwar: The pineapple pastry scene was one of the toughest emotional scenes for me. That was one of the scenes where I felt what Sheel must have been going through. I’m just happy that the scenes where I felt connected to Sheel are exactly the scenes people are connecting with. And that admission scene was actually one of the ones we did for that mock shoot. The other one that stuck with me was the scene where I break down with Yash when we finally talk about Archit and I say “dusre ka bacha nahin tha”. That was tough because I wasn’t getting the start point for that, I was really struggling but somehow while doing it I finally felt it. The hitting Keshav scene was also difficult because we shot that right at the beginning of the shoot in March 2020 before anything else and I still hadn’t found Sheel or gone through her journey and I was like what are we doing? (laughs). There’s another scene which I really like which is when I tell Archit the truth in the hospital. When you asked me where I thought I got Sheel, that was definitely one moment because there was some finality to her journey there.

I love the way she tells Archit the truth in that scene. It’s not a big emotional moment. She’s letting go of the lies and baggage and just says it in such a matter-of-fact way. Atul what about you?

Atul Mongia: It’s really hard to pick a favourite but if I had to, strictly from a performance perspective, I loved the scene she mentioned with Yash when she says “it’s our child, not someone else’s”. But my favourite would still be the pastry scene because it’s a very subtle emotion and even the way she’s done it, it’s underplayed completely. It’s only felt. And we had only 45 minutes to shoot that sequence because the sun was setting and we had to move really fast.

For me, the delicate family dynamics and Sheel’s internal journey drew me in a lot more than the guns and gangsters half of the show. At times it did feel like those two halves of the show conflicted with each other. Was it tough to balance the two?

Atul Mongia: Yeah it was. And that was always the intent. I don’t think we’ve entirely achieved it but the idea was always to make a drama in the garb of a thriller. The intent was always to follow her internal journey rather than be embroiled in the outward journey. But somehow when you make shows you do need to have more plot than you have in films, that’s just the nature of the medium. For us, when we were writing it and making it, at every point the discussion was always “let’s come back to her internal journey. Let’s remember it’s the journey of a woman who’s repressed who’s finding her freedom”. That’s all the show is at its core. And this is just the genre and format we chose to tell that story

But I do feel that within the action thriller, sometimes our themes did get lost, so I do get that criticism. It’s also my first time making something like this and it’s only been a great deal of learning what not to do and what to do better.

Sakshi, what was also so interesting about Sheel’s crusade is you never quite know what’s going on in her head, especially in those moments where she’s forced to do violent things. It’s almost like she’s not scared of doing them but of how willing she is to do them. What is going through Sheel’s head in those moments?

Sakshi Tanwar: You know there were times I would do a scene in a particular way where my primary emotion would be grief. But Sheel is also scheming and planning at the same time. That layering was very interesting. But it was also very difficult to keep balancing the plotting and planning quotient with actual feeling. That was a constant exercise for me because in every scene she’s thinking one thing and doing something else. She’s scared and confused but she’s also sure about what she’s doing. There were so many things to incorporate and I was constantly on my toes to try and get that combination right. But Atul and Anshai Lal guided me through it. I used to ask them before each shot exactly what was going on in her mind and they would be my guide.

Atul, I have to ask the big question. The show ends on a cliffhanger an with a promise of more to come. Is there a plan for season two and do you have the future of Sheel’s journey mapped out in your head?

Atul Mongia: The way it ends, it does seem like there would be another season and I’m also trying to find out if there is one (laughs). It was always meant to be a continuing series. Let’s see how it pans out now.

Sakshi Tanwar: But I don’t know what more Sheel can do now, she’s done so much already. I wonder what they’ll make me do next (laughs).