The much-anticipated trailer of Aashram season 3 part 2 dropped recently and the excitement was quite palpable at the trailer launch event. The cast, led by Bobby Deol and Chandan Roy Sanyal, along with the director Prakash Jha, came together to share their experiences of working on the much popular web series. The show, known for its intense drama and intriguing character arcs, has amassed a cult following ever since it first premiered back in 2020.
One of the most riveting aspects of Aashram has been the on-screen bond between Bobby Deol as Baba Nirala and Chandan Roy Sanyal as Bhopa Swami. It is fascinating to observe how these two actors—coming from entirely different schools of acting—have created such a compelling dynamic. Bobby, a celebrated star of the ’90s with films like Gupt, Soldier, Badal, and Bichoo, brings a certain vintage Bollywood charm. On the other hand, Chandan, known for his work in Kaminey, Midnight’s Children, D-Day, and Jazbaa, has a strong foundation in theatre and method acting. Despite their contrasting styles, their camaraderie on-screen has been one of the most talked about aspects of the show.
The making of Baba Nirala: Bobby Deol’s transformation
At the trailer launch event, Bobby Deol opened up about his meticulous preparation for his role of Baba Nirala, a character that marked his first-ever portrayal of an antagonist. Reflecting on the process, he shared, “Of course, we all had to prepare for our characters, especially for a role like Baba Nirala, which was so distinct from anything I had done before. In fact, this was my first antagonist role. Since I was playing a Godman, I knew the dialogues would be in pure Hindi, and I had to get the dialect right. I was a bit worried about it, so I shared my concern with Prakash Jha sir. He assured me that there would be no issues as we had a dialect coach, Sunita, who helped me prepare all the lines with ease.”
Bobby Deol and Chandan Roy Sanyal’s bond
Adding a touch of humor, Chandan Roy Sanyal jumped in with an amusing revelation, “He used to learn not only his lines but also everyone else’s! During scenes or rehearsals, he would point out, ‘Tera next line ye hai, tu ye nahi bataya, line change kar diya?’ (Your next line is this, you didn’t say this. You changed the line?) He was that prepared—he knew everyone’s lines!”
Bobby laughed, acknowledging Chandan’s impromptu improvisation skills, “Chandan is such a badmaash (naughty) actor. Since he has done a lot of theatre in the past, he has a habit of improvising lines during takes. Initially, I used to get confused—what I had read as his line and what he was actually saying were slightly different. I would wonder, ‘Is he improvising, or did I learn it wrong?’ Eventually, I realized that he delivers lines in his own way while keeping the essence intact. After a while, even I started picking up on his energy, and I think that’s what makes our on-screen equation so enjoyable for the audience.”
Bobby Deol’s only challenge in Aashram
Bobby further reflected on the challenge of mastering the language, “I think the only real challenge for me was learning all my lines in pure Hindi, with a hint of Haryanvi. But I must say, my performance turned out well only because my co-stars were such well-trained actors and wonderful human beings. Everyone helped me, rehearsed with me, and ensured we perfected every scene.”
Chandan Roy Sanyal on working with Bobby
Chandan, who plays the calculated yet loyal Bhopa Swami, spoke about working alongside Bobby and the seamless equation they built during the shoot. “Prakash sir first asked us to spend time together because the equation between Baba Nirala and Bhopa Swami stems from a deep-rooted friendship. There was an instant connection with Bobby sir. As an actor, he is so easy to work with that the performances just flowed naturally—there were no boundaries. He wasn’t approaching it from the space of being a Bollywood superstar from the ’90s; he was fully present as an actor. As the shoot progressed and we did more scenes together, our equation strengthened. Overall, it was an interesting and enriching experience for me.”
Scheduled for release on February 27, 2025 on Amazon MX Player, Aashram season 3 part 2 also stars Aaditi Pohankar, Darshan Kumaar, Vikram Kochhar, Tridha Choudhury, Anupriya Goenka, Rajeev Siddhartha, and Esha Gupta in pivotal roles.
