Rajesh Tailang: With ‘Delhi Crime’ We Are Trying To Catch The Human Side Of Cops As They Are Not 'Simmba' Or Supercops

Coming back with a second season of an acclaimed and awarded show like ‘Delhi Crime’ comes with a set of expectations but actor Rajesh Tailang says he tries not to be bogged down by pressure. Following its season one premiere, ‘Delhi Crime’ became the first Indian show to have won the best drama series honour at the International Emmy Awards in 2020.

Tailang, who has reprised the role of Inspector Bhupinder Singh in the Netflix series, said while awards are welcome, they are just the byproduct of doing good work.

"Whatever you do you try to do, you should do it with full dedication. This is not just about winning the Emmy award. When the first season is a hit, then even if you don't want to feel it, the pressure for the second season mounts. But, as artistes, you don't think about this while contributing towards the show. Awards are about the result. It doesn't affect the process of acting. If we take pressure, it can affect our work," the 51-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

The International Emmy Award was special not just for the cast and crew but also for the country, he added.

"I consider the International Emmy not only an award for 'Delhi Crime' but for the entire India because it was the very first time we got this award. The International Emmy is the biggest award for OTT platforms, so I believe it is an important achievement for the whole film fraternity."

Picking up a character an actor played a while ago can be daunting, said Tailang, adding touching base with Bhupinder was akin to riding a bicycle again after a long time.

"You have this feeling inside whenever you are reprising a particular character that 'Will you be able to catch the same rhythm you had two years ago or will you be able to catch the same soul for that character?' But it's just like riding a bicycle. If you are riding the bicycle after years, you will go slow first. But when you remember how it used to be, you get back on track. When you go on set, meet old co-stars, it becomes easier for you to get back into your character," he said.

‘Delhi Crime’ peels the layers of several cop characters like Bhupinder -- the quiet, experienced police officer and the right-hand man of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah) -- and humanises them in the latest season.

"It is about the people behind the uniform who are trying to deal with crime in Delhi. We are trying to catch the human side as they are not 'Simmba' or supercops. In this season too, Bhupinder is worried about his daughter's marriage. This time you will get to develop a better understanding between Bhupinder and his daughter," he added.

Season one of ‘Delhi Crime’ was directed by Richie Mehta. He is credited as creator on the second chapter, which is helmed and showrun by Tanuj Chopra. Season two is currently streaming on Netflix.

Every director has their own style and approach, added Tailang.

"Richie brought something different, now Tanuj is bringing something different in this season. It takes time to build a good relationship with your director but Tanuj gives you space and asks for your opinion. Since we had played these characters before he knew we might know them in a different way. He worked through the season keeping all of these things in mind. Even when the story or case changed, he tried to keep the world and soul of 'Delhi Crime' season one alive," the actor said.

Tailang, who is currently shooting for the third installment of the popular Prime Video series ‘Mirzapur’, will soon release his second book of poetry ‘Dil Se Paidal’.

[With Inputs From PTI]