From Stage to Screen: Theatre Actor Pragati Mishra makes a Remarkable Debut in Jio Cinema’s ‘UP-65’

Pragati Mishra who is originally from a very small village, Khamarkha, Banda (District) of Uttar Pradesh is currently basking in the glory of the appreciation she has been receiving for her debut in the highly anticipated series ‘UP-65’, streaming exclusively on Jio Cinema. Pragati Mishra who essays the lead role of ‘Shubhra’ reminisces about her journey with the character. The story is adapted from Nikhil Sachan’s eponymous bestselling novel called ‘UP-65’. Directed by Gaganjeet Singh and produced by Fresh Lime Films, ‘UP-65’ is a coming-of-age youth comedy set around the lives of engineering students in Varanasi.

Pragati Mishra, known for her long association in the theatre world has seamlessly transitioned to the screen with her captivating portrayal of Shubhra. When asked about her journey to landing the role of Shubhra in ‘UP-65’, Pragati Mishra shared her excitement and dedication throughout the audition process. She explained, “I received the audition script from Taran Bajaj Sir’s casting team, and what caught my eye was the fact that the script was written entirely in ‘Devnagri. During that time, my sister was visiting me, and she helped me in preparing for the part. The scene I auditioned for is the same that you will see in episode 5, where Nishant and Shubhra go on their first date, and my character pranks him. I found the script to be exceptionally well-written and witty, which excited me as an actor. Such audition scripts are rare to come across.”

Pragati continued, “I remember going to the studio to give the test, and I had a great time performing the scene! When I was on my way home, I felt like I needed to give my best and decided to send in one more take from my side. So I actually went up to a friend’s place (Mohit Agrawal) who’s a brilliant actor and told him that I would like to re-do the audition to send in one more variation. When I received the confirmation call from the team for the role, I remember calling my father with tears in my eyes. I knew this was going to be special.”

Pragati’s theatrical background helped her in fine tuning the quirks of her performance, allowing her to explore the depths of her character. Speaking about her role preparation, Pragati said, “I have always been a nerd when it comes to preparation. I find immense joy in doing workshops and I love immersing myself in the preparation of my character. During the making of ‘UP-65’, we had the privilege of working with an incredible coach Piyush Kumar, who guided us in exploring our characters and helped us in diving into the emotional depths of each scene. As a sitcom, we also incorporated fun comedy tricks and engaged in exercises to improvise our scenes. In the initial days of shooting, I would listen to the audible version of ‘UP-65’ the novel before bedtime, to keep my character as close to the one that’s been written and loved so much in the novel. However, as we progressed, I also realised the importance of being present on set and coming up with fresh ideas to explore the scenes in different ways. So, every night, I would jot down my ideas and think of quirky elements that could enhance the scenes and discuss them with our director on the day of the shoot. It was an exhilarating experience as an actor. We were constantly on our toes, doing a lot of improvisation and navigating our way through the script with a sense of exploration and discovery.”

New episodes of the series are being released daily as ‘Shubhra’ embarks on a captivating journey with her companions, and discovers who she is.