Harleen Sethi on 'Shaque: Trust No One', 'Broken But Beautiful', 'Sultan' & Her Acting Journey! | Cyrus Says

Cyrus Says

In this episode of Cyrus Says, host Cyrus interviews actress Harleen Sethi about her upcoming Netflix series 'Shaque'. The conversation trav

Key takeaways

• Harleen's new show 'Shaque' is a kidnapping drama that functions as a whodunnit, whydunnit, and howdunnit.
• Harleen prefers self-driving in Mumbai traffic as a form of therapy despite the difficulty of the routes.

Main topics

• Netflix series Shaque
• Acting and dance career journey

Notable quotes

It's not just a whodunnit. It's also a whydunnit and a howdunnit.

Conclusion

A nostalgic and entertaining look at the intersection of personal pass

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) IVM Speaker 3 (0:03) Life may be anything, the first thing is very important. First memory, first love, first heartbreak, first work. Friends, I am Gopal Dutt and this is my first podcast. First with Gopal Dutt, which will be released on IVM Pop. I will talk to those who are busy with their work, whose name we all know. So come to the YouTube IVM Pop channel or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to our podcast. Meet interesting people. Speaker 4 (0:57) Alright, Harleen has come and I want to start first with the big issue. She's here for this fabulous show releasing tomorrow. Tomorrow. Recording on 23rd, 24th. Very excited. The show is called Shuck. We'll talk about that in detail. I just as a professional anchor, I saw the trailer. So that you know I care. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to call anyone there. I'm touched. No, but it's... Can I... I don't want to... Again, because the big problem is giving away things, especially this kind of show. This kind of Speaker 6 (1:22) show. Speaker 4 (1:22) Whatever you saw... Oh, the trailer is out, so that everybody can see whether they see the show or not. The one point is... Can I ask you this? Yeah, what? I'm not Speaker 6 (1:31) telling you all the suspects. But Speaker 4 (1:32) you're not... You're the negative... It's about a kidnapping. It's Speaker 6 (1:37) a Speaker 4 (1:37) kidnap Speaker 6 (1:38) drama. And we're all suspects. You're all suspects. Yes. Speaker 4 (1:42) There's one dialogue you say which I assume that you are not the good person. Speaker 6 (1:46) Are all of us good people? Okay, Speaker 4 (1:48) she's going to play those games. It's going to be one of those days. More long stories. But let me start it. We'll come back to Speaker 6 (1:54) it. Speaker 4 (1:54) But I mean, when Speaker 6 (1:54) this comes out, people will know. Speaker 4 (1:56) Yeah. Also, I don't want to give it away because I'm a big fan of whodunnits. This is more like a kidnapping, right? Speaker 6 (2:01) Yeah. This actually, the interesting part about this show is that it's not just a whodunnit. It's also a whydunnit and a howdunnit. So, like in... By mid-series, you sort of know. I Speaker 5 (2:13) think the Speaker 4 (2:13) audience of Speaker 5 (2:14) this era Speaker 4 (2:14) is so interested. I think before you could get away without telling us exactly why and what and all. But now with all the competitions out there, I think all the stories about why a criminal profile is such, why such and such happens. It's Speaker 6 (2:26) very Speaker 4 (2:27) important for us to buy it as an audience. Speaker 6 (2:29) Correct. Of Speaker 4 (2:30) course, we've only seen two minutes. So it's a kidnapping by and large. Speaker 6 (2:33) It's a kidnapping. Speaker 4 (2:35) Watch it. And everybody, all the main cast. All of them could be... Could Speaker 6 (2:40) be suspects. Including Speaker 4 (2:41) the mother. In a sense. Speaker 6 (2:44) Well, for that, you'll have to watch. Speaker 4 (2:45) Yeah. Because I'm sure there'll be some twist here. So, I don't know. Lots of twists. I haven't seen it. Lots Speaker 6 (2:49) of twists. Speaker 4 (2:49) Watch the podcast and you'll see this. Whatever you're saying, I've not seen Speaker 6 (2:52) it. Speaker 4 (2:52) But you look Speaker 6 (2:52) intrigued by the trailer. I like that genre. Speaker 4 (2:55) I do like that genre. Yeah. Yeah. So, I think Speaker 6 (2:57) we got a good response from the trailer. And we shot this almost a year, year and a half back. Really? Yeah. It's taken a long time for it. Speaker 4 (3:04) I mean, just... I have influence. Call me. Yeah, Speaker 6 (3:06) I should have. I didn't have your number earlier, maybe. What number? Just Speaker 4 (3:10) shout from the window. This is Bombay. It's a small city. Speaker 6 (3:13) Okay. Still, it takes an hour to reach here. Speaker 4 (3:16) Let's come to that. I wanted to begin with that. We got sidetracked by Shaak. Shaak, Shaak. We'll come back to Shaak. But just proof for ladies and gentlemen and others who are watching. Harleen drives herself. She has a Kawasaki motorcycle. No, no, it's not that. I Speaker 6 (3:31) thought we were not going to show the brand. But Speaker 4 (3:32) I was so impressed that you drive yourself because she's going from Varsova to Bandra. Now, if Speaker 6 (3:36) you Speaker 4 (3:36) live outside Mumbai, please understand. It's difficult to explain to you, but this is like, no person will do this voluntarily. The Uber guy will be like, boss, I wish I could do this. You know, everybody, this is amongst the worst routes. Late morning to find your way to Bandra from Varsova. Yeah. Tell us how you got through. Speaker 6 (3:54) Listening to some music, making some... But why would you self-drive? Because I like to drive. Speaker 4 (3:59) But even in this horrible Mumbai traffic... Also see, Speaker 6 (4:01) I'll Speaker 4 (4:01) be honest, okay? As Speaker 6 (4:02) actors, you're not working every day. Right. So what are the other days? If I get a driver, what's the driver going to do on the other days? He's a Speaker 4 (4:07) conjoose. Tell me that. Speaker 6 (4:09) No, there'll be Speaker 4 (4:10) no Speaker 6 (4:10) money. He'll just be sitting downstairs Speaker 4 (4:12) doing what? But he should do what everybody else's driver does. Like Baman Nirani, the actor, his driver. They do other things. Speaker 6 (4:19) Like what? Speaker 4 (4:20) They come home and clean the house. All like that. They go and get things. So you can Speaker 6 (4:25) have one person to do it all. Yeah, there's other Speaker 4 (4:26) tasks. Small tasks. Man Speaker 6 (4:28) Friday. Speaker 4 (4:28) No, not great tasks, I'm saying. You're right. You don't employ people. Malbar Hill. Rich people of Malbar Hill, please listen. Stop employing five drivers per family. Four people sit down in the colony and they listen to their phones all day and pass remarks. It's just causing a waste of, I think it's a waste of human space. Just being, you know, occupying space like that. I Speaker 6 (4:46) agree. I mean, we get drivers. Now you also have your... apps you can just immediately book yeah if you really need and Speaker 4 (4:54) no janjat na it's so much easier you don't have to worry about that person you don't have to feed them I'm always feeding my guy that fellow doesn't want to eat also I wouldn't after 20 years I followed his veg how much did you feed him mutton chicken all this band in India all that I fed him and he said I don't want to eat shut up and eat I thought he was being shy I'm just kidding. He's not rich. Of course not. Why are we talking about him? We've come here to talk about you. Speaker 6 (5:18) Yeah, okay. Let's talk about me. I can't think Speaker 4 (5:21) of... Ram Kapoor came to our show, self-drive and caused trouble because he had this car worth 5 crores and the watchman was not comfortable by telling him that there is no parking. When you see such a car, he was like, what difference does it make between a car and a building? What difference does it make between a car and a building? So he was like, what do I do here? Should I give him the building and take the car? Yeah. So that's two. Now you have a second, maybe one or two more, but it's not coming to mind. I'm very impressed that there are people who self-drive, who put Western culture concept where you, they just, they like to drive their car. I Speaker 6 (5:51) feel like for me it's also therapeutic in a way. I mean, not particularly in Bombay. Speaker 4 (5:55) You Speaker 6 (5:55) obviously like Speaker 4 (5:56) driving. Yeah, I like driving. Speaker 6 (5:57) It's like... Arjun Rampal. I was also recently talking to John Abraham. Oh, showing off. Speaker 4 (6:02) Arjun Rampal, John Abraham. You said Speaker 6 (6:04) Arjun, I had to say John. I just Speaker 4 (6:06) remembered. Yeah, Speaker 6 (6:08) so he also said he also loves to drive and then ride. Speaker 4 (6:14) Arjun Rampal is very funny. And this is for me the height of elitism in India. So he drives to the set. He drives. And the driver is sitting at the back for parking. So he's a parker, not a driver. Job description has gone down. He's a parker. Literally. But if you think about it, that's the best idea. If you keep a guy, keep him for parking, that's the issue. Driving you can manage. That is true. Even now, here in our building, there was no parking. That is true, actually. We Speaker 6 (6:37) have Speaker 4 (6:37) used influence. Speaker 6 (6:37) A lot of the times, I take a driver not because I don't want to drive, but because, like... So Speaker 4 (6:42) where's Speaker 6 (6:42) the Speaker 4 (6:42) driver? You said you don't keep a driver. Now a driver has come? Speaker 6 (6:44) In the sense, I told you, when it's needed, we'll call him. Speaker 4 (6:46) On those apps, it's daily, guys. Yeah, on the Speaker 6 (6:48) apps. You're Speaker 4 (6:50) a film actress, film star. I Speaker 6 (6:52) don't take myself so seriously. I Speaker 4 (6:54) would say, madam, one picture. After that, we'll go for a picture. They might be careful. Speaker 6 (7:00) Yeah, but they don't look at my face and get scared. Speaker 4 (7:03) You're quite friendly. Speaker 6 (7:04) I'm friendly. Speaker 4 (7:05) So, very interesting, the drive thing. We'll come back to your personal life. Personal life means, no, we won't have... don't get into anything. Speaker 6 (7:11) Yeah, yeah, not at Speaker 4 (7:11) all. Speaker 6 (7:11) Not at all. I try, Speaker 4 (7:13) but no one even wants to answer. Oh, Speaker 6 (7:14) yeah? Speaker 4 (7:14) If you ask someone about boyfriend, girlfriend and all, I mean, they don't even, I mean, it's so embarrassing. Now, Ranveer has a much better way of reaching people. Speaker 6 (7:21) Which is? Allahbadia. Speaker 4 (7:23) I don't know, I think he stares a lot at the guests and then they break down. You know, like, I'm just kidding. Lovely guy. I've never met him. I may have met him. Speaker 1 (7:32) You called him? Speaker 4 (7:34) Sorry, this podcast, all this will happen. Speaker 6 (7:36) People just keep Speaker 4 (7:37) on... It's like college. It's so amateur, I can't tell you. But now we've decided we've given up. Speaker 6 (7:42) Your energy is still the same. Speaker 4 (7:43) It's the same. Speaker 6 (7:44) It's amazing. Yeah. Speaker 4 (7:46) There's a word for it. Speaker 6 (7:47) Don't get shy. Speaker 4 (7:48) Don't be Speaker 6 (7:49) shy. It's also releasing. Shit, I shouldn't be promoting something that comes on another platform. Speaker 4 (7:54) Why? Okay. No, no, but the main thing, but we're here to talk to you. Yeah. Okay. So sometimes we can move on to all your other stuff. Yeah. I want to talk about your entire career, but let's get back to this. So it released, we're recording on 23rd, releases tomorrow. Tomorrow. Speaker 6 (8:06) Yeah. Speaker 4 (8:07) What is, tell us about the other actors. There's Parinita. There's Jennifer. There's Parinita. Parineeti. Parineeti is Speaker 6 (8:13) the movie. How Speaker 4 (8:15) sweetly she corrected me. Sir, will you do the post? I feel I'm not at the right level for her. And who's the male lead? Speaker 6 (8:24) So there's Tahir, there's Sumit Vyas, there's Anoop Soni sir. Sumit Speaker 4 (8:28) Vyas has lost weight. Speaker 6 (8:29) He was always well maintained. Speaker 4 (8:31) He Speaker 6 (8:31) was quite, Speaker 4 (8:32) as we say, solid back in the day. Speaker 6 (8:34) He still is. A little Speaker 4 (8:35) less solid. Speaker 6 (8:36) Solid means what? Solid means Speaker 4 (8:38) healthy. Punjabis say Haldi. Haldi. Speaker 6 (8:42) He looks like Haldi. Speaker 4 (8:43) He's not Haldi. Speaker 6 (8:44) No, he's Haldi. He plays tennis. He does everything. He Speaker 4 (8:48) plays tennis? I Speaker 6 (8:49) don't Speaker 4 (8:50) think so. Maybe table tennis. It's difficult. Just kidding. We haven't got him on the show yet. You should. But it's interesting that there are so many people. Because this is the kind of show where if you're not able to figure out what's happening, you start doubting one by one everyone. But Speaker 6 (9:04) that's Speaker 4 (9:04) the Speaker 6 (9:04) whole point of Speaker 4 (9:04) the Speaker 6 (9:04) show. That is the point of the show. It's Speaker 4 (9:07) a Speaker 6 (9:07) lot of fun because there are all of these characters that are around. So the story is mainly about this distraught mother who's lost her child when the child was born. And then for the next nine years, she's just looking for the child. And every year... Whoever has kidnapped the child keeps teasing the mother by sending pictures. So also keeping the hope alive for the mother that the child is still alive. And then the suspects are everyone that's around the mother, including the husband, the mother-in-law, the best friend, the, you know, the best friend's husband. And there's some false hope also Speaker 4 (9:36) that comes here and there. Speaker 6 (9:37) Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So every year there's like a... To Speaker 4 (9:40) keep her going. Yeah. To keep her going, to keep her crazy, Speaker 6 (9:42) to keep the audience going. What Speaker 4 (9:44) kind of psycho would do that also? Oh, Speaker 6 (9:46) it's amazing. Why are you Speaker 4 (9:47) so happy when I said what kind of psycho? Because as actors you Speaker 6 (9:52) also get to chew on these parts, right? Personally Speaker 4 (9:54) speaking, I think playing a negative, if you want to call it that, negative role is much more fun. It's a lot of fun. Who was me? The goody-goody. Speaker 6 (10:00) Apikshah! Apikshah! Speaker 4 (10:01) I mean, after some time, I like the... I want to see the other Speaker 3 (10:03) side. Speaker 4 (10:03) It's not bad. You Speaker 6 (10:04) have a sharp memory. Speaker 4 (10:05) Yeah. No, there's some... Speaker 6 (10:06) Some names are Speaker 4 (10:08) overdone in our country. Speaker 6 (10:10) Apikshah's not one of them. Speaker 4 (10:12) Simran Speaker 6 (10:12) is. Speaker 4 (10:13) Simran is so... I had to retire the name. Ria is. Oh my God. What are you saying? Not allowed by... Neha. Speaker 6 (10:19) Neha. Shweta. Speaker 4 (10:20) Come on, enough of these, yaar. True Speaker 6 (10:22) that. One Speaker 4 (10:23) generation should say... Akanksha, we were 20 in the office. Yeah, that's true. Speaker 6 (10:27) Yeah, that's true. But Speaker 4 (10:28) again, Akanksha, this generation. When I was a young boy, not so often... Akanksha... But Neha Shweta, I still had. Speaker 6 (10:34) Neha Shweta. Ruhit Speaker 4 (10:35) Ruan in males. I had too much of Ruhit Speaker 6 (10:36) Ruan. Rahul. Speaker 4 (10:37) Rahul. Kunal, Karan, Speaker 6 (10:39) Kabir. Speaker 4 (10:41) Kabir is the one. Kabir Speaker 6 (10:42) is a cool one. That's the most Speaker 4 (10:43) secular name. When there's a doubt, I don't want to give my kid any kind of ethnicity. I go with Kabir because he can be anything after that. Speaker 6 (10:49) True. Speaker 4 (10:49) Yeah, so that's one of those. Speaker 6 (10:51) Yeah. Don't Speaker 4 (10:52) drop anything. Sorry, because of age, things might happen. What Speaker 6 (10:55) age? Speaker 4 (10:56) Some leakage or the other. I mean, from here. Not there. Come on, guys. Come on. Early. I Speaker 6 (11:02) didn't say anything. You self-drive. Your friends are smiling. What is this? He's Speaker 4 (11:05) older than me. He's smiling. I Speaker 6 (11:06) don't understand. Speaker 4 (11:08) Are Speaker 2 (11:10) you looking for finance products and services that can enhance your personal finance experience? Are you looking for a space to talk about your financial product or service? And are you looking for a crisp talk show where the conversation is all about money? Well, your search ends here. Hi, my name is Anupam Gupta and I'm host of the Pesa Pesa podcast. And I invite you for the conversation about your personal finance on each Monday on the IVM podcast app or the website or on any podcast streaming platforms. See you folks. Speaker 1 (12:10) Caution! You'll want to re-watch everything after listening to us. Come join us on Cine5! Speaker 4 (12:21) Let's get back. Now let's talk about your career. Let's start at the very beginning. Speaker 6 (12:25) Very beginning. Speaker 4 (12:26) Okay. So how did it all start? How did you become an actress? And what was the plan first when you were a young girl? Speaker 6 (12:32) The plan was there was no plan. Speaker 4 (12:34) But you must have had some. I Speaker 6 (12:35) mean, I used to come, even then I used to come to Bandra. I'm a national college student. Speaker 4 (12:39) Okay. So Speaker 6 (12:40) studying for advertising. I specialized in BMM advertising. And then I only knew that I wanted to do something in the performing arts. What exactly was... I didn't know. Speaker 4 (12:50) Were you an actor in school and college? Speaker 6 (12:52) No. Speaker 4 (12:53) In Speaker 6 (12:53) fact, I did everything else but acting. Speaker 4 (12:55) As in production? Actually, Speaker 6 (12:56) once I... In a play in Fourth Standard, because I was an SSE student. I Speaker 4 (13:01) was Speaker 6 (13:01) very rich. Your Speaker 4 (13:03) hair has gone... My hair was coming in Speaker 6 (13:04) my mouth. So I played Shivaji once. Speaker 4 (13:08) Let's talk about this. For those with long hair, this is a big issue. Sorry. Speaker 6 (13:13) I mean, we do this intentionally too. We blow our hair with a blower. But now that there's nothing... Speaker 4 (13:41) Then the truth comes out. You come out of the shower and your mother is looking at you like I'm her mother. You know, looking at my hair. Speaker 2 (13:48) It's that Speaker 4 (13:48) bad. My wife doesn't hold back. She actually says you look like a monster. And she doesn't say... My wife is not a comedian. It's never a funny line. Her thoughts are very rational and real. You are a monster. It's like that. Speaker 6 (14:02) You still laugh. Because you are a comedian. Speaker 4 (14:04) No, I was wearing a towel. So, it's okay. I was only worried about, you know... one thing. Let's get back to where we were. So you did one play. By the way, Arlene is confessed to acting once in the fourth standard. Speaker 6 (14:17) In the fourth standard where I got to play Shivaji. Speaker 4 (14:19) Moving on. Speaker 6 (14:21) So yeah, so I never really considered. First Speaker 4 (14:23) pill, first pillage aagya. First Speaker 6 (14:24) leakage. Speaker 4 (14:25) Oh, started, haan? Mudda ka shame karega abhi. Not nice, not nice. So you played Shivaji Deva. Is the girls cool? Speaker 6 (14:34) No, girls. Speaker 4 (14:35) They had boys in the school. Then why were you playing the male role? Speaker 6 (14:40) Because, I don't know, I chose. This is very forward thinking. Very forward thinking. I chose to play. Speaker 4 (14:45) Shivaji. Because the Speaker 6 (14:47) whole fourth standard history book was about Shivaji. So I was like, okay, he's Speaker 4 (14:50) a Speaker 6 (14:50) central part. Speaker 4 (14:51) Right. Speaker 6 (14:52) So what's the gender? So you had Speaker 4 (14:54) sword and talwar and all that? Speaker 6 (14:55) Yeah, I didn't go on stage. I used to practice but nothing happened. It Speaker 4 (14:59) didn't happen? No. But that was my Speaker 6 (15:03) only time really that I tried to do a Speaker 4 (15:06) little bit of acting. What is it like stylized history epic like that? I don't even remember. Speaker 6 (15:10) We didn't even have too many rehearsals. Who directed it? Speaker 4 (15:14) Students. Students. Students. Speaker 6 (15:16) We were doing it together. Speaker 4 (15:18) Fourth standard means what? 9, 10, 10, 11. Maximum. How much did Speaker 6 (15:21) you do? Speaker 4 (15:21) Yeah, it Speaker 6 (15:21) will be like that. Speaker 4 (15:22) Because when I was Speaker 6 (15:23) in 10th grade, I was 14. So, now you're back. Speaker 4 (15:26) I turned 16 by the end of 10th grade. Yeah, I was a Speaker 6 (15:29) class younger. Speaker 4