In an exclusive conversation with Green Ubuntu, actor Amit Vikram Pandey opens up about his journey in Maamla Legal Hai, from relentless auditions in Aram Nagar to sharing screen space with seasoned actors. He also reflects on one of the show’s most talked-about moments, the harassment scene and how satire, teamwork, and honest storytelling shape the narrative.
Q: Tell us about Maamla Legal Hai. How did this project come your way?
There was one such audition. I mean, we actors roam around in the streets of Aramnagar. And I have been roaming around since 2016-17. There used to be 20-30 people standing outside. 50 people used to come. And one guy used to say fit, not fit, not fit, fit, not fit, not fit. So, many times I have done this that if I was told not fit somewhere, I went around, I trimmed my beard, I went around and came back. So, I put a black mark on my face. I went around and came back anyway. We have done all that. Just, you know, we have changed hairstyles in between. So, the process started from there. Auditions keep coming, sometimes they don’t come. Maamla Legal Hai was also one such audition that happened. I got a call from one of the guys at Anti Casting. And I was asked to send a self-test. Thanks to COVID, after COVID, I got an option to record from home. Most people don’t have the resources to shoot it at their own place. There is a lot of traffic in Mumbai, it’s very noisy. I had sent the first round audition from home. And like every other audition, you have to give an audition and forget about it. I also forgot about it. But a couple of weeks later, I got a call that you have to come to the office. I went to the office, then I did one round of audition, then I did another round of audition, then I did another round of audition. I think, five rounds of auditions that I did with different Orders. So, I play Law in the show. The Order, that guy was changing every time I was going for the audition. And the guy who plays Order, Vikram Pratap, he’s not the guy I auditioned with at all. I randomly met him at the reading. And I was like, we didn’t audition together. I think both of us were giving auditions with different people. And then these guys decided that their match would look good. So, let’s get these two guys. So, that’s when Maamla Legal Hai happened.
Q: The harassment scene stood out. What was your approach while performing it?
I mean, thanks to the director, Rahul Pandey sir. He is very clear with his vision. And the writers also. So, we have always done, you know, table readings before we go on set. So, we ask all these questions beforehand. So 15 days, 10 days before the shoot we sit together in long rooms. We do table read with all the main characters who are there in the show. And we sit and we read together. We ask the questions. So, there is a lot of clarity in that when it comes to the character. If I talk about my, that particular scene and that topic also, it is my most favourite part of the show. Not because I am a part of that show. But I feel it’s a very important topic. It is not men versus women in that episode at all. It is not, you know, it is not to do any comparison or any sorts of thing. Like, it happens with girls, it happens with boys. This is the idea of the episode. The idea of that episode is about our conditioning. And about the gap in our legal system. When my character is sitting and telling that to everyone, everyone else is laughing. It is, how it is taken in the real society also. A boy, like, amongst friends also. If a boy comes and says, someone has touched me. The first reaction is we start laughing. We are conditioned that way. But you see in that scene, the only person who understands this is Annie, who is a woman. Because she understands what it feels to be not heard. What it feels to be not taken seriously when something like this happens. So, I think the writers win when the audience laughs after watching the scene. And then they realize that Annie was supposed to laugh. Yeah, it also makes you think. I mean, if it makes you think, it is the success of the writers. That wow, they have achieved it. And that’s when the next episode, when we reach the police station, the next scene he learns, how there are no provisions that can protect in that case. Of course, there is no comparison at all. That this happens with girls, this happens with boys. There is no such thing. Harassment is harassment. And whatever the cop said, that we give the same advice to girls that we will give you. You change your house.
Q: As an audience, one might briefly think your character is taking advantage of the situation…
I mean, the scenario was made like this. It’s like, it can’t be like this. Then this also starts playing a role that you are older and all of that. People will also feel this way. It will go a hundred percent. I think that is why I feel it’s a smart writing because the show is a comedy, right? They don’t make a speech. They don’t stand up and give big speeches. In which he is telling that you should do this, you should not do this. There is no moral policing in this. They show it. You understand it yourself. And the irony of the scene is that law is trying to file a complaint against someone. And in law, there is no provision to help Law. If you look at it like that. Law is me. So, I mean, it is that. I mean, that is the satire of the episode. So, I think that episode is very beautifully written.
Q. And how was it working with Ravi Kishan?
Very good. Amazing. Amazing. He is such a cool guy. I mean, that guy has been working since before I was born. And he has done almost 700 films. In so many different languages. He has done South Indian movies. He has done Bhojpuri. He has done Hindi. He has done Marathi films. He has done Bengali films also. So, he has done all sorts of languages. And he has been delivering back to back since… Since when? Salman’s film was Tere Naam or Phera Pheri. And if you see his variety, he has done everything. So, even when season 1 was happening… How he has understood… Like what needs to be given in every scene. And he flows like water. He is a delight to watch. And I am not saying this because I am a part of the show as him. He is such a good actor. His words were so natural. Like dancing in a scene. And he does it naturally. He doesn’t need to rehearse for this. He gets it. Without music also, he can flow like that. He has that personality that is very limited to people. Not everyone has that talent. Working with him in season 1, we had a lot of scenes together. There was one particular scene that I had to go and… I had the files and it was like a very emotional… That scene when his father visits him. At his place. So right before that, he calls us. And he is telling us that there is going to be an election campaign I will trust you guys. I had that one scene when I go to his chamber. And I ask him, sir, should I do this? And he looks at me and says… The way he looks at me, in that scene, I could see his emotion. And I think I almost cried. Seeing his eyes in that scene. Because he was playing with something and then he just looked at me. Like… And that scene hit me. It’s a delight to work with him. In season 2, sadly, we did not have a lot of… He became a judge. We were lawyers. But then again, back to being…
Q. They said that season 3 is being made.
Yes, yes. Season 3 is being written. It will be shot very soon. So we get to see more of law and order. Hopefully. Kunal sir, if you are listening…
Q. Tell us about shooting the harassment sequence.
We shot that sequence in like 20 minutes. We were already running late that day. And we had a lot to shoot that day. We were also trying to cover up for a lot of things that we had not shot. We shot that very quickly. Camera was there, ready. We were there in the van. That was the first time I was wearing a colourful costume in two seasons. I was very happy. Finally, I was wearing something other than black and white. I was very happy. We shot it for 15-20 minutes. The landlady who plays with me, her name is Poonam Mathur. She is a very good actress. She even messaged me saying, ‘I hope it’s not paining anymore’.
Q: The unexpected dating angle also surprised audiences. Your thoughts?
I mean, the first time we read that, we were all laughing. And Naila, she is such a sweetheart. We saw each other and we were just laughing. Every time we would meet, we would just burst into laughter. What is this? But, I think that was the idea. As a show, it has shown so many things that people are not expecting. And that comes as a surprise. The idea behind the show is to make it make-believe. And that happens. I mean, the way he showed it and my character, he has come to a small place to work in a big city like Delhi. He doesn’t want to do pro bono cases. He wants to make money. He wants to give his family a good lifestyle. He wants to move forward. And Annie’s character is the opposite. She is a Harvard return. She is a generational lawyer. She doesn’t lack money. So, she can think. It was emotional. It was very funny and organic. Yeah. I love that scene where Law says that you have an E-class and I have an EMI. You have a Platinum debit card and I have a Metro card. This is the difference between us. And you are not a classist. So, that scene is more than enough to show you that I was saying.
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