LAWYERS HAVE AN INHERENT ACTOR IN THEM

Actors Pavan Malhotra, Ashish Verma and writer Puneet Batra discuss their recently released Sony LIV show ‘Court Kacheri’, their observations of courts, why Pavan feels destiny plays a role in acting and more

- SHREYAS PANDE

ONY LIV's recently released series, Court Kacheri, centers on a quintessentially Indian father-son relationship. It features Pavan Malhotra as an established lawyer and a persuasive father, wanting his son, Param Mathur (Ashish Verma) to follow in his footsteps. However, standing in the courtroom, wearing a black suit and making arguments is not Param's forte. He wants to escape this world before it's too late. It was a similar story for Pavan when he was doing theatre in Delhi. His father wanted him to learn the family business and was concerned that Pavan wouldn't be able to make a living by acting. "For them, it was a risk that I was taking. They didn't want to stop me or anything, but they were just concerned as parents," he says, adding, "At one point, I had to tell them that I have decided to survive in this field, no matter how good, bad, or ugly it gets."

The journey was different for Ashish, known for his performances in films such as Article 15 (2019), Atrangi Re (2021), and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024), among others. In Court Kacheri, he embodies the frustration of Param with a blend of the comical and vulnerable. There is some similarity between him and Param as the actor's mother is a lawyer, and so was his grandfather. Even Ashish thought of becoming one himself and was selected for a law school as well. But the call for acting was stronger, and there was no resistance from his parents either. "My mother said, 'There is already a lawyer at home. What will you do by becoming one?'" Ashish says with a smile.