Crime Beat duo Addinath Kothare and Sai Tamhankar talk about the unusual terrains where the thin line between what’s morally right and what’s best (for an individual) gets blurred!

Prathamesh Jadhav

Addinath Kothare doesn’t carry the burden of his last name whatsoever. In fact, there’s no trace of baggage or entitlement in terms of the remarkable legacy of his filmmaker father Mahesh Kothare. Kothare Jr. chats about his character in ZEE5’s Crime Beat in his exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal.

“It’s a very fascinating world where there’s a fine line between your professional and personal agendas or interests, therefore unprofessional. The line gets blurred. So what’s the right thing to do as opposed to what’s best for you? So when the need for survival kicks in, the moral compass goes for a toss. So everybody tries for the much-needed survival as our animal instincts remain the same; it’s just that the setting is in the concrete jungle,” says Addinath, who dons the Khakee in a manner miles away from what the audience is used to seeing on the big screen.

“He is a Delhi cop. I have never lived in the capital city, so in order to get the accent right for a Marathi Manoos like me, it was a challenge — especially when your co-actors happen to be from Delhi. I did my own study to get into the psyche of the city, to understand the underbelly of Delhi, and more importantly, to get the accent right.

I would call up Saquib (Saleem) even in the dead of night and ask if I was getting my lines right. He would offer me nuances and help me with his suggestions, which was of tremendous help. Saquib and I have worked together in the past in Kabir Khan’s film 83, so we share a great camaraderie. He would go out of his way to help me genuinely. Saquib would say, ‘Bus tu Hindi se respect nikaal de, tu Delhite bun jaayega’ (laughs),” he maintains.

Sai Tamhankar, who continues to be on a roll striking the perfect balance between her work in the Marathi film industry and Bollywood, is thrilled about the character she plays in this engaging drama that offers her an interesting landscape. 

About her fiercely determined character in this intense endeavour, Sai says, “Archana Pandey is unpredictable, to say the least, yet she never loses sight of her goal, purpose, or destination. She has her own ideology, which she doesn’t waver from. She is a team player at the core, but she has her own assessment to make. What I find most compelling about Archana is her steadfast resilience and determination, coupled with her unwavering focus. In general, in life, staying motivated and focused can be a struggle, but she never wavers. That level of determination is rare, and it’s what makes her stand out the most,” maintains Sai. She continues by stating that there is a resonance between her real-life persona and what she has portrayed in this project.

“The character is bold and daring, and I see both of these qualities in myself. That’s what drew me to her. I absolutely admire her ruthlessness. Once she makes a decision, nothing can stop her. No hurdle can shake her focus or deter her from the path she has chosen. Archana Pandey is truly something! She may be distressed, but there’s an intriguing and unique quality about her that makes her stand out,” she stresses.