Interview: CID's Dayanand Shetty on his love for Assam and working with Prabal Barua

An ardent lover of Assam’s natural beauty and its people, the strong cop of CID, actor Dayanand Shetty, is keeping his fingers crossed as a producer for the upcoming Hindi feature film Knock Knock Kaun Hai. The film, which is directed by Mumbai-based Assamese director Prabal Barua, is set to be released this week. Hoping for a good reception by the audiences in Assam as well, he talks to Rashmi Sharmah about his life as an actor and producer.

Tell us about your journey as an actor, and your transition from the small screen to the big one.

My life as an actor happened by chance; it was never planned. Unlike actors who have always dreamt of or aspired to become successful in acting, I never had any such dreams. I joined a theater group and we did plays for competition back in the late 1990s. It could be that my work was better than many, so I was much appreciated. A friend of mine, Sanjay Shetty, who was working with the production house Fireworks, happened to see my play and asked me to audition for the role of a cop in CID. The show had just come on air and was being produced by them. I went there reluctantly but was immediately selected by B.P. Singh sir, the creator of the show.

In the process, I got to work with senior actors in CID like Shivaji sir, Ashutosh Gowariker, Aditya Shrivastav, Narendra Gupta, and Ashwiniji, and I learned a lot about acting in that environment.

We'd like to know about your new role as a producer. Is it quite challenging?

Yes, producing a film does come with a lot of challenges, but as far as I am concerned, I take life as it comes. Honestly, I didn't think much of the challenges, even if there were some. Actually, my support team has been very strong.

Initially, when we decided to go ahead and began working on the film, there was another producer who backed out, and I took over the responsibility after discussing it with Prabal sir, our director.

Moreover, payments were going out on time, and the team, many of whom are from our old CID group, knew their work well. I had also produced a Tulu film earlier, so I had gained some experience as a producer. But yes, as a new producer, marketing is something that is not easy. That operates at a different level altogether, and we need to hire a professional team for the marketing work of the film.

You lived the character of Daya through many years of CID... now this very different character in Knock Knock Kaun Hai... how do you feel?

Moving on from one kind of character to another—well, I believe no matter what and where it is, an actor has to play the character to the best of their ability and live the character for that moment. I just tried to give my best in every role that I played.

I played the character of the cop Daya for many years, but to be honest, I never tried to mix it up with my real life. I never tried to think that I am a strong cop and need to enter everywhere with a bang or anything. I got offers for films like Johnny Gaddar, Singham Returns, and some more while doing CID, and I also did those roles with ease.

But yes, in the case of CID, it had become like a home, a family, so there was always this comfort factor in that environment, unlike in the other big-screen roles that I did simultaneously.

In the present film, yes, I play a very flamboyant character who is flirtatious, so it is different. But I have tried to put in all the efforts that an actor has to in order to make the character stand out.

Could you throw some light on your experience of working with Prabal Barua on different media platforms?

Prabal sir is a cool, chilled-out person who knows what he wants as a director. It has always been a privilege working with him through the years, right from CID, where he wrote and directed some of the episodes. I also worked in his silent comedy show Guturgu and some other shows. He is a prolific writer, and his USP lies in closed-room mysteries and 'Who's Done It' stories.

Prabal sir narrated the story of this film back during the Covid time to me and Aditya Shrivastav sir, and we loved it instantly. We decided this film needed to be made. Prabal da has his own flair; he very beautifully explains what we need to do, and we try to deliver accordingly. No matter what the platform is, Prabal da has been able to get the best out of us.

Your take on India’s Northeast... Would you like to work on a project in Assam with your director?

It’s a beautiful region, and I would love to travel to Assam and other states of the Northeast whenever given a chance. It would be really great if Prabal sir involves me in some project that he plans in Assam.

In fact, I visited Assam a few years ago, not with Prabal sir, but for some function. The people are very nice there. In the hotel, the staff watched CID regularly and treated us so well. Then we went to a school, and the children, who were CID fans, were very excited. What I felt was that there was so much simplicity and warmth in everybody. I strongly feel people of Assam are genuine souls, and there is no superficiality there. I would love to visit and work there.

Your message to the audience...

Yes, I want people to watch the film Knock Knock Kaun Hai because it will actually keep you at the edge of your seat all through... it is a very intriguing film, a closed-room mystery that will keep you hooked. Till the end, you keep wondering who the grey character is, and who has done it? Also, Aditya sir and I have come together on screen this time not as friends but are on a different page altogether. Unlike CID, there is no murder or crime here—just mystery.

Moreover, the film is also about contemporary life, about how people's relationships are these days. That will interest the audiences... Well, the team has worked really hard, and we would love to reach out to a larger audience, and we hope they like the film everywhere, and also in Assam.