Prajakta Koli From 'Mismatched' on How She Nearly Missed Her Audition, Her Big Bollywood Break and a Lot More!

While it's only been 4 days since the rom-com, drama series, 'Mismatched' dropped on Netflix, it's already trending #1 on the OTT platform! A coming-of-age story revolving around the lives of Dimple and Rishi, the series takes us on a rather bumpy yet relatable journey through adolescence and all that it brings with it—friendship, romance, competition, heartbreak, betrayal—to say the least. 

And, while the show by in large offers a fresh cast, there's a familiar face that needs no introduction. Ace Indian YouTuber and actor, Prajakta Koli, popularly known as 'Mostly Sane' plays the role of Dimple in this six-part series which is based on the novel, 'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon.

In this exclusive interview with Cosmo, she spills the beans on the not-so-perfect ending to the season, a typhoon in Tokyo that helped her bag the role of Dimple, and her big Bollywood break with renowned actors that will hit the screens in the coming year!

Cosmo: What's been keeping you busy during the pandemic?

Prajakta Koli: "During the lockdown, for the first time in the longest time I was home for 7-8 months straight! It was only in September that I resumed shooting. I honestly thought that work would come to a standstill amidst the Covid-19 chaos. But, with the unprecedented rise in consumption of content, we managed to figure out a way to create content at home. In fact, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to continue working. I mean, it helps a lot in keeping your sanity in check, otherwise it got so crazy for so many people! Besides that, I spent quality time with my family, worked out, and made all the healthy lifestyle changes I've been wanting to for the longest time."

Cosmo: How did you manage to bag the role of Dimple in 'Mismatched'? 

PK: "I actually got a call from the casting director of the show who wanted me to play the role of Dimple. On a side note, auditions make me *super* nervous...I mean, it's completely different from what I do! Anyways, I soon realised that the audition date was clashing with my flight to Tokyo, and we had to reschedule. And, believe it or not, I got a message that my flight had been delayed by 6 hours due to a typhoon in Tokyo. Well, I guess you could call it fate. I ended up auditioning—no makeup, disheveled hair—and it worked! When I came back from Tokyo, I did a retest audition with my co-star Rishi (Rohit Saraf) and that's how it all began..."

Cosmo: Is Prajakta Koli anything like on-screen Dimple, in real life? 

PK: "Well, not entirely, but I do relate to her in some way or the other. Dimple is stubborn, focused, determined; a lot like me. And, wait, her fashion sense is ME, in the true sense. I dress exactly like her all day, everyday. Besides, I also related to her on the fact that she wasn't permanently preoccupied with her physical appearance; she was above all that. However, when it comes to her family dynamics and her relationship with her mother, I couldn't really relate. Also, Dimple is not the girl-next-door type, she keeps to herself and doesn't feel the need to make friends or be liked by everyone. For all those who know me, I'm quite approachable!"

Cosmo: If not Dimple, which character would you have liked to play in 'Mismatched'?  

PK: "I loved Namrata's character played by Devyani Shorey. I think it was a beautiful character that portrayed the LGBTQ community in a very 'normal' way, contrary to how the queer community is otherwise depicted. It's no lie that the queer community often suffers from an array of stereotypes, most of which are entirely untrue! When I saw the character play out on-screen, I felt so happy and warm...it's the kind of representation the LGBTQ community deserves. Besides Namrata, I also really liked Celina's character played by Muskkaan Jaferi. But as Prajakta, I totally related to Rishi, played by my co-star Rohit Saraf."

Cosmo: #SpoilerAlert! A lot of people were shocked (and slightly disappointed) with how the season came to an end. What do you have to say about that? 

PK: "You know, when you're all of 17 years old everything seems like the end of the world! For Dimple, it was the end of the world—no app, no relationship—everything seemed to have fallen apart. But all said and done, she made her mistakes, she judged people incorrectly, she reacted to things, all of which were true to her age. And, it was at this point, when her life was in shambles, that another boy comforted her. As a 17 year old, without much thought, she gave into that momentary comfort. It was true to her character as a teenager. I remember, when I used to go through a breakup in college, I used to be a MESS!"

Cosmo: What can we expect from Season 2 of 'Mismatched'?

PK: "So I've actually not read the book myself. My co-star, Rohit and I chose to be surprised on set. Hence, I genuinely don't know how things end, and I don't want to know either. The beauty of shooting season 1 arose from the fact that I was a complete stranger to Dimple before I met her on set and got into her character. So, I'm waiting to know what actually happens when I become dimple again! With respect to season 1, I'm overwhelmed with the response we've received from the viewers." 

Cosmo: What are the upcoming projects that you're working on? Anything particularly exciting that your fans can look forward to? 

PK: "I am currently shooting in Chandigarh for 'Jug Jug Jiyo' with Kiara Advani, Varun Dhawan, Anil Kapoor and Neetu Singh. It's a Dharma productions film and I'm super excited about it! Other than that, we have a couple of projects that are in the pipeline. All in all, I'm trying new things, meeting new people, creating content on YouTube as usual, and I couldn't be happier."