PFA our chat with Ayush Mehra and Barkha Singh on Dice Media's Please Find Attached Season 2

Check out how Ayush Mehra and Barkha Singh treaded new waters as Shaurya and Sanya in the second season of Dice Media's Please Find Attached!

2020 has been a tough year for everyone, but the one definitely good thing that came out of it was the extra time on our hands. Time to relax, pursue hobbies, make banana bread and Instagram Reels (read: TikTok videos), and also to re-watch our favourite shows and movies while also exploring newer pieces of content on the block. We're sure you've watched all kinds of genres and have several more on your must-watch. And adding the second season of Dice Media's Please Find Attached to that list is a must.

The first season of the office romance made us fall in love with Shaurya (Ayush Mehra) and Sanya's (played by Barkha Singh) adorable chemistry. The second season, however, takes it to the next level as it not only focuses on their growth as a couple but also their individual journies, both personal and professional. It is realistic, relatable, and the romantic moments will make all singles out there (including yours truly) go, "Aww, I want someone like that too!"

We recently spoke to the lead actors of Please Find Attached, Ayush Mehra and Barkha Singh about their experience of shooting the second season and also got them to indulge in some 'Relationship Never Have I Ever' questions. Read on to catch up on all the fun!

Here's how the conversation went...

How was it shooting in the unlock period with extra precautions? 

Ayush: “Shooting after the lockdown was a bit scary at first but the producers made sure we were made aware of all the precautions, how everyone expect for us would be wearing PPE kits. The sets were sanitized with UV lights before we reached there and even after the lunch break. So, 1 hour used to get wasted in sanitization only and there was only one shift timing because getting permissions were very difficult. All in all these precautions were taken. But as actors, you will be grateful that you are back on set, the fact that it has not even ended and we are back on set. So, in that case, it was quite nice.”

Barkha: “It was a fun experience and the fact that we were meeting new people finally, like people who we knew for so many years felt new. So, it was fun!”

Personally what kind of growth have you seen in your characters in this season?

Barkha: “Very honestly, it is very realistic. I don’t know if I would say it as growth, downfall, or whatever, I mean, you'll realise that while watching. But, it is a regular up and down like in real life because season 2 picks up only a short while after the first season's finale. It's not that there's a time-lapse or anything of that sort. See, it's a very idealistic setting to believe that every person is going to grow exponentially within six months. I think that's also what the beauty of the show is that nothing is ideal and nothing is perfect. It is all very real and talks about the real struggle that they go through, the insecurities we have in your relationship, and the regular self-doubt that you might have about everything. These things are very well portrayed in this season for both, Shaurya and Sanya. And I think that even though you may not see it as a character growing but there's just that overall lifting. How earnestly these characters come out of their self-doubt and insecurities just speaks volumes of the kind of people, Shaurya and Sanya are. That arc is different here, you won't instantly see ke ye toh itna acha bann gaya!"

Ayush: “In Shaurya’s character, there is a little growth in a sense that he has become a Manager. So, it's solely from a point where he is juggling a lot of things between his work and his relationship also. So, a lot's going on in his head ke main kya kar raha hoon, kaise kar raha hoon, yeh mera kuch ho nahi raha hai. And also because the episodes of the first season were experiment-based and they were smaller. Season 2 is a full-fledged season, which requires a little prep in terms of characterisation and stuff. So, you can see a differentiation between a working Shaurya and a romantic Shaurya. I think that is the kind of growth you can see in this season.”

Did all the love and appreciation for Season 1 of Please Find Attached put any sort of pressure on you to live up to that? Or do you go in with a clear mind?

Barkha: “There is always pressure do not let people down because of the fact that people who watch the first season are coming to watch this. Or sometimes, I have seen a lot of people in the comment section who have not seen the first season but explored the 2nd season and gone back to binge-watch the first one, you don’t want to let them down. So, there definitely is pressure but then also the pressure is very very easily channelised into the drive to make the best possible result from what you can do. There definitely is not a clear mind, clear mind first season me hota hai. 2nd season me always comparisons are drawn and I think you just try to seamlessly try to channelise the pressure to do better.”

Ayush: “We all strive to make season 2 better. We got so much love that we didn't want to take it for granted and become complacent. Even us as individuals want to push it to the next level as actors, the Director, Dice Media, everyone wants to make a season 2 so we can make a season 3. If you mess up anything in that chain then everything suffers. So, there's only the pressure of, yaar isse better ho jaye bass.”

Does any kind of negativity or unnecessarily hateful comments affect you or the product you've created?

Barkha: “Product ko affect nahi hota hai, personally, I get affected. But I have a great group of friends, Ayush Mehra included who would be like tu kya pagal hai kya? Kyu padh rahi hai ye sab? So, I think, yeah, I get affected although not for too long but for a short while I am like why are you saying such hateful things, saamne aake bolo na. *laughs* I am telling you, people say so many terrible things in comments that they would never tell someone to their face. Just bothers me sometimes that just because they're protected by anonymity, they pass such comments on others."

Ayush: “We are open to constructive criticism. As individuals also we're very harsh on ourselves and we like to improve with every project. Any feedback on those lines from people is always welcome. But there are certain people who are just trying to bring you down, so, it's better to just ignore them because there is so much love out there. Even if one person says bad things out of 100 as a ratio, there are so many people who have said good things. So, how can we negate the 900 and focus on that 1, that's wrong.”

If your real-self met the reel-life characters of the show, what advice would you give them?

Ayush: “I will tell them to maintain balance in an easier way. Because these two have a lot of ups and downs in this season where you feel that he shouldn’t have done this or she shouldn’t have done that. I am a very simple human being so I will give them a piece of simple advice that they should talk and work it out. Because of worldly pressures and work pressure and stuff like that, you forget to do the most basic thing which is to talk to each other. I feel communication can resolve anything on this planet. So, I think as Ayush I would tell them to communicate with each other to do better in life.”

Barkha: "I think I'll stick to what Ayush has said because there's more I want to add to it but then I'll be revealing too much of the plot." *laughs*

What is the one stark difference between you and your character?

Ayush: “Shaurya is a very organised, clean, OCD human being who keeps everything clean and stuff like that which is not me in real life. Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai real-life mein. My clothes are everywhere, my laptop's lying open somewhere. So, yaa Ayush and Shaurya are starkly different."

Barkha: “I think Sanya is relatively calm as compare to Barkha. She keeps things inside and she tolerates and she takes it. Barkha would never take it, she would leave in the first episode. Ya, it's not like Sanya has too much restraint but Barkha doesn't have that also.

Do you think there will be a season 3 or season 2 is where Shaurya and Sanya's journey comes to a reasonable end?

Barkha: "You'll have to watch the show for the answer!" *grins*

Ayush: “Season three depends on the success of season two. I hope that it becomes a huge success so we can make a season three because it depends on a lot on this season. Also, we don’t want to unnecessarily make a third season. It should be loved and liked by the people." 

Here's how Ayush and Barkha responded to our Relationship Never Have I Ever questions:

Never have I ever drunk texted an Ex while dating someone else

Ayush: Never

Barkha: Never

Never have I ever been on a dating app while already dating someone

Barkha: Never. I have never been on a dating app.

Ayush: Same yaa.

Never have I ever thought of another person while making out with someone

Ayush: Never

Barkha: Haha! No, what? Never!

Never have I ever given a fake compliment to my partner to make them feel good

Barkha: I have

Ayush: I have

Never have I ever forgotten an anniversary

Ayush: I have. I forget my birthday too, so my partner's birthday is the only event in my life that I can remember. *laughs*

Barkha: Haha no but my partner forgets.

Never have I ever ghosted someone

Barkha: Never

Ayush: Never

A message to the audience...

Barkha: "Just keep watching the episodes and sharing them. Just keep showing a lot of love so we can come back with a season 3."

Ayush: "I just have to say that, the real problems in relationships and work, love, drama and everything is in this season. So, don't miss anything!"

Check out the first episode of season 2 here:

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Also Read: Netflix India’s Delhi Crime bags the Best Drama Series title at the International Emmy Awards 2020