When the first season of Netflix’s Little Things premiered in 2016, it was just about that; the visible little things that make up a modern relationship. With its effective and elevated portrayal of lead characters Dhruv Vats and Kavya Kulkarni, played by Dhruv Sehgal and Mithila Palkar respectively, it was easy to slot it as a slice-of-life series about an endearing new couple.
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But as the show spread out into two more series, it took a dichotomous spin. It was no longer about the little things, but the heavy invisible ones that punctuate a long-term commitment. Season three grappled with loaded constructs such as the idea of home, aspirations and goals that don’t feature a partner.
Sehgal, who created the show and wrote the first three seasons, says the fourth and final season, set to premiere on October 15, follows this logical progression: “It is about overcoming the hiccups, how they are now one unit. They have stopped questioning the idea of love.”
Palkar adds that the entire team has grown with the show, “There is now a sense of surety in terms of Dhruv and Kavya as characters and us as actors. We have all grown together.”
Both the actors say this is the right time for the show to end. “It shouldn’t get to be a point where everyone is bored of it. Right now, it is still wholesome. So we are ending it on a high note,” says Sehgal.
All about the connections
A still from season 4 of ‘Little Things’
The idea about home and the relationship with parents explored in Season 3 is what made Palkar connect more to her character. “I experienced her more closely because I’m in the same position now with my parents. This feeling of wanting to be with your parents as they grow older; I realised things are not the same.”
Sehgal says his connect and approach towards the characters has been the same throughout: “I always want to write them with empathy and honesty. The grammar of screenwriting has changed, but the basic essence is the same.”
Shooting in a pandemic
The final season of Little Things was shot entirely between the first and second wave of the pandemic. Shoots involved adherence to a bubble, weekly test protocols and strict mask mandates.
Palkar says shooting during the pandemic brought everyone closer, “We had no option. We couldn’t go out. We were scared, but it also brought us closer.”
Sehgal has spoken on several occasions about how he deals with anxiety. During the pandemic, he says he focused on the little things. “Both, the show and everyday little things like making dal chawal . I was focused on the small wins, and that helped.” (smiles)
On a serious note, he adds, “Oh, also my cat. She was my favourite therapist. She took care of me!”
The future
Palkar’s chatty demeanour is reminiscent of her several on-screen appearances, right from playing the lead in web series Girl in the City to the road trip drama Karwaan . “When I started my journey, the characters I played were all similar. Sometimes I think I don’t know more than this, because I’ve not explored beyond this. But I want to challenge myself; I’ll make a conscious choice to choose different roles.”
She is currently working on her Telugu debut movie which is the remake of Oh My Kadavule , a recent Kollywood hit.
Dhruv is currently working on two shows, still in their nascent stages. He has dabbled in several aspects of filmmaking like acting and editing, but he prefers writing. “Because I can be alone,” he chuckles. “Writing is where I connect with the characters, with the world and myself. It puts me in a good space.”
The fourth season of Little Things premieres October 15 on Netflix
