Jatin Sial: In patriarchal society, men often can’t afford family time in their prime

Mumbai, Sep 11: Veteran actor Jatin Sial, who is playing a pivotal role in the latest released web series ‘Potluck’, says that in a patriarchal society, especially when a man has to be the bread-earner of the family, at the beginning of their lives, they cannot afford to have quality time with family.

In the show, Jatin plays the character of Govind Shastri who is the man of the house in the Shastri family. The story revolves around how Govind, post his retirement realised that even though he has all the time to spend with his family, children and wife, a distance has been created in all these years when Govind was oddly occupied in earning money and fulfilling all the needs of his family. Through the narrative, it shows how he and his children come together to bridge the gap.

Jatin told IANS in an exclusive conversation: “I think in a patriarchal society wherein every household, men are the main bread-earner, they really do not get or rather cannot afford to have quality time with their family in their prime. There is no work and personal life balance in most situations. Then the generation gap also happens between parents and children. Of course, society is changing, so is the man-woman, parents-children relationship. But an emotional gap between people and generation has also existed because everyone is trying to create their own world, with their ambitions, involvement on social media, friends…etc. At times, just keeping everything aside, sitting with parents, having a meal and having a quality conversation could sound like a rare occasion! Our show is an attempt to bring back those conversations, family values but with a touch of modern-day lifestyle.” As there are many sequences in the show where Govind Shashtri is trying to fit in, with the new generation and trying to rediscover who he is, Jatin said, “I think a generation gap and difference in mindset can only happen when the conversation is not rigid. As parent, you cannot tell your children ‘tu meri baat nehi sunta hai, main teri baat kyun sunu?’ On the other hand, even children should understand that what one can earn through the experience of life, can never be earned through other’s story! Also, our value of togetherness has been reestablished I feel, during the pandemic when everyone was stuck in lockdown, in a confined space. I think, the story of our show ‘Potluck’ therefore couldn’t have been more relevant than now!” ‘Potluck’ is directed by Rajshree Ojha, it also features – Cyrus Sahukar, Harman Singha, Sikha Talsania, Kitu Gidwani, Ira Dubey among others.

The show streams on Sony Liv.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)