Mithila Palkar On Her Five Favourite TV Shows

Following the announcement of her upcoming Netflix original film Tribhanga, Mithila Palkar spoke to me about her five favourite shows, and how they've impacted her. From twisted relationships to coming of age comedies to her obsession with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, here's her list:

Big Little Lies

Reese Witherspoon is one of my favourites and she's also produced the show. I love murder mysteries and it's made to look like a whodunnit but it's actually so much more than that. Once you get into the show, you realise that it is actually a very interesting take on relationships. I've always enjoyed watching twisted characters and relationships, especially from an actor's perspective, just to see how people create different characters. I remember having a conversation with my friends after I watched the show, about different styles of parenting, and how your experiences as a child affect how you grow up. It's also one of the few things I watched with Nicole Kidman and I was blown away. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA7D4_qU9jo

The Morning Show

I actually borrowed a friend's Apple TV subscription just to watch this show. Again it's produced by and stars Reese Witherspoon, so no prizes for guessing why I wanted to watch it. It's also got such a great cast. There's  Jennifer Aniston, who also produced it, and Steve Carell in a role that is so different from what we usually see him in. He is generally seen as the funny guy and then you watch The Morning Show and you're stunned. The show is so sensitively made and handles the topic of the Me Too and Time Up movement really well and I think the finale of the series was just fantastic. It is also amazing to see that all these incredible women producing shows and making it happen. I think it's  important that if nobody is creating a role for us, then we have to take the onus and write one for ourselves.

Sex Education

Sex Education is a very cleverly done teen sex-comedy. But it's not the basic 'boy-meets-girl' kind of coming of age story, it's so much more. It explores sexuality, your relationship with your parents, your relationship with your partner and a lot more. It is about the discovery of your sexuality but through that it explores so many different themes and I think that is what makes it so relevant and relatable. My favourite character is easily Jean Milburn (Otis's mother). She has a certain sense of gravitas. Sure she is kind of a whacko, but she is also very sensitive, especially when you move into the 2nd season, you just fall in love with that woman. 

Fleabag

I think I'm officially obsessed with Phoebe Waller-Bridge. My friend recommended the  show to me and after I watched it, I was just stunned by this woman. Fleabag is such a mixed bag of so many different things. It is a dark comedy, a sex comedy, it's also sort of like a 'narration of a sad clown'. But somehow, amidst all of that, she is still so relatable. People always ask that question of 'if you could have a cup of coffee with any one person who would it be?', and for me Phoebe Waller-Bridge is that one person. I just want to know how her mind functions. When people ask, I still haven't been able to describe exactly what it is when I recommend it to someone, I just say 'you have to experience it for yourself'. 

Killing Eve

Another reasons I wat to sit down with Phoebe Waller-Bridge is just to understand how she could even think of this concept of a spy and the assassin she's after, and their obsession with each other. Killing Eve is just saw so intriguing and interesting and it's amazing to see a female assassin driving the entire story, which is so rare.  Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh are just fantastic and I still don't quite know what to make of their relationship. Watching Jodi Comer as Villanelle made me wish that I could do a role like this one day that's completely different to anything I've done so far. She plays so many personalities in just one character.