Karanvir Sharma Reveals The Trail 2 Director Told Him Not To Watch The Good Wife For This Reason (Exclusive)

Actor Karanvir Sharma is all set to essay the role of Param Munjal in Kajol starrer web-series The Trail season 2. Scheduled for a release on September 19, 2025, the Umesh Bist directorial is one of the most anticipated shows of the month. Ahead of the show’s release, Sharma sat down with Mashable India for an exclusive chat about his character and his other works until now.

The Trail 2 is about to be released. How does it feel?

Good, very good. Little nervous, little excited, lots of expectations, actually. This better work. You know it’s a good series and isse sub ko aur appreciation bhi mile aur kaam bhi mile, toh what else do you want? In today’s day and age, you know how difficult it is to land a good web series and convert it into an entertaining experience for the audience. It’s very entertaining. Because it’s an adaptation, how you can put those 20-24 episodes into 6 episodes, and still make sense out of it is a challenge, but I hope it’s good.

You have essayed every role, be it a positive or a negative, with as much conviction as possible, so what about Param’s role stood out for you?

It’s different in the sense that bahut thin like par chal raha hoon. Yahan pe aisa hai ke it’s a very real-life depicted character. You have to be a little anti to a lot of people in order to get your way out. And I was very nervous for the fact that he is not exactly heroic. Ek heroic element nahin hai iss mein. The only hero of the series is Kajol’s character Noyonika. Toh, if he doesn’t do the antics and the things that you’re expecting him to do in the sense, ki he is very strong-headed. That’s the thing.

He has come here to change things, ki law firm mein aisa hota tha, ab meri funding aa gayi hai, aur I have a vision, and he can do anything for his vision. People who are opportunistic or visionaries go to any extent to achieve that. Unke liye emotions secondary hote hai. Issi liye agar aap trailer mein bhi dekhengey toh there is no scope of emotions in law.

Woh kehte hai na ki doctors emotional hoke surgery nahin kar payengey, issi liye doctors aren’t allowed to operate on their family members. This is the same way. Tum emotions daalke sabko apna bhai-bandhu banogey toh kaise hoga? And it’s valid.

Frankly, it is exciting to be part of the Kajol starrer. She is still so brilliant, looks so gorgeous without any makeup. She hardly wears any makeup. Aur itni khubsoorat lagti hain. She has this smiling face and is very supportive. Kubbra Sait, we have seen her in the series, and she is so fantastic. Uski energy ko control, karna padta hai. She is so energetic all the time, suddenly kaise change karti hai. I really want to know her process.

Alyy Khan ke saath kaafi scenes hai mere. He has been a profound actor, and he has helped out a lot during rehearsals, along with Sheeba ma’am (Sheeba Chaddha). Baaki sabko time nahi tha. Mujhe strict briefing di gayi thi ki mujhe set pe utna time nahi milne waala hai toh sab ko pakad pakad ke bitha apne pass rehearsal ke liye. And that’s literally what I was doing. I’m glad I did that.

Every character has a unique trait… so, what’s that one tiny detail you added to Param’s character that you added?

I didn’t add, but my director, Umesh Bist, did. Mein photoshoot par jab gaya tha, tab jab costume trail karte hai na, toh I had gone very casually… in a loose shirt, baggy pants and chappals. And sometimes when I’m driving, I wear my glasses. Toh uss din chashmein mein maine entry kar diya, since I had to be ahead of time. Toh woh chashmah unko pasad aa gaya. And I told him ki, please mujhe restrict mat karo.

An actor’s biggest nightmare is wearing spectacles or sunglasses. Some people wear it to look cool. Sunglasses mein entry loonga toh kaise lagega? Inhone chashmah pehena diya. I have worn spectacles way too many times.

Mera ek show that Shaurya Aur Anokhi Ki Kahani, ussmein maine pehna tha, and I had a tough time. Ussmein aapki light jab reflect karti hai toh aapko DOP bolta hai “Cut!” aapka flow bighad jaata hai aur aap blame bhi nahin kar sakte hain because he is also trying to get the best frame, and agar reflection aayegi toh the audience which will get distracted. Aap anti-glare bhi use karengey toh itna farak nahi padta. Kabhi kabhi logon ki reflection aa jaati thi.

When I shared the concerns, the DOP was like, “You don’t worry… I’ll tell everyone to wear black clothes, tere eyeline mein koi nahi aayega. Tereko freedom milegi, tu tension mat le.” So all these little things were added. If you see Param’s character, he is the loudest in his dressing sense, also kyunki woh Delhi-ness dikhani thi unko, ki Delhi ka munda hai!

How was your dynamics with Kajol ma’am on the set? How is it different from Param’s dynamics with Noyonika?

I really wish we had more time for rehearsals, but she is Noyonika, she has been playing this character since some time. Do saal pehele bhi woh issi kidaar mein thi, ab woh wapas aayin. So, she knows the drill. Waise dekha jaaye toh, she is the main person for whom you watch the show, and then we all come with our bandwagon of antics and performances, and you know, flares and all of that, and our fan followings.

The experience was nerve-racking initially because you have seen her on the silver screen. Mera koi rishta nahi hai, na mein jaanta hoon, kabhi award function pe bhi nahi mila. Toh woh ek nervousness thi, and her palat palat scene (referring to her iconic scene with Shah Rukh Khan in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), everyone is a fan of that.

When she came on set she was like “Hi!” Aise lag raha tha ki woh mujhe barson se jaanti hai. It was so comfortable. Toh woh joh first approachability thi na woh… I think every actor… and its just a learning curve, I think, no matter how established I become, that’s something that I want to have… make the other person feel equally important.

How was your experience working with director Umesh Bist on this season?

I have a video recorded on my phone, in it I had this one part of the scene in his previous series, Gyaarah Gyaarah (2024), jo aayi thi. I love the series, especially the fourth episode was mind-blowing. I’m like, “wow, yaar.” Umesh Bist ko mein kab se follow karne koshish kar raha hoon. I started following him on Instagram way back. Somewhere down the line, I had manifested working with them. I wanted to work with Pagglait’s (2021) director. Kya kaam kiya hai, matlab out of the box.

I’ve been a big fan of Guneet Monga, also. I really wanted to get associated with her. She gives a lot of respect to her actors. She is not more of a producer, but a friend. These are the kinds of creators you wanna be associated with. So, I manifested working with Umesh sir. I had recorded the scene from his show Gyaarah Gyaarah, jab mere mere ghadi mein 11:11 baj rahe the. I hadn’t known the time back then.

You know when you take screenshots of the scenes you like, toh uss time pe consecutive numbers aate hai, 1234 aata hai, 11:11 aata hai. Toh uss time mujhe 11:11 aa raha tha, 555 aa raha tha. 555 toh mera hai hi. 4545 karke dikhne lag jaata hai gaadiyon mein. Uss din, jab mujhe call aaya, mere casting company ka for The Trail season 2… unhone pehele message kiya 11 baje, when I stepped out of the house for the audition, it was 11:11. When I was stuck in traffic, the number plate of the car in front of me was 1111. Taking a look at all the signs, I started feeling anxious while thinking about the meaning behind it all. But, the rest is history and I’m proud, I’m a part of the show.

The series title mentions “Pyaar. Kaanoon. Dhokha,” Which one do you think defines Param Munjal the most?

Out of the three? Uska badalte rahta hai. Kabhi khud kanoon ban jaata hai. Pyaar mein toh padta nahi, leking apne kaam se bahot pyaar karta hai. Aur kisko dhoka deta hai yaa kaun usko dhoka deta hai woh toh ek question mark hai. That is the main crux of the series.

What’s the one trait of Param’s that you secretly admire — and the one you absolutely despise?

Dislike toh bahut saari cheezein karta hoon. It was very difficult for me to nail this character, because I’m not like that. I wouldn’t act like he did. Given an opportunity in a circumstance. Yes, what I like about him is that he’s very black and white. Aaj ke zamaane mein log black and white hona band kar chukein hain. He is like galat hai toh meri responsibility aur sahi hai toh mera credit, that I will take. And he doesn’t back down. He is the hero in his own life. You might be a villain in many other people’s lives, but for me, I am right, that’s why I am taking that decision.

The Good Wife is a well-known show that the audiences already love. How much of it did you refer to for your role, and what did you block out?

Maine dimaag mein itna kuch khaas load nahin liya tha, because I was a little scared, because I was doing another show at that time. Meri reservation humesha yahi hoti hai. So, I had called up my dad and he is a very genuine person who gives good advice. He said, “Yaar, tune pehla nahi kiya kya? Jab tu free hota hai toh bahut free hota hai, ghar pe hi humaara sar kha raha hota hai, aur jab busy hota toh aisa busy hota ke tere boys ko phone karna padta hai appointment ke liye.”

If you look at my career trajectory, it’s always been like this. When I was doing A Thursday, I was doing a Star Plus show; when I was doing Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega, I was doing another show. Now, when I’m doing this, I’m also doing something else. So, I have done this before. When I was doing Blank with Sunny Deol, I was doing another show. Toh, I’m doing a movie also, a show also… hamesha aisa rahe ke sub kuch ek saath aa agya hai, and I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

I didn’t know how I would work around the dates. Mera sabse bada problem yahi tha kyunki itni badi star cast mein sab ke dates manage karna bahut mushkil hota hai. It’s a headache. Sab accommodating the, Kajol ki ek bhi date shift nahi huyi hai. Can you believe it? Professionalism usko bolte.

It’s such a dynamic world, kuch bhi badal sakta hai. Date kisike miss nahi huye, sab log apni commitment ke saath the, time se pehle aate the, bond karte the, that’s why the show has worked. We have completed such a hectic schedule. Kuch bhi mistake ho jaata, koi aur mess up hota yaa ek bhi error hota toh ye show bante bante 20 din aur keench jaata.

Talking about how much I have adapted from The Good Wife, jab maine shuruaat ki thi na toh I knew it was The Good Wife and I knew it was The Trial. I watched the first season, because I wanted to know the rhythm of the character, toh ismein kya ek stream hai. But, because director bhi badal gaye hain, toh I knew that I had to revisit Umesh sir’s work, which I as it is have done.

I had also started rewatching The Good Wife, especially since it is such an old show. Mere ghar par toh abhi bhi woh show chal raha hai. Abhi woh show dekh raha hoon, because at the time, the director was like, “bro, don’t watch it… you will get stuck. And believe me, you will get stuck because tu usko uss adaptation se dekh raha hai, ek American sensibility se. These characters won’t work if it’s not according to the Indian sensibility.” So I had to not see a lot of things, which was very easy. I was like, “haan, phir toh thik hai.”

And talking about the character mannerisms, woh toh maine apne school friend se uthaya hai. The way he sits and gives interviews. He has become very successful and I’m very happy for him.

There is a scene in the trailer that shows power play between Param and Noyonika. In it, Noyonika is seen sitting leaning in with her hands folded in her lap, as she is a little reciprocative towards Param, who is leaning back in an authoritative position, with his chest out, stomach in, straight neck, and hands together. Very clear, without blinking, looking into her eyes and giving her the load. Now, these things when I talk about as an actor, yeh minute details hai joh aapke shaayad dhyaan mein nahi aayengey.

You have worked for TV, for films, as well as OTT. What is the most taxing platform for you to perform on?

Sabse less kaam na, advertisement mein karna padta hai. 8-10 ghanta jaao, aaram-aaram se ho raha hai. Ek minute, 30 seconds ka kaam ek din mein ho raha hai. Web mein aap jaiye toh aapko aajkal 5 minute toh nikalna padta hi hai. TV mein 20 minutes toh nikalna padta hai. Aap vertical format mein jaao, maine toh utna attempt nahi kiya hai, but you have to remove 30 minutes.

So, you can imagine the kind of work that goes into it. The in between joh ek break break milta hai. Starting mein mujhe bahut problem hoti thi. Meri shuruwat hi films se huyi thi, then when I took the leap towards television, it was very different. Mein set pe aata hoon, 5 minute mein ready aise kaise ho sakta hai aur rehearsal bhi fatafat karo, takes bhi nahi dene. Fumble hogo kuch hoga to retake kar lete hai.

But The Trail mein aisa nahi hai. You can’t deviate from even one word. Joh aapki script mein likha hai, usse aap deviate nahin kar sakte because you’re disrespecting the writer. Aisa nahi nahi hai ki TV mein hum writer ki importance nahi samajte, but yahan itna difficult hai because it gets approved from the original source, from the makers of The Good Wife, then Hotstar, and so forth. According to me, cinematically perform karna is quite difficult.

Frankly, when it comes to working on television, you can have an off day or you can not be your best, woh thoda linear chalta hai. Web-series mein kya hota hai ki nonlinear hota hai. Aapko aapka character craft karna padta hai. Like I have worked on a Thursday, so I was wearing one costume in the entire film. Ek din ki kahani hai toh aap kya karoge. 24 main ek costume, ek din ki kahani usmein. Aage, peeche ho raha hai, location ke hisaab se karna hai, kabhi aapko climax shoot karna hai, kabhi kissi ke dates nahin hai ya location jaldi mil gayi hai, toh kya karogey? You have to graph it like that, hairstyle nahi badal sakte, body language nahin badal sakte, weight nahi put on kar sakte yaa lose kar sakte, shave nahin kar sakte who sab match karna, it is taxing! So, these mediums are the most taxing, I feel.

Can you tell us about your dream role and who you want to work with? Like yeh role kar liya, inked saath kaam kar liya toh struggle suffle rahega?

I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied, because har decade mein there are new directors who are brilliant. I think you will be blessed with Vikramaditya Motwane, Imtiaz Ali, Mohit Suri, Anurag Kashyap, Anubhav Sinha, Abhishek Chaubey, Rajkumar Hirani, and Aaditya Dhar. These are the very few directors who are known for their uniqueness. These are the directors jab unki baatein sunta hoon, interviews dekhta hoon, toh lagta hai, yaar zindagi mein kitna bhi seekh lo, inse aur seekhogey. Inse seekhne ka mauka mile toh mein bahut excited ho jaaunga. These are the few people I want to work with.

As an actor, meri sabse badi struggle yah rahi hai ki mujhe typecast kiya gaya hai into a very stereotyically good looking, rich kid. I’m talking about my physical appearance. I look like a Punjabi munda, gora chitta, tall, sharp features, body achchi hai, awaaz mein dum hai. They called me hero material. Aaj ke zamaane mein hero material nahin chalta hai. Manoj Bajpayee jaise characters, Rajkummar Rao jaise actors hero bante hai. This has been a big disadvantage for me. I go to my casting agency, I go to directors and tell them, “Please, can I do like a Wasseypur? Can I do 12th Fail? I would love to do, please.” Chahe mujhe apni looks badal ni pade, that is why I’m always reinventing. I feel like my looks are my disadvantage, it shadows my capability as a performer.

Can you tell us more about your future projects?

I’m waiting for The Trail season 2. Uske baad, I’ll pick up something on the web front. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do, but I’m taking this break only to concentrate on what I want to do next. And I’m really aspiring to do quality work, that’s all.