- Ranvir Shorey says The Pyramid Scheme is about human frailties, not just money
- Paramvir Singh Cheema on success: ‘I am on the tip of the pyramid’
- Paramvir opens up about playing Goldy and the middle-class struggle
- ‘I am not much corrupted till now from inside’: Paramvir
- Creator Shreyansh Pandey on how the idea of The Pyramid Scheme was born
The Pyramid Scheme, Prime Video’s latest offering, premiered on June 5. The cast and creators of the show spoke to India TV about the inspiration, its themes, and the characters that drive the story. During the conversation, actors Paramvir Singh Cheema and Ranvir Shorey reflected on ambition, middle-class struggles and the human emotions that lie at the heart of the series. Director Shreyansh Pandey also spoke about the inspiration behind the project.
Ranvir Shorey says The Pyramid Scheme is about human frailties, not just money
Speaking about the show’s central theme of money and power, Ranvir Shorey said the story goes much deeper than the lure of getting rich quickly. “I don’t necessarily think it’s just about quick money. That is a means. That is, you can say, sone pe suhaga (an added bonus). I think it’s about money. Essentially, it’s about money. It’s about validation. It’s about getting a taste of success.”
The actor explained that while the surface of the story revolves around wealth and influence, the real focus is on people’s weaknesses and desires. “Like Param said earlier, it’s about posting a story on Instagram that I am also having a good time. But you know, at the surface of it, it might seem that it’s about power, quick money and all that. But to me, this story, like all stories that I like to be a part of, is about human frailties.”
He further added, “Yes, there is quick money. There is fame and the lure of success. But what causes people to desire that? What causes people to fail at that? What frailties cause people to get cornered and end up ruining their relationships? You know, trying to go for something good but feeling exploited.”
Ranvir also praised the makers, saying, “I would say that most of TVF’s success is because they have managed to explore that in the Indian middle class and Indian lower middle class with true originality.”
Paramvir Singh Cheema on success: ‘I am on the tip of the pyramid’
When asked how he feels after delivering back-to-back acclaimed performances in projects like Sapne Vs Everyone, Black Warrant, Border 2 and now The Pyramid Scheme, Paramvir Singh Cheema admitted that he has finally started enjoying the journey instead of constantly chasing the next opportunity.
“So earlier, I never used to enjoy the moments. I was always the kind of person who was looking for the next opportunity. Okay, this is done. Now what is next? What is next?” The actor revealed that a line from Sapne Vs Everyone changed his perspective. “So after Sapne, what I felt was, after hearing the line that Sumeet sir says to Prashant, ‘Manzil ki toh fitrat hai badal jaana, toh maza deewane safar mein hi le lena.’ So after that, I put a question to myself. I said, why don’t I enjoy?”
Sharing how his outlook has changed now, Paramvir said, “So once I started enjoying, now I am feeling like, okay, I am on the tip of the pyramid (laughs).”
Paramvir opens up about playing Goldy and the middle-class struggle
Talking about his character Goldy , Paramvir said many youngsters from middle-class families will relate to his journey. “So it is every middle-class, lower middle-class boy’s story that he has to ask for money from his parents. And when he always wants to go out and if he needs 200 bucks, he is always given 100 bucks.”
He also shared that Goldy is very different from the characters he has portrayed before. “And the challenge was because this part is very different from what I have played till now. He is very ambitious and not a silent person. He is very reactive.”
The actor credited director Ashish and creator Shreyansh for helping him break his established on-screen image through extensive workshops.
“And we did a lot of workshops to break that on-screen image of mine. The way I carry myself on screen. Because sometimes when you are getting similar parts, it comes to you naturally. Okay, I have to be like this in front of the camera. And that was broken.”
‘I am not much corrupted till now from inside’: Paramvir
When asked about bringing innocence to Goldy despite the character entering a flashy world of power and influence, Paramvir said it came naturally to him because of his upbringing. “So innocence comes naturally to whatever character I play because I don’t have to try hard to be innocent. That comes naturally.”
He further added, “And I think that’s because I feel I am not much corrupted till now from inside. And that is my upbringing.”
Recalling the values he grew up with, the actor said, “My father, the morals that have always been there. Like, don’t do this, this is wrong, do this, this is right. If you do good, good will happen to you. If you choose the wrong path, after some time you will fall down. I was taught that from childhood. So that innocence comes naturally. Now making Goldy innocent and then doing all that, that was a challenge.”
Creator Shreyansh Pandey on how the idea of The Pyramid Scheme was born
Shreyansh Pandey, who created the show with Ashish R Shukla, spoke about the inspiration behind the show. “There is an incident which happened with the writer of the show, Akshendra Mishra, back in 2011. He was visiting a relative’s place, and that relative started selling him a scheme. In that conversation, he almost forgot that the person here happens to be his own nephew. The selling became so violent and so brutal that he had no other way than just running away from the house!”
“And when he narrated to me that incident, I think it gave a very strong memory. So if an incident like that happens to you, the memory remains. And that inspired us to tell this story,” he continued, adding, “For the longest time, Akshendra and Ashish were writing it as a film. Fortunately, unfortunately, that film did not happen. And then later on we decided, let’s make a show out of it. And I think we started writing this at the end of 2021, early 2022.”
The Pyramid Scheme is currently streaming on Prime Video.
