Abhishek Malik’s ‘Joker’ mask sparks drama on-screen and pranks Off-Screen in Jamai No. 1

Zee TV’s Jamai No. 1 continues to grip its audience with exciting twists and heightened drama. In an upcoming track, Abhishek Malik, who plays Neel, dons a chilling ‘Joker’ mask to kidnap his mother-in-law, Kanchan (Papia Sengupta). This dramatic twist adds fuel to the fire, as Kanchan uses the incident to label Neel mentally unstable, causing tension to escalate within the family.

While the Joker mask added an intense, eerie tone on-screen, it brought a wave of laughter once the cameras stopped rolling. Abhishek, embracing the opportunity for fun, turned the mask into a prop for pranks. Sneaking up on co-stars, background artists, and the makeup crew, he delivered harmless scares that sparked bursts of laughter throughout the set. His playful antics lifted spirits and transformed the high-stakes shoot into a day full of amusement.

Abhishek, who admires the depth and unpredictability of the Joker character, particularly Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal in the 2019 film, felt an immediate connection to the role. “I’ve always been intrigued by the Joker,” he shared. “There’s something magnetic about his unpredictability. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was phenomenal, and though I only had the mask and not the full look, I felt like I was paying tribute to that intensity in my own way.”

There’s something magnetic about his unpredictability. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was phenomenal, and though I only had the mask and not the full look, I felt like I was paying tribute to that intensity in my own way

- Abhishek Malik

Abhishek recalled his time on set, “Once the serious scenes were done, I started goofing around. I’d sneak up on people wearing the mask—first Kanchan, then the background team. Even when they knew it was me, they’d still jump. I think I wore that mask ten times just to get a laugh. It made the day so much more fun.”

As Jamai No. 1 progresses, viewers can expect more twists, especially as Kanchan continues her mission to convince Riddhi (Simaran Kaur) that Neel is unstable. Will Neel be able to prove otherwise and clear his name?

Whether on-screen or behind the scenes, Abhishek’s Joker moment brought both suspense and smiles in equal measure.