In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, he said, Coronation talked about how they prepared Assyrian 2, His experience with Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Mishra And Raghav JuyalAnd as he is progressing in his acting career, trying to learn more things.
Tell me how did you prepare for your role in Asura 2?
I have prepared for this during the pandemic. Usually you have elaborate rehearsals and workshops for the characters but I could not do that much. Everyone was thinking how to shoot. I started at my own level. One of the major books I read which helped me was ‘Rashmirathi’. And besides this, I got some books from Rishikesh in which the ideology of Bhagavad Gita is questioned and answers and justifications are also there. From there I got some depth. But other than that, I got major input from the director oni sen And Gaurav Shukla who wrote it. More or less whatever came to light was due to his direction.
Shubh Joshi’s identity was also revealed in the show…
We revealed it through a scene because till this point, the story has been of his childhood which is played by another actor. When he reaches middle age, this work is done by another actor. And finally in the second season, by episode five, you get the idea that there’s someone else who’s grown up, the story has progressed and he looks like this. So this is revelation.
This character of Shubh is also very layered. How do you see this character?
I saw it when Asura part one came. When I was going to do the second season, I gave an audition. And then finally it was decided that I am doing this role. As an audience, I watched it again to understand what kind of character he is, what kind of things he likes, what he doesn’t like. Even during the preparation when I spoke to the director, writer and producer, they showed me a very different dimension which was beyond what we could see in the first season. Even in middle age, there is a kind of anger in them, it is full of codification. As a growing person, we have experiences as we move through life, we grow up, our demeanor changes. However, the way the script was written for the second season, there were many possibilities for me to go outside the traditional way of doing it or the way it had been made so far. I got a chance to add more layers, emotions and colors to it. A lot has happened in his life. He is just 27 years old. He has reached that maturity. He has seen 10 things one way, now he is seeing it differently.
Did you enjoy playing this character?
Of course, I enjoyed playing this character the most. Because ever since I have been giving auditions, I have not got that much offer. Casting directors do casting according to their standards and you are cast in a certain category. However, the actor must be telling himself that I want to do something else or want a chance to do something more challenging. I firmly believe that I have no problem with failing because better failures keep happening. So this character has become huge for me as I have never played a character with such gray shades before. And when the director and writer are giving a chance to add more colors to it, it is like a cherry on the cake. I am very grateful that the creators, Gaurav sir, our director, even the casting director Shivam Gupta put so much faith in me.
Would you like to know about more such characters in the future?
The idea is the same, to do something new because I have thought of it myself. I enjoy doing this as long as it is challenging for me. I am at this stage, at this age where I don’t know how I will think or feel after 5 years. I am still in the learning phase and I get to learn along with the project.
How was your experience with Arshad Warsi?
It was great because I have grown up watching his films. It is an honor for such a big star to work with you. I have been a huge fan of his work, whatever he has done so far. When his scene was being shot on the hill, it was around 3:30. The sun was burning and we were shooting sitting near the river. The heat doubled due to reflection and we were completely drenched in sweat. But even then, when there was no camera, only a close shot of me, he was sitting next to me, sweating, signaling me. He kept asking me why I was sweating. When such artists are with you, respect increases a lot. For me it has become a multidimensional thing. I love his professionalism, his passion for the craft and the way he is encouraging people and working closely with you. I really like this thing about him.
How did he behave between your shots?
I didn’t get to meet him much but when we sat down, we chatted a lot about other things even in between shots. I really like his personality, he is very warm. I was asking a lot of questions and I got to know a lot of things. He was very welcoming.
You said you are still in the learning phase. How has been your journey so far?
When I was in Delhi University, I started doing theater professionally. After that I came to Bombay. I did professional theater course. Then I started giving auditions and I did a TVF show called Bahut Hua Samman, Undekhi and Cubicles. The third season of Cubicles is also going to release in the coming month. I am so grateful to have been able to work with such great people because everyone had something to prove.
Have you always wanted to act?
I have grown up watching Hindi films and I used to enjoy it. But I myself did not know that I would have to do this professionally. I didn’t even think about it. I took up commerce to see if I could become a Chartered Accountant. But meanwhile I got interested in theatre. So, I started to discover on my own that this is what I really wanted to do. Some people decide very quickly that I have to do this. I didn’t have that time. I was in class 12 and by the time I made up my mind, I had found theatre. So, I started working in that direction.
When you came to Mumbai, did you face any difficulty in interacting with people?
No, God is very kind. Maybe it was luck or whatever, but I’ve only met nice people. Things started adding up and I never had to look for people again. Good people kept connecting with me, kept meeting me. When I was doing theatre, I got many gurus. There was also a teacher in the school who guided me a lot. The directors I have worked with showed me the right direction. I was not prepared for this medium because of my theater background. I talk very openly with my mentors about things that I do not understand. So, I do not feel that I am facing any problem. Nowadays everyone is working openly and cooperatively.
How was it working with Sanjay Mishra and Raghav Juyal in Bahut Hua Sammaan?
It was a great experience. When we were living in Banaras, Sanjay sir chose an ashram for us. We stayed there for a month. We had a great time there. We cooked food, talked to each other. Sanjay sir is very experienced in life. When you talk to him, you understand how he implements various experiences of his life on the sets. Since he is from Banaras, his true colors came to the fore. You get to see a lot of his vibrant personality and grow in his presence.
And similarly, I have seen the same with Raghav. Very interesting connection as we both are from Uttarakhand. So, we got attached to each other very early. The dynamics of the work were also very interesting. So, it was fun doing that project.
Now that you’re here, do you understand how this industry works?
I think the industry itself is changing. We are not able to understand the way theaters are closed. OTT has definitely made a big splash. Now there is a small part of OTT. So this unpredictability has increased a lot. Earlier people used to see a set pattern and used to think that this type of content is being done. But now this pattern is breaking. When Anurag Kashyap and directors of this league came along, they started approaching filmmaking in a very different way. Now there are many mini platforms as well. But I am watching and learning the things that are going on. And yes, there are challenges ahead in life that I am looking forward to. So, my work is continuously going in that direction.