What was it about Gaslight that caught your attention?
The script to begin with. It was such a lovely read. It engaged me as a reader. And by the time I finished reading it, I realized that it had tremendous potential to be adapted into a feature film. It also offered me a part or a character that I have never done before. There was an opportunity for me to go out and explore myself as an actor. Also, director Pawan Kirpalani and I wanted to work together for a long time. Sara Ali Khan was also one of the reasons to sign the film. So, there were quite a lot of factors.
How was the experience of collaborating with Sara Ali Khan and Chitrangda Singh?
It was lovely. I couldn’t have asked for better co-actors. We all have such different personalities so to come under one roof and utilize them for the benefit of the story and narration was great.
Sara is a livewire. There’s a certain amount of energy that she brings on set. Chitra ma’am was so poised, calm and hardworking at the same time. I was lucky to work with them and I took bits and pieces from both, which I will try to retain as long as I can.
On OTT, an actor’s performance or their show/movie gets recognition sooner or later. But commercial success can be a little elusive. How much does commercial success matter to you right now?
What exactly is commercial success? Is it the money you make? If that is the case then all my films have been commercial successes. None of my producers have lost money pre or post-pandemic. The definition of commercial success has changed. It’s no longer what it used to be.
You have been in films for a decade now. Do you remember your first reaction when you bagged your first film role in Lootera (2013)?
I couldn’t believe it to be honest. Because I was working with Vikramaditya Motwane and I lucked out. I am a huge fan of Udaan. I remember I watched it twice and I wanted to work with him. And my first film happened to be with him so I couldn’t really believe that I had lucked out that early in my career.
You are a trained dancer. Why haven’t we seen you doing a song and dance film yet?
I think you should start a petition online. Go out there and tell the producers to write a story that involves me dancing. But on a serious note, I think if my characters are such that they dance well then, it’s great. I don’t want to dance for the sake of dancing. I strongly feel that if it’s a dance movie then I would do the jig otherwise, most of the parts that I play are rooted in reality. They are common-man stories.
Would you love to do a masala entertainer with song and dance?
Of course. In fact, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of Haseen Dillruba and Dil Dhadakne Do, which were masala entertainers. Mirzapur was an out-and-out masala entertainer but there were no songs and dances.
When did you first realize that you had become famous?
I think it was after Balika Vadhu. That show was so huge and it still remains one of the most beautiful television shows in the history of Indian television. In the North, people still know me by my character’s name in that show. I have been fortunate enough to have had multiple opportunities to move in the positive direction towards gaining popularity. People have been kind. Even to the Mirzapur character. People refer to me as Bablu Bhaiyya.
What’s the best thing about being married to your fellow actor Sheetal Thakur? And what’s the tricky part about the same, if any?
Yes, of course. Sometimes at home you end up talking about just work. Then you consciously have to make sure that you don’t do that. The upside of it is that the nature of your job is understood by your partner.
