What did you think about the reactions to Vanvaas?
I’m feeling overwhelmed because the feedback has been quite positive. People loved the emotional core of the film and they are quite surprised that it is wrapped in such entertainment.
You also had formal training in acting. How did that help you shape your approach to your craft?
A lot of the formal training comes from people who explored acting themselves. They didn’t learn it from a book. Then they became teachers. So the best way to learn acting is by doing it. I did formal training both in India and the West. Then I did theatre and short films. I tried to strengthen myself as much as I could because this profession is tough. I’ve been hard on myself to receive the right education for this field.
How have you been hard on yourself?
What was the most challenging thing you had to do so far?
During Gadar 2, there was a scene where I was about to get executed. My character had been a prisoner for about a month. You need to have a natural look about yourself and it is hard to achieve it just through makeup, VFX or prosthetics. We shot that sequence for 12 days. I was just eating one slice of bread in the morning. That’s it. I tried to stay as hungry as I could. So that I get to feel that anger. We were shooting at irregular hours anyway. So all of that took a toll on my face. And by the end of it, we were about to shoot action scenes where I had to run a lot in the heat of Lucknow. It took a toll on my health. I also tried to do my stunts and broke my leg twice during Gadar 2.
How was the experience of working with your father and how does he direct you on sets?
I am very close to him and he discusses a lot about films. We both are cinephiles so whenever we see a movie, we tend to break it down and analyse it. We have a friendly relationship where I can discuss work and my personal life with him openly. But he’s a workaholic by nature so sometimes at home also, he’s wearing the director’s hat. I’ve been his assistant so whenever he has a story idea, he asks me to start working on it immediately. We have that boss and employee relationship as well even at home. On set, all the other actors get a van but I don’t usually. But I understand what he wants so it is easy to work with him.
So who are the directors, besides your father you would want to work with?
Rajkumar Hirani sir, Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir and Imtiaz Ali. These are all directors whose work I’ve admired a lot. Particularly from the new generation, I would say Amar Kaushik. His work is very good. I saw Stree 2 and he’s a rooted director. Even Sukumar ji (director of Pushpa) from South. I also liked Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The Surgical Strike.