Bollywood Film Fame Canada - April/May 2022 by Bollywood Film Fame Canada

BollywoodFilmFame.com

APRIL - MAY 2022

His Resilience Surprises Me

KUNAL KEMMU ON ABHAY

No Regrets Along the Journey of Films

Sonnalli Seygall

Discovering her firsts

SAHHER BAMBBA

It's that time of the month again. And finally, the sun is out and people seem to be in higher spirits. We are getting out more, socializing more again, and trying to live with what has rocked our lives for the past two years. Despite the barriers that COVID constructed, as humans, we have tried our best to cope - whether it be the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was baking banana bread, then indulging in workshops, and by the later waves, just trying to battle through trying to figure out when they would be able to hug some of their loved ones again. Through it all, we have relied heavily on the consumption of art. Who better to delve into conversation with than artists who have been such a vital part of our lives for the last few years? Our cover story is one who did not necessarily dream of being an actor, but realizes now that this was always her calling - Sonnalli Seygal. We also chat again with the wonderful Sahher Bamba, who talks to us about her firsts and her go-tos. Kunal Kemmu, one of my personal favourites, deconstructs his character Abhay as the audiences lap us Season 3 of the Abhay franchise. Many more conversations are in this one, and we really do dive into the craft of acting with some of these interviews. On my end, it seems as though we are all trying our best to stay afloat amongst a changing economy and world, but we want to make sure we continue to bring you the content that you have always asked for something fresh, an ode to the past, and an acknowledgement of the present. Until Next Time,

No Regrets Along the Journey of Films

ON THE COVER Sonnalli Seygall

Sonnalli Seygall

SAHHER BAMBBA

KUNAL KEMMU

DHRRITTI SAHARAN

YAGYA BHASIN

SAMEER RAHAT

SOHAM MAJUMDAR

SUNIL PREM VYAS

NO REGRETS ALONG THE JOURNEY OF FILMS Interview By Armin S.

Sonalli Seygall

INTERVIEW

he thing about Sonnalli Seygall is this. When I see her on screen, I canʼt imagine her doing anything else except be on screen. She tends to ooze a natural sense of confidence and ability to own the screen and her space. Through conversation with her, I find out that the confidence to be in front of the camera was not always there, and in fact, the realization that she was meant to be in front of the camera came only recently. We capture her journey through her words, and canʼt wait to see where she goes next.

WHAT I’VE ENJOYED THE MOST ABOUT SEEING YOU ON SCREEN IS THAT YOU NATURALLY SEEM AS THOUGH YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON SCREEN, LIKE YOU WERE MEANT TO BE DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW. WHAT IS THE FIRST MEMORY YOU HAVE OF UNDERSTANDING OR REALIZING THAT YOU WERE MEANT TO BE DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW?

Right now, I’m still soaking in this wonderful compliment you’ve given me because it is so different. I’ve heard a lot of compliments in my life, and a lot of different ones, but the fact that you feel that it is easy or it was meant to be, so thank you. I hope you believe me when I say that I realized I was meant to do what I am doing now did not happen until recently, like last year. Before that, I was very unsure. I did not grow up wanting to be a Bollywood actor. I wanted to Miss India since I was about seven years old but did I want to do films? No. I was like okay, let’s see. My parents felt I would but I did not feel that. Last year, when I started doing work that I can finally enjoy, and now that I can pick and choose, that’s when I realized that this is where I am meant to be. But the rest of it, just kept happening with the flow of things. I started with Miss India as I told you, then I moved to Bombay because I was a runner-up and I had to prep to represent my country…when I came back, I was like Bombay is expensive because I’m originally from Calcutta. There is a huge lifestyle difference between the two cities so I had to pay rent. I started modelling which came very easily to me. Then, I started doing television advertising. That’s when I realized I had fun in front of the camera. Maybe a bit of the realization that you are talking about happened then. ‘ I did my first commercial for 7UP shot by Rohan Sippy, at Yash Raj Studios, and that scene itself was very overwhelming. After that, I did some auditions and films came…and everything started to just flow.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST MOMENT YOU FACED A PROFESSIONAL CAMERA? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T EXPECT TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND THE FIRST TIME THEY COME IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, THEY ARE A BIT STUNNED. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA LIKE?

Yes! (laughs) I remember my first moment with the still camera, with the television camera, which is just so overwhelming, for someone who has not been in front of one. My first advertisement was with three girls, so there were four of us. I was very clueless and I was very underconfident then. I was even more rattled. I am also someone who does not ask for help so I would have all the talk in my head but nothing coming out of the mouth. So people thought I was very confident and had everything sorted, but inside I was a mess. It was very overwhelming but somewhere, I always found a way, or an anchor in that whole system to latch onto. I think though I always came back to hard work – like you do your thing. Just be very good at what you do and leave the rest up to the rest of the team. But that nervous energy is always something good to have. Nowadays, if you are doing something new, with a really talented actor who you really look up to, you use that nervous energy and put it back into your craft.

“I am also someone who does not ask for help so I would have all the talk in my head but nothing coming out of the mouth.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE HARD WORK THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT IN – I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SUSTAINING YOURSELF IN AN INDUSTRY WHICH THRIVES ON SOME LUCK, SOME NETWORKING…FOR SOMEONE WHO DID NOT DREAM OF THIS NECESSARILY, IS IT EASIER TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU DID NOT HAVE THESE EXPECTATIONS TO BEGIN WITH OR IS IT STILL HARD BECAUSE YOU STILL WANT TO BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING?

It is definitely harder. When you come in with all the dreams and expectations, wanting to do what you really want to, it is hard to sit around and wait. It becomes doubly hard when your first film becomes a hit, then you are left with like, what went wrong? Why am I not getting any work despite the film being a hit and people enjoying my work? It was not just me, but it happened with all three girls in Pyaar Ka Punchnama. We have spoken about this before, and amongst ourselves, like why are the girls not getting any work despite us being a crucial part of the film? I still don’t know the answer to that question but what I do know is this. Those years were very tough.

INTERVIEW

ʻyou have to believe in yourself, and love yourself, no matter what the day brings to you, no matter how many times you face rejection.”

Just to be able to hold your ground and not lose your sanity and wait for that one project that will work for you. Projects do come and you are inclined to say yes because you want to do them all but at the same time, you have to choose to say “no” to some of them. But it’s hard. Up until two years ago, I still had to take finances into consideration.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR SANITY?

It’s tough because how do you not lose hope? I keep reminding myself of the work I want to do and then comes in mental health. To put it in one sentence, it is all the meditation, all the work I have put into myself, the self-help, and the self-love. As cliché as it sounds, you have to believe in yourself, and love yourself, no matter what the day brings to you, no matter how many times you face rejection.

TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, SOMETIMES EXTERNAL FORCES CAN BE OUR PILLARS. I SAW A CUTE VIDEO OF YOU DANCING WITH YOUR MOTHER, AND I THINK TO MYSELF, WHO ARE YOUR PILLARS?

You are right, my mother is my pillar. She has always been. She is a working mother herself. For a long time, we were unable to spend a lot of time together because she worked and I worked. But she has a huge role to play, not in keeping me sane, because I’m pretty sorted myself, and it’s probably the other way around – I’m the grounding and calming factor in her life. But she has a huge role to play in keeping me positive. She always adds that brightness to me life. A simple coffee, sitting in bed, and watching a television show with her, always brightens me up. Friends are great too – but there are friends who I got to when I need to talk; friends I go to when I need to gossip; so you have that as well. And my mother encompasses all of that.

REFLECTING ON THE JOURNEY YOU HAVE HAD TO DATE, WHAT’S THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF SATISFACTION?

What has kept me satisfied to basically keep going is that I feel that I have not done all of this for nothing. Why give up now? I am grateful because my career has inclined; it may not be a steep incline; but it is going. I’m very proud of my work and my journey. Because I have really worked hard to get here. I come from a very humble background so I look at what I have done and it is only a matter of time before I can do the things I really want to do. Another thing that has kept me going is that I have always been sure of what I don’t want to do – that helps me make decisions. Do I have regrets today? No. I was offered a lot of glamourous roles and item songs – and I can do those – but not all of my roles can be that way. I would have made a lot of money but still I have no regret. It’s paying off now. My satisfaction also comes from when I did a Hijack or when I did a Setters. That’s my attempt to play a de-glam part.

INTERVIEW

KUNAL KEMMU Interview By Armin S.

ON ‘ABHAY’

‘ABHAY’ IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR THINGS TO HIT OTT. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SEASON 3. BUT IT CAN BE DARK, VERY HEAVY. WHEN THINGS GET VERY HEAVY, DOES IT EVER GET TO A POINT THAT IT GETS TOO DARK? WHAT DO YOU DO TO SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOME OF THESE STORIES ARE BASED ON REALITY?

It does get heavy, it does actually. The first season, it really impacted me, because a lot of these crimes are also based on real cases. It adds to the emotion then. The first season also had crimes against children – it is really daunting to read about it, let alone be a part of a show about it. It got heavy for me during those times especially. One of the shoot days, it was emotional, it was about children, and it had also been a physically taxing day – I think it just got to a little bit too much and by the end of it, luckily I was not filming in Mumbai, on the drive back to the hotel, it really did take a toll on me physically, emotionally, and mentally. When you are trying to emote, you are inevitably thinking about the fact that this really happened. But as you move on in episodes, you have to realize that this is not your reality and you are just an actor doing an emotional piece. It does get easier, and we did start doing some more fictional cases – and you then get more to a switch on and off phase.

THE FIRST TIME YOU MET ABHAY AS A CHARACTER TO NOW, PLAYING HIM IN SEASON 3, WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ABOUT HIM?

His resilience. And the way he keeps going at it. It’s interesting because this was my first stint with something in this long format. With films, you have a start and a finish. With Abhay, I got to go into different layers of different relationships he has had, what ticks him, how he is dealing with insomnia and the job, and his family member. The sheer resilience and that he does not give up – like, I respect him and sympathize with him for his job and his value system but sometimes, I detest him for being so consumed with everything out there that he has just closed himself. In the whole journey, this is the first time that I think this character is in real life – I fight for him. Like when writers do something with his character, I fight for him and I say that that is not something he would do, because I’ve lived with him for three years. It’s weird but I’m enjoying this experience. I look forward to meeting him every year and where he is going to go this year.

IF YOU WERE TO HAVE COFFEE WITH HIM, WHAT WOULD YOU PICK HIS BRAIN ABOUT? WHAT WOULD YOU ASK HIM?

I would ask him if he actually even trusts anyone or does he doubt everybody – because even the relationships he has had in the show, they have been so traumatic. Even the women in his life, they have had an influence of who and why he is. Also, how long does he want to keep doing this? Does he not want to take a holiday and shut everything off? Just go to the beach and go into the ocean and go away from everything? I think maybe that’s a thought going through his head because he really has been pushed into a corner this season.

YOU SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT PLAYING HIM HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE TO YOU. WHAT’S THE ONE THING THAT YOU DO, IT COULD BE SOMETHING PHYSICAL, DOING HIS HAIR – THAT YOU DO, THAT YOU FEEL LIKE HIM?

I think the costume does a lot of that. The makers were very kind to let me decide what he would look like and be like, even in terms of his personality. I don’t know if you noticed but he rarely smiles. Even when feedback came that he has a nice smile, why can’t he smile? That’s Kunal though, I said, so when he does smile, rarely, it has a big impact. Also, the “kara” (holding his wrist) is a big thing. Abhay Pratap Singh wears this kara. It just seemed like this is something he would wear. When I dress up like him, the costume of the character really helps me.

INTERVIEW

DISCOVERING HER FIR

Sahher Bam

HAT I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THE WAY WE ARE HEADED IN CINEMA AND THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IS THE ABILITY TO SEE TALENT EMERGE AND THRIVE. I SEE THIS WITH A LOT OF FRESH FACES AND THE WORK THEY HAVE PUT IN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC. I SEE THIS WITH SAHHER BAMBBA. I CATCH UP WITH HER AND GO DOWN MEMORY LANE A BIT, AND EXPLORE WHO SHE LEANS ON FOR SUPPORT WHEN TIMES ARE ROUGH WITH THIS ONE. Interview By Armin S.

“EVEN WHEN I’M FEELING LOW AND HAVE NOT TOLD ANYONE, MY MOTHER WILL KNOW EXACTLY HOW I’M FEELING.”

RSTS

mbba

THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, IT WAS A LOT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND ABOUT YOUR MEMORIES ABOUT CINEMA. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU MORE SO ABOUT YOUR FIRSTS AND YOUR GO-TOS. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TAKE, YOUR FIRST SHOT, AND HOW YOU FELT?

I felt like a lost puppy (chuckles). It was a “Mahurat” shot that we did, which never made it to the film. I remember we wanted to do it because we wanted to start the shooting of the film on a certain day. I remember we were outside a Mandir and we had to walk up the stairs and there was a little scene. I remember I was so clueless. I did not understand basic terms that were being used – stand on your mark, what do you do when they say “cut”? I was learning on the job, and when I look back now, I think that Sunny sir (Deol) was extremely kind and patient with me all throughout.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU FELT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WITHIN THE INDUSTRY?

I think when I got great reviews after Pal Pal…though the film did not do well, I think every review had great things to say about me. I was just happy that my performance was being appreciated and that snowballed into getting a lot of work with directors, producers. That was a big moment for me. Then you realize that everything is Friday to Friday.

WHAT WAS YOUR SENSE OF REJECTION – THE FIRST TIME YOU FELT AS THOUGH THIS COULD BE TOUGH?

(thinks) Interestingly, I think it would be right after Pal Pal – in the sense that you know that you have put in two years of your life into making this film and it does not do well at all at the box office. But regardless, the film taught me so much and I think I am who I am because of that film, as cliché as it sounds.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE ONE PROJECT OR THE STRONGEST SENSE OF CREATIVE SATISFACTION?

I think a couple of scenes in Empire. There is this one scene when I am asking a character about not going and thinking he is going to die – I did that scene without glycerin. When you do a scene with that much intense emotion and that kind of high that you don’t need anything else, I think I felt that sense of satisfaction. It can be annoying when that doesn’t happen and you feel like you are faking it. But I have had a couple of those really big moments where the emotions have been high.

WHO IS YOUR GO-TO 4 AM PHONE CALL?

It has to be my mother. She has always been my go-to ever since I was younger, as a child, as a teenager. She knows everything that is going on in my life. Even when I’m feeling low and have not told anyone, my mother will know exactly how I’m feeling. I’m otherwise a very private person but my go-to person is my mom.

AND WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO THING TO DO TO DE-STRESS?

I think I just try to distract myself. I chill with my friends, and if it is a really slow day, I may try to sleep it off.

AT THE END OF THIS JOURNEY, HOWEVER LONG IT MAY BE, WHAT DO YOU WANT AUDIENCES TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOU?

I think my main motivation to be an actor came from when I leave a theatre feeling like I just watched a great performance. That is something I would want people to remember me for. I want to do that in the future with a future role even. Like, I recently watched Gangubai and I fell in love with Alia’s performance. These strong performances really motivate me and I aspire to bring those performances myself one day.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO FEEL LIKE AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY, YOURSELF?

I think a sense of satisfaction. Right now, I don’t have that sense of satisfaction. I don’t want that satisfaction to kick in either because I don’t want complacency to set in.

INTERVIEW

Interview By Armin S.

DHRRITI SAHARAN

DELVING INTO CHILDHOOD

IT IS SUCH A RARE INSTANCE THAT I CAN SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT PUNJABI CINEMA, AS A PUNJABI MYSELF. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE AN ENGINEER IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU STUDIED. BUT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A BUG AT SOME TIME BEFORE. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF REALIZING THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING YOU WOULD ENJOY?

Singing and dancing has been a part of my life since I can remember. My mom is a great talent though she did not pursue it professionally. She is a singer and a trained kathak dancer. That’s where I get it from – my nani and my mother. While I was doing engineering though, that’s when I realized that engineering was not what I want to do for the rest of my life.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE YOUR MOM’S VOICE, NOT JUST HER SINGING VOICE, AND HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOU?

The word, “ma”, has such a great impact on everyone’s lives. Her voice is something I can pick out from a crowd – like I know it is my mom calling if I hear a word from her. I know who my mom is in a crowd. She is a brilliant singer. I am talking about this for the first time – we are working on an album for her as well. I get emotional every time she sings. She will be singing in front of me, in a recording, and I get so emotional. That’s just the kind of impact she has on me.

SINGING YOU WERE DOING THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE, AND YOUR MOM HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON YOU. BUT WHERE DID THE ACTING COME FROM?

I always had a knack for it, I think! I have a great story to give you right now. Firstly, you have a great vibe so all these fun and emotional stories are coming out right now. As a kid, I used to look at every expression of myself in the mirror, especially when I was crying. So if my dad had scolded me, or my mom had scolded me, or I’m having a fight with my brother, or if I’ve gotten hurt, I would run to the mirror to see how I was crying. I know that the bug has always been there. I looked at every expression, maybe thinking about how I would look on camera if I’m laughing, crying, or being shy.

DO YOU FIND YOURSELF TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST, EVEN IF THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PLANNING?

I always feel like I just need to do my best but I’m weirdly detached from the work I do, I have that line I draw, despite being professionally attached. You can’t plan five or ten year plans in real life, because those come and go so quickly. I just want to try my best.

INTERVIEW

BEING A PART OF STORIES THAT SHOULD BE TOLD:

SOHAM MAJUMDAR Interview By Armin S.

OHAM MAJUMDAR IS THOUGHTFUL AND TRULY BRINGS THE CONVERSATION UP TO STORIES AND THE CRAFT INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF FILMS. HAVING BEEN A PART OF ‘KABIR SINGH’ AND ‘DHAMAKA’ IN THE PAST, SOHAM TENDS TO GO TOWARDS STORIES THAT REQUIRE A TELLING, WHICH IS WHAT LED TO HIS INVOLVEMENT IN ‘HOMECOMING.’ THROUGH OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT STORIES, WE TIE IN THE UNIVERSALITY OF ‘HOMECOMING’ AND HOW IT RELATES TO OUR OWN REALITIES. 26

“FOR ME, THE COURAGE TO BE A PART OF A FILM COMES FROM WHETHER THAT STORY NEEDS A TELLING OR NOT.”

SOMEBODY WISE SAID THAT IT IS FINALLY TIME FOR THE ACTOR. WHEN DID YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THAT REALIZATION DAWNED UPON YOU, THAT TODAY, IT IS TIME FOR THE ACTOR?

I guess I’m still figuring that out. I wouldn’t be able to say that it was not the time of the actor before simply because I was born and brought up in Calcutta. Calcutta always had this culture of art and mainstream together. Whoever we name, the actors would act in “Art” films and mainstream films so we had that perfect balance. When I was growing up in the 90s, I never considered Shah Rukh Khan to be a bad actor. I’m a diehard SRK fan, I can take a bullet for him, that’s how I feel. That familiarity will never go away. I think what you meant is about opportunities. Those opportunities are increasing. You see, it is all a process. The more stories that are being told, the more people will get opportunities. Right now, I feel that the ratio of stories being told are more than they were before. People are gaining a lot more courage to tell stories. Having said that, Homecoming is a project that the director had a vision for, and the producer who was supposed to fund the project, backed out four days before the shooting. The director had to literally take a loan, and these loans are not easy. He still had to believe in the project and us – he did not want to shelve the project. So, yes, the courage and stories are there but somebody else needs to be a lot more courageous to stand by these stories so we can tell them. The victory of this film is that it is being released on a big platform like SonyLiv.

WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, THAT DREAMS TAKE SOME TIME TO COME TO FRUITION, THAT TAKES COURAGE TO STAND BY TO HAVE THAT PATIENCE. BUT ACTORS ALSO NEED TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE A PART OF THESE STORIES. WHERE DOES THAT COURAGE COME FROM?

I feel that inherently that depends on your gut and what your instinct tells you to do. It also depends on what story you think needs a telling. That’s where I draw my courage from. I’m not saying that I have only been a part of stories that definitely need a telling. We are actors and sometimes we have to dip in that very cold pool to just do some projects. But I genuinely feel that, whatever you have left you in as an actor, are films. If I have grandchildren at some point in time, I genuinely want to leave them with a legacy, so to speak. A film can never be erased. It will stand the test of time if it is a good film. So, for me, the courage to be a part of a film comes from whether that story needs a telling or not.

SO IT’S NOT ABOUT NECESSARILY HOW BIG THE PROJECT IS THESE DAYS.

I had done a very big Hindi film in 2019, and it did a lot of numbers. Everyone thought that I would do yet another big Hindi film right after that, but I chose to do a Bengali film, the scale of which was not that big. But I felt that the story needed telling – it waged certain wars, whether it was the stereotyping of women in our society…Similarly, Homecoming, I felt was a story that needed telling because it felt close to home. Through the conviction in Soumyajit’s eyes, is how I got to see my character.

SO LET’S TALK ABOUT ‘HOMECOMING’ AND WHAT CONNECTED YOU TO IT.

I think it is about how a reunion brings people together from different walks of life when they were together before. Homecoming is like a warm hug to people – I chose a different path than the one I was originally on. I almost did a 9 to 5 job because I studied engineering and I know people who did choose the 9 to 5 job who may not be very happy so Homecoming is a warm hug to them. You can always come back to do whatever you love to do.

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN ‘HOMECOMING’ THEN THAT YOU SEE WOULD BE RELEVANT YEARS FROM NOW, TYING BACK INTO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT STORIES AND MOVIES STANDING THE TEST OF TIME?

Sorry for being self-indulgent out here but when I showed this film to my mother, and we have an age gap of 25-30 years, and she had never been involved in theatre, she had only seen my theatre journey and how I became an actor – but after she watched the film, she remembered her school and college friends, whom she wanted to connect with again after watching the film. I think that if people connect with the ethos of the film, it works. The backdrop of the film is theatre, but the ethos of the film is friends coming together in a union of an idea. I feel that is a universal concept which has already withstood the test of time. That ethos of friendship and friends having a reunion shall never pass away.

INTERVIEW

YAGYA BHASIN THE JOURNEY OF A CHILD ACTOR

Interview By Armin S.

AGYA BHASIN HAS BEEN FACING THE CAMERA FROM A YOUNG AGE, AND HE IS STILL YOUNG. A CHILD ARTIST, AS THE TERM IS PHRASED, HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING A WONDERFUL ROLE IN ‘PANGA’, BY ASHWINY IYER TIWARI AND ‘YEH HAI CHAHATEIN’, A TELEVISION SHOW. HIS FILM ‘BISWA’ ALONGSIDE SHARIB HASHMI HAS TRAVELED FILM FESTIVALS AND HE WILL NEXT BE SEEN IN ‘BIDITA BAG’. HE TELLS US ABOUT HIS FIRST TIME ON SET, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A CHILD ACTOR, AND WHAT HE WANTS TO DO AS HE GETS OLDER. 28

INTERVIEW

YAGYA, YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SINCE BEING A YOUNG BOY. DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE ON SET?

Yes, I absolutely remember. The first break I got was an Indian television show called Mere Sai. It was an awesome experience. Every single person of the cast and crew was awesome and very supportive. Although sometimes it could be awkward. I remember when the person operating the microphones and the boom mike would put the microphone above me, I remember just watching that and the director (dada) would ask me why I was watching the boom mike. He would remind me of my character again. I would say, “sorry, sir, sorry, sir” and I used to take some re-takes but slowly I learnt what we actually need to do to act. I learnt all about acting during this show. I used to fumble and blabber and improvise and put my own dialogues in (chuckles).

THEY SAY A CHILD ACTOR ALWAYS BRINGS A SENSE OF FRESHNESS TO SKILLED ACTORS. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU BRING TO THE TABLE?

Yes, I think I do bring a sense of freshness to the table. I think the films and television shows I have done, the co-actors and all of the artists also said the same. They say that I make them recall their childhood and I make them feel nice in my company. I also try to make sure that I do not bother anybody so I am not a burden to anyone on set. It is a sweet experience.

WHEN YOU FACE THE CAMERA, HOW DO YOU FORGET ABOUT YOUR OWN FEELINGS AND GET INTO CHARACTER?

It’s not difficult anymore. It used to be difficult when I was a fresher, it is no longer difficult now. I’ve now learnt how to switch between characters. I forget my feelings now. I read the script about four to five times before giving a take. I immediately put myself in those shoes of the character. I remember the elements of the character I play. It happens naturally now.

“I USED TO FUMBLE AND BLABBER AND IMPROVISE”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM AND WHY?

My favourite film right now is Spiderman No Way Home. The storyline is awesome and we got to see some very awesome things in the film. It is so interesting. The VFX details and all other details were awesome. The dialogues performed by the actors were just awesome.

YOU HAVE SOME EXCITING WORK AHEAD. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

Thank you so much. I see myself as a versatile actor and do different kinds of roles. I usually get the role of the obedient boy and so, I would like to try some different roles.

INTERVIEW

“BEING AN ARTIST, YOU HAVE TO GET INTO THE SHOES OF THE CHARACTERS.”

VERSATILE ARTIST, AN AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER, AND WRITER EXTRAORDINAIRE – SUNIL PREM VYAS. FROM HIS FEATURE FILM, TAKE IT EASY, IN WHICH HE PLAYS SEVENTEEN CHARACTERS HIMSELF, TO THE IMPACT OF THEATRE IN AN ARTIST’S LIFE, WE TALK ABOUT THE CRAFT OF ACTING.

HOW DOES WRITING IMPACT ON YOUR INFLUENCE OR CRAFT AS AN ACTOR?

It’s a great help. Being an artist, you have to get into the shoes of the characters. Writers are the first ones who get into the shoes of the characters – all of them. The writer leads multi-lives simultaneously. They have to understand the psyche and soul of the character. That process helps me as an actor to get into the shoes of the character.

SUNIL PREM VYAS THE CRAFT AGAIN Interview By Armin S.

HOW DOES THEATRE HELP EVOLVE ONESELF AS AN ACTOR?

Theatre allows you to get involved deeply with your emotions. The action, reaction, and inaction is all live. And that is life, isn’t it? In theatre, you get a better opportunity to evolve your emotions and get the emotions into your body. Camera is different but theatre helps how you perform in front of the camera, because you have performed in “real life” technically.

WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND ‘THE TERRORIST’ AND HOW YOU TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF SOMEONE WHO IS SO FAR REMOVED FROM YOUR REALITY?

Fortunately, I have done that before – acting into characters who are very removed from my reality. I have never had an AK47 in my life, never held it. But we do have images of these people, we have emotions as well. For another project, I interviewed thousands of children so I could come out with an abstract of knowledge to understand the experiences we may portray on screen. In The Terrorist, it was difficult, because that ideology is not mine. You can always find one thing that you may like in that person – and then you have to just increase the percentage of that emotion that you like in that person.

TELL ME WHAT YOU HOPE IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR ARTISTS AND PEOPLE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, SPECIFICALLY THEATRE, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS SENSE OF NORMALCY WITH RESTRICTIONS SURROUNDING THE PANDEMIC BEING EASED.

Watching a play on a screen is not something I would love to do. People are hungry to watch plays live. They have seen a lot of cinema at home. They are hungry to go out and eat and watch cinema and theatre. There is hunger out there for art. Fortunately, everything seems to be getting back to normal and I hope that people will continue to feel the sense of urgency to watch things live again.

INTERVIEW

BEHIND THE MUSIC:

SAMEER RAHAT Interview By Armin S.

AMEER RAHAT, SON OF LEGENDARY POET AND LYRICIST, THE LATE RAHAT INDORI, SAMEER RECENTLY MADE HIS DEBUT AS A MUSIC COMPOSER IN SOUMYAJIT MAJUMDAR’S HOMECOMING. HE TELLS US ABOUT HIS JOURNEY IN MUSIC, INCLUDING HOW MUSIC CAN ENHANCE A STORY, HIS OWN MUSICAL INFLUENCES, AND WHAT’S NEXT ON HIS BUCKET LIST.

“I WOULD LOVE TO WRITE FOR A. R. RAHMAN SIR SOMEDAY AND WORK WITH AMIT TRIVEDI AND SANTOSH NARAYANAN”

MUSIC ITSELF CAN ENHANCE A STORY. WHAT STORY DID YOU WANT TO TELL WITH YOUR MUSIC FOR HOMECOMING?

As a film music composer, one is basically telling the story of the film through their music. With ‘Homecoming’, a strong story was already in place. I, with my music, worked on enhancing it as it was deeply integrated with the film into the script. It was a beautiful opportunity for me to work on a film where the story enhanced the music and the music in return enhanced the story.

WHEN YOU ARE MAKING MUSIC FOR A FILM, IT COMES WITH A CERTAIN MOOD. HOW MUCH OF YOUR OWN TASTE IMPACTS THE MUSIC?

It’s different in my case. All the music I create, always has my complete taste. Even with ‘Homecoming,’ I was given complete freedom and liberty by the director to make something that spoke to me in my zone. He was looking for some experimental music which can be created only with authenticity. I was not given any references and that’s why I feel we could create such a unique sound.

GROWING UP, WHO WERE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

I have been listening to music probably since the day I was born. I have vivid memories of listening to Ghulam Ali Sahab, Mehdi Hassan Sahab, Farida Khanum and Begum Akhtar when I was probably in Kindergarten. My Nanu (grandfather) and the entire household would listen to ghazals. While I was growing up, I started indulging in Bollywood film music – RD Burman, Salil Chowdhary are a huge influence.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM HOMECOMING?

My favourite track from ‘Homecoming’ has to be ‘Bhalobashibe Bole.’ It’s a beautiful track, a 200 year old composition by Ramnidhi Gupta and it is very beautiful work by Amrita Singh and beautiful arrangement by Dev Arijit. I feel the album had a great mix of musicians and it gives me so much peace every time I listen to it.

WHAT'S NEXT ON THE BUCKET LIST, IF THERE IS ONE?

Not a bucket list, but certainly there are people I would like to work with. I would love to write for A. R. Rahman Sir someday and work with Amit Trivedi and Santosh Narayanan. I would like to make music for Mani Ratnam Sir. I’m blessed to have already gotten an opportunity to work with one of my dream directors, Mr. Hansal Mehta. I’m grateful to have worked as a Music Composer, Background Score Composer and Lyricist on his upcoming film ‘Faraz.’