Close up - Aditya Seal

“A few idiots have glamourised the word ‘nepotism’ and become advocates of it for their personal gains...” - Aditya Seal

Aditya Seal

From Student of The Year 2 to Indoo Ki Jawani, the charismatic Aditya Seal is indeed going places. Here in a very candid conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, Aditya speaks from his heart about his turbulent journey, nepotism and of course, the ‘riot’-a-thon Indoo Ki Jawani.

His journey has been chequered… with a lot of serpentine ups and downs. But he’s been determined and has persisted despite the many thorns strewn in his path. Meet the gorgeous Aditya Seal whose newest project Indoo Ki Jawani is garnering a lot of praise. Read on as he frankly talks about the good, bad and ugly times he faced, his take on nepotism and more…

You’ve been around for some time in the Hindi film industry, how has the journey been?

Quite frankly, it’s been an absolute rollercoaster… a lot of ups and downs… I have been working since I was 14 - so it’s definitely been a long time. To be honest, I have done quite a bit of work but sadly, most of them got only a little audience… though my work has been appreciated but only by a very few who actually saw it. But yes, it’s a journey I take absolute pride in because I walked it on my own. I have met so many people along the way - some of them are names that you hear every day but most of them have been people that you probably would never even heard of.

I started at the absolute rock bottom with no idea how to go about things but somehow, I kept on. If there were two forward steps, there were four backwards ones too but honestly, it feels good because now I have a story to tell. Nothing came easy so I know that I can’t take it for granted and that keeps me going.

Tell us about Indoo KI Jawani?

Indoo Ki Jawani is an absolute riot. It’s a story that a lot of people would relate to because I am sure most of us have had at least one bad date. This film is about that one date… one fateful night when two strangers meet through a dating app and the madness that follows. It’s a comedy of errors that take place when two people with opposite personalities meet but there’s a beautiful underlying message that the film has which is absolutely non preachy. I feel that in the times we are living in and the time already spent, this film is a refreshing change. I am just wanting for people to forget about their worries and problems for those two hours because I definitely did.

Tell us about your character?

Samar is a global citizen. He has roamed around the world, seen a lot of places, met a lot of people so his life views are not defined by his nationality or his religion. He is a living example of the phrase ‘dont judge a book by its cover’. He believes in giving everyone a fair chance to express who they are. He won’t form judgments depending on what a person wears or which car he drives or where he comes from. He is a person the world needs right now.

Aditya, we heard you lost your dad recently due to Covid. Please accept our condolences… Is there any message you have regarding the pandemic?

I don’t know if I have anything to say about the pandemic but I definitely have lessons that I have learnt. First that life is too short so make sure you have no regrets… you may not get another chance I think as humans we are losing empathy. We have forgotten how to love. God definitely didn’t design life to be this way. Humans messed it up. They did it for their individual gains and I know they still aren’t happy and that says a lot about how hollow life has become. My only message is - remind yourself how it is to love.. we have definitely forgotten it.

Any more projects in the pipeline?

I am starting my next film called Rocket Gang in the next few days, Its Bosco Martis’ directorial debut… the film is an interesting mix of dancehorror-comedy… the first of its kind!

Since it’s the raging topic, what is your opinion about this “insiders versus outsiders” debate?

Oh, it’s a topic I have a lot to say about... A few idiots have glamourised the word ‘nepotism’ and become advocates of it for their personal gains. If I am investing in a business, I would definitely put money on a product where I can see more returns… that’s correct business. What is wrong with that? Having said that, the audience is not concerned about who you’re friends with or whose daughter/son you are… They want their money’s worth. That’s why talent is here to stay. The audience is the king. Let them decide who they want to watch. It doesn’t matter what their last names are. Also, I wouldn’t be answering your questions here had an outsider not gotten a chance.

Lastly, when you look back at your journey, is there anything you want to change?

Not a single thing... not a single day! Of late, I have been made to realise that I have come a long way from where I started and I have been made to realise that I should take pride in my journey and I do! I walked it on my own and nobody can take that away from me. Like I said, I now have a story to say and believe me it’s a far more interesting story than a lot of them that you will hear!