Pratik Gandhi rose to fame when he played the titular role in Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. The actor’s latest release is The Great Indian Murder opposite Richa Chadha. Tigmanshu Dhulia has directed the thriller which is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Free Press Journal caught up with Pratik for an exclusive conversation.
Pratik has received a very warm reception in Bollywood and seems to be one of the favourites of filmmakers. “Everyone dreams for this kind of recognition. Undeniably, you just have to be extremely lucky to have received this recognition in life during these current times where a pandemic has affected all of us all over the world. This appreciation also means a lot to me. There are multiple options alongside coming from everywhere OTT platforms, TV, films — be it Hindi and regional as well. I am open to trying my hand in everything, which is coming from everywhere. This kind of support and recognition is really overwhelming,” he shares.
Pratik is all praise for Tigmanshu, with whom he has collaborated for the first time in The Great Indian Murder. “Yes, I was working with Tigmanshu and also with all the actors, including Richa for the first time. For me, this is a fully star-studded film. I enjoyed the process of working with Tigmanshu until the last day of the shoot,” he gushes.
Opening up about his role, he explains, “I play Suraj Yadav, a kind of role that I have never played before. He is an IPS officer and a manipulator. He is neither a good guy nor a bad guy. He constantly takes things on different tangents as he has been put on this case. The character has his own world, so I had to learn the nuances of UP. Tigmanshu coming from Allahabad knows that world very well.”
Elaborating further on his character, Pratik adds, “He is an anti-hero. Suraj is deep into bureaucracy. He manipulates people very well and knows how to utilise them when he wants. He gets things done his way. He is especially put on this job to resolve this high profile case of Vicky Rai. When it’s a high profile case, politicians, the media and many other people are involved in this murder case with different aspects to it. He is junior to Sudha (Richa) but leads the case, and Sudha assists him. Thus their entire dynamic is something to watch.”
Pratik feels grey characters are very interesting. “I personally feel grey shades make us human. Though nobody can say, he is completely grey or completely white. This grey shade makes Suraj more relatable,” he states.
The actor is well aware of the difference between the challenges of OTT and theatrical releases. “I feel OTT has a different challenge altogether compared to the theatres. While a film releases in theatres, there is a pressure of weekend collections, first week collections, etc. In OTT, the audience has that superpower of complete control in their hands. A single dull moment will force them to change to another web series, film or digital platform. Also, the patience level is very low. Undeniably, right from writing, direction and performance, everything has to excel only then it captivates the viewers every second that they are watching. It sucks you in, so you will binge-watch immediately right now. To create that feeling requires a lot of pressure,” he says.
Pratik wants the best of both worlds. Critical acclaim as well as commercial success. “Yes, I would like to have a blend of both. As it is like pushing the envelope and has everything,” he avers.
Lastly, he spills the beans on his upcoming projects. “We are shooting for the last schedule Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan? in Mumbai. Then there is Dedh Bigha Zameen which is ready for release. Other official announcements of a film/shows are yet to be made,” he concludes.
Pratik signs Tigmanshu’s next!
In our recent interaction with ace filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia, we came to know that he has roped in Pratik Gandhi for his next untitled venture. Tigmanshu says, “It’s a cop story inspired by a real-life operation which was executed by UP’s special task forces chief Amitabh Yash. He led the operation in Chitrakoot. There was a dacoit named Dadua, and it was a long operation. It is based on that entire operation. The shooting will start from April 2022.”
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Published on: Thursday, February 10, 2022, 06:00 AM IST
