Rohan Gurbaxani, an actor who began his career as an AD in Hollywood films and gradually established himself in the OTT space with projects like Made In Heaven 2 and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, is now garnering attention as Ayaan, the prodigy pianist, in Bandish Bandits Season 2. (Also Read: Bandish Bandits season 2 review: New characters add interesting spin to this otherwise slow chapter)
Rohan recently engaged in a conversation with Hindustan Times to discuss the positive reception of Season 2, his preparation for the role, and his experience working alongside Arjun Rampal in the series.
Bandish Bandits season 2 received immense love from the audience and talking about the positive response, Rohan Gurbaxani said, “I think it’s the best feeling when your work is appreciated, especially the work that you did two years ago. It’s an unusual industry in that sense because the things you shoot many years or months ago only come out later, and you have to come to terms with it. When you get so much appreciation, I honestly can’t ask for more. I am very, very grateful.”
Rohan on learning to play piano
Rohan Gurbaxani plays the role of a prodigy pianist in Bandish Bandits Season 2. The actor termed the process of learning to play piano ‘very tough’ and revealed how he prepared for it in just three weeks.
He said, “It was very tough. I mean, how do you become a prodigy pianist with just a character sketch in three weeks? So, I took it upon myself to learn piano for the role. It shouldn’t look like a random person has just come in, with my face doing one thing and my hands doing another. I have always felt that if I play a musician or an athlete in a movie or show, I’ll fully deep dive into the world and understand the mentality, the technique, and the art form because that will transform the character in ways beyond what’s in the script. That is the job of an actor, and it’s fun that way.”
He added, “Every day for two hours, I would go to this teacher in Colaba. His name is Parikshit. He and I would sit for two hours daily, and I started learning with both hands on the keyboard, which is very difficult. Initially, you start with one hand, and then two or three months later, you use the second hand. I was playing with both hands in the first class itself. It was very taxing on my mind because of the hand coordination. You get very exhausted. I went through all of that, but I am happy with how it all turned out.”
On sharing screen with Arjun Rampal
Rohan Gurbaxani also shared the screen with Arjun Rampal in Bandish Bandits season 2. The actor recalled how he first met Arjun when he was assisting an AD on Rock On.
He said, “When I was 19, I was doing an internship at Excel Entertainment. During that time, there was an assignment where I had to assist as an AD on Rock On 2. There was a shoot in front of Gateway of India—a song shoot—and I remember seeing Arjun Rampal for the first time. I was handling the junior artists who were supposed to be in the crowd. It was too hot; people were fainting. But then I thought, from there to sharing the screen with him—it was quite a surreal experience.”
He further revealed his reaction to working with him and said, “When I found out I had a scene with him, I thought, “Now I’ll have to handle things a bit, you know, not get too crazy.” Out of the whole cast, only I had a scene with him, and that was a great feeling. It’s always the best feeling to work with experienced actors because they have that thairaav in their performance and dialogue delivery, which makes you feel at ease. He is the definition of cool. He has this natural ease about him. By the end of it, I felt like I was talking to a friend.”
On his career
Few people know that Rohan Gurbaxani began his career as an assistant director in Hollywood films. Later, after the Covid lockdown, when he returned to Mumbai to visit his parents, he started exploring opportunities in Bollywood. When asked which industry he enjoys working in more, he said, “Both industries have their own perks. I was just starting out in Hollywood, so it was a unique experience—being fresh out of college and excited to step onto a movie set. As an AD, you do everything, from taking out the trash to setting up lunch. You’re the last one to leave, handling all sorts of tasks. It was a lot of fun for me.'”
He concluded, “Over here, I’ve mainly worked as an actor. That’s a completely different feeling because you’re doing what you’ve spent years training for. So, I definitely can’t choose. One is your pehla pyaar (first love), and the other is your continued love. At the end of the day, both are massive, successful industries, and you just have to be grateful to work in both.”
Helmed by Anand Tiwari, Bandish Bandits season 2 also stars Ritwik Divya Dutta as Nandini Bhowmik as Radhe, Shreya Chaudhry as Tamanna, Sheeba Chaddha as Mohini, Atul Kulkarni as Digvijay, Divya Dutta as Nandini and Rajesh Tailang as Rajendra. The musical drama is available to watch on Prime Video.