Shooting The Scavenger of Dreams has been a humbling experience for young actor Shardul Bhardwaj. The film directed by Suman Ghosh is an official selection at The Busan International Film Festival, and will have its world premiere on October 5 in the festival’s A Window on Asian Cinema section.

The Scavenger of Dreams revolves around a family of waste collectors and how their reality is juxtaposed against their dreams. Before travelling to the South Korean city with director Suman and co-star Sudipta Chakraborty, Shardul shared his thoughts with The Telegraph Online.

2023 has been good for you. Your performances in Kuttey and Trial by Fire were appreciated and now The Scavenger of Dreams is going to the Busan International Film Festival. What are your thoughts?

Shardul Bhardwaj: Yes, it’s been good but I am very fortunate to have friends and family who keep me grounded. They are my biggest critics and supporters. I remain grounded because I have seen enough people who lose sight very soon.

Was shooting for The Scavenger of Dreams a life-altering experience since you spent time in research and understanding the psyche of a waste collector?

Shardul Bhardwaj: Yeah, I have been fortunate to have done films that have sent me to the field. In Eeb Allay Ooo!, I spent time with an actual monkey repeller to learn the ropes of the trade. In Unpaused, I had to learn to drive an auto rickshaw.

In The Scavenger of Dreams, I spent time with a waste collector and his colleagues at the Garia Dhapa, where they were gracious enough to take me in. What shines through is the dignity of the working class of our country. With dignity, I mean that with limited resources, what they can achieve and accomplish as a collective without any malice. It’s been a humble experience.

Suman (Ghosh) and I talked about it. We didn’t know whether we would be able to make the film because our resources were scarce but our spirits were high. We used to research together, so our curiosity is the takeaway. The more we worked, the more we saw the fallacies in our society. When you look at the waste collector, you can see that the system is rigged against him. We realise that he isn’t waiting to be discovered as he has a life which he holds high.

How did you and Suman Ghosh come together to create this film?

Shardul Bhardwaj: In Mumbai there’s a coffee shop, The Barmecha House, where people from the film industry hang out. My friend and senior from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Ravi Kiran Ayyagari (the cinematographer of The Scavenger of Dreams) told me about Suman Ghosh, who was in Mumbai for some work. We met and chatted about everything under the sun and that’s how the journey started.

Some people choose film scripts while others go with the people they want to work with. Who are you?

Shardul Bhardwaj: I choose people! I feel good people write good roles. I am so thankful that Suman said we needed to empathise and not sympathise with the character. My character, Birju, is not someone you will look at with sympathy. He does it like a job, but he is aware that this job isn’t looked at honourably.

What’s your aspiration at this moment?

Shardul Bhardwaj: My aspiration has been partially fulfilled with an arts collective, Gathered, which I have co-founded with my professional partner Gandharv Dewan. I am going back to theatre after four years. We are opening at one of the biggest festivals in India, Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, with Avalanche, a contemporary Turkish play translated into Hindi, for which we have been commissioned.

With Gathered, I want to play a small part in creating a space for shared cultural thought. It’s not limited to films and plays. People from all walks of life such as lawyers and doctors, with critical thought, come in. We will hold regular screenings and arrange discussions.

Going by your recent work, you are perceived as an actor who plays sombre characters. Given a chance, would you take up a lighter role?

Shardul Bhardwaj: Oh, I would love to do a comedy! I do my work and share a bit of myself on social media but I feel my work should speak for me. I am an actor, so I want to do all kinds of roles. But there are certain things which I won’t do, such as any kind of work which advocates any exclusive right to one group of people.

Does that mean political awareness is important to you?

Shardul Bhardwaj: I think it is very necessary. It’s more important now. You can’t turn away from the world view or what happens to the country and how it affects people. If one has to create art, certain questions need to be meditated upon. One should know history, economics and civics, and have curiosity.