Basking in the applause for his turn as a morally ambiguous police officer in the Netflix series Kohrra — which won big at the recently-held Critics’ Choice Awards India 2024 — Barun Sobti chatted with us about playing Naib Subedar Sombir Singh in Amazon mini-TV’s Rakshak: India’s Braves Chapter 2 and his thoughts on his OTT success.
You are on top of your game on OTT at the moment. How does it feel to be doing such good shows?
Barun Sobti: The shows are working out well and as long as people like them, it feels satisfying. I am in a very good space. I wanted to be engaged with good stuff and that’s happening; it feels nice.
Thankfully, I’ve been very lucky with the people I’ve worked with.
The great thing about the web is that it gives time for the characters to be etched out well in terms of writing. As an actor, if you know how the character is shaped at the very outset, you put your heart into it.
What made you say yes to Rakshak: India’s Braves 2?
Barun Sobti: I was told it is about a man who gave his life for his country. It is a moving subject. Then, when I received the script and did the first reading, everybody was applauding and I thought it would be a great project to be in.
Rakshak: India’s Braves 2 delves into a saga inspired by real-life events, highlighting the unwavering dedication of patriots who sacrificed everything to safeguard India. It stands as a testament to the courage, commitment and indomitable spirit that every ‘rakshak’ has towards their nation and its people.
Rakshak India’s Braves 2 is based on a real-life story around the Pulwama attacks. Is there a memorable scene for you?
Barun Sobti: What tends to stay with me is a certain amount of gratification when you see that you have performed a scene well. It also instills hope in you about your abilities. The last scene of the show, when my character speaks to his wife, is very close to my heart.
Netflix’s thriller series Kohrra did very well. What were your takeaways from the show?
Barun Sobti: To believe in myself. When you do a show, there’s a little doubt about whether you have done well or not. But Kohrra has been loved by people so much that my confidence in my sense of storytelling has increased further. What Kohhra did was to right so many wrongs.
You have played a uniform-wearing character in two shows, Kohrra and Rakshak India’s Braves. How much of a responsibility is it?
Barun Sobti: You can’t think of the responsibilities after a certain point. Our work is to tell stories. There is a structure to storytelling. Then you write on it and you have to be most careful when you are writing. The job is done for an actor when you read what is written. As an actor, after you read the story and have done your preparation, you are just a labourer to perform the task. You have to focus on that more than anything else.
What was your preparation process for Rakshak India’s Braves like?
Barun Sobti: There is no particular process that I follow. It is a very subjective matter. You have to get down and see what is the right process for that particular role. Sometimes the characters are so complex that you have to put together several heads to figure out the exact preparation process.
Rakshak had real-life stories. I had real-life references. There was so much I could read about it and so much the army families told me. There was extensive preparation that went into Rakshak.
Any roles you would love to play on OTT?
Barun Sobti: It will not be good for me to be more demanding! (Laughs) I am happy with the roles and characters I am playing and happy with the work I’m being offered. I am just going to focus on working hard and doing the best I can.
What’s next for you?
Barun Sobti: I am working on a show called Raat Jawan Hai for Sony Liv. It is very lighthearted. There are also lots of interesting subjects lined up for me. This year is going to be very interesting, let’s see where it takes me.
