Pratik Gandhi is raking in praise for his turn of an honest, sensitive firefighter in Agni. The film, playing on Prime Video, has cut through the clutter and is being hailed as a rare film that celebrates the heroism of the firefighting community. t2 chatted with the Scam 1992 breakout star on his latest film and the remarkable year he has had.

It has been a great 2024 for you, capped off by Agni. It has such an important story to tell about unsung heroes, our firefighters. What has touched the audience so far about the film and its subject and what was the primary reason for you to want to be a part of it?

I am really overwhelmed with the kind of response that we are receiving from the audience hailing from all age groups. People are amazed by the world that has been created in the film. A large section of the audience is unanimously acknowledging that we have never given enough recognition and enough focus to firefighters. They are the first responders in an emergency. A lot of people have told me personally, and through social media, that they feel really ashamed that we haven’t given them the recognition that they deserve.

In fact, many members of the firefighters’ community have reached out to say that they are so happy that their stories, their world and their struggle are finally being represented. That is very satisfying.

What drew me towards this story is the same thing. I felt ashamed that I didn’t know so many things about the lives of firefighters. Also, Agni is a thriller, which is a genre I hadn’t done before. It is my first action film and my character (Vitthal Rao) is very well written. So, there were enough reasons to say ‘yes’.

What kind of prep and research went into playing your character?

A firefighters’ job requires a lot of physical prep because it is a demanding job. I had to train for it. Most of my training involved the technical prep of how to handle firefighting equipment. We did that with real firefighters for about three-four weeks. I went to Byculla fire station (in Mumbai) and trained with them.

What has stayed with me is the mental prep that playing Vitthal required. I have never worked with fire... as I said earlier, Agni is my first action film. I had to figure the psyche of these heroes who jump into a fire without sparing a thought for themselves. That requires a huge mental shift because throughout our childhood and even now, we are told to keep away from fire. Even if there is a slight flicker, we run in the opposite direction. To have the mental makeup to jump into a fire is extraordinary and this is something I had to train myself for.

Around 40 per cent of the fire that you see in Agni is real, the rest was enhanced during post (production). I was amazed by how these seemingly ordinary men with regular lives risk their lives almost every day. They have a very different kind of mindset. One minute they will engage in fun banter among themselves and the next moment, they plunge in to save hundreds. It says a lot about their character and that they constantly have to keep calm. They are very extraordinary people.

What was it like shooting in the middle of real fires? Most films would have opted for a 100 per cent VFX job...

It was the experience of a lifetime! Every time we would shoot with fire, we would salute the real firefighters. We shot in a controlled environment with controlled fire. We knew what was kept where and what was needed for us to do in a shot. But firefighters go into a fire without knowing what awaits them. They really are superhumans.

Do you share anything in common with Vitthal and how has playing him inspired you?

The biggest inspiration I have got from Vitthal is that even after being neglected, even after being denied all the glory and recognition and rewards, he is not a bitter person. With both humanity and humility, he goes about doing his job and saving lives.

Has there been any other character in your career that has impacted you as much?

That would be Gandhi. I have been playing this character on stage for the last 10-12 years and I have just finished doing a series called Gandhi (directed by Hansal Mehta). Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has impacted my life in a lot of ways. He stood for simplicity, but in today’s world, simplicity is the most complex and difficult thing to achieve.

From the searing Parzania to the mass-y superstar vehicle Raees, Rahul Dholakia has an eclectic filmography. What was your biggest learning from being directed by him in Agni?

He is a dream to work with. His shooting style is organic and that helps the actors to create scenes, sequences and emotions. He has a childlike curiosity in his approach on set, which is very heartwarming. He is always happy, he is like one of those high-school mischievous boys (laughs) and at the same time, his clarity of thought is amazing.

When he narrated the script to me, I understood how much he is into it. He knew exactly how he wanted the fire sequences to be. When you shoot with fire, there are many variables attached. Every retake would take more than 30-35 minutes because there was fire, smoke and water and everything needed to be cleaned over and over again for every retake. He kept the set very calm, composed and easy. I loved working with him.

Do you also approach every character you play with a certain curiosity? What is the predominant emotion on Day One every time you play a new character?

The predominant emotion is that of constant curiosity. Every character I play takes birth in the writer’s mind, it is then transferred to the director and then it comes to me as an actor. So my idea is to reach that particular first thought from where the character originated and be as close as possible to that purest first state. Even while performing, my curiosity is whether everything is translating right. If I fake it, the audience will catch it immediately.

Also, I want to stay away from the complacency that suddenly sets in even without you knowing it. The moment you feel that I can do this, that is when you should think twice. Okay, you can do it, but how can you do it better than how you have already done it?

A complex relationship drama in Do Aur Do Pyaar, a madcap comedy in Madgaon Express and a thriller with a social message in Agni... you have really mixed up things this year and tasted success with your choices. How do you look back at 2024?

This year has strengthened my faith in how I want to work in terms of creating different characters fearlessly, go out and experiment with different genres and deliver roles that bring about impact. One thing I have always wanted is that whenever the audience watches me on screen or on stage, they should look beyond me and see my characters and that these characters should stay with them. They should forget Pratik Gandhi and fall in love with the characters I play. This is what I have always strived to achieve and 2024 has given me the opportunities where I could do that. The kind of love, respect and adulation that I have got from the audience strengthens the belief that this is the right way to go about my career. Going forward, I want to continue working this way.

Oni of Do Aur Do Pyaar, Pinkya of Madgaon Express or Vitthal of Agni — if you could befriend any of the characters you have played this year, who would you pick?

That is tricky! Vitthal is my hero... if he is my friend, he would inspire me every day. Actually, I love all of them. Oni would be someone I would scold and say: ‘Are you mad?!’ How can you mess things up so badly?!’ Pinkya, short for Pratik in Madgaon Express, has a very interesting journey. His arc from mama’s boy to where he finally lands up is a huge leap.