Sunny Kaushal steps out of his comfort zone to play a baddie in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga. The hijack-plus-heist thriller, that’s now streaming on Netflix has found quite a few takers, currently trending at No 1 on the streaming platform. The Telegraph caught up with Sunny on his new turn as an actor and why he is all for the theatrical movie-going experience.

What’s the feedback to your performance and to the film been like so far?

The audience is reacting very well to the film, in exactly the manner that we wanted them to. It was a difficult film to make because if we gave away too much in terms of writing, performance or screenplay then the whole film would fall flat. Conversely, if we didn’t give out the requisite information then the viewer wouldn’t understand what actually happened in the film. I think Ajay sir (Ajay Singh, debutant director) did a fantastic job with the script that was written by Amar Kaushik (who has directed films like Stree, Bala and Bhediya).

I am really happy with the response that people are giving us. I don’t know about the others attached to the film but I was really nervous before release, especially because I was attempting something new in terms of the character that I played in the film. Before Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, I had mostly played a lover boy or a sweet boy. Here, I was playing a character with a lot of negative shades and he ultimately turns out to be the baddie of the film. So it was quite a challenge for me and I am glad that the audience liked it.

Did you have any apprehensions about playing an out-and-out baddie?

I had no apprehensions at all because, from the time I started acting, I have always wanted to do a negative role. I have really loved negative characters in our films which have left an impact, especially Shah Rukh sir in Darr and Baazigar. We all have shades of grey in us and we love watching characters with grey shades on screen. That’s why a film like Joker worked. I was just looking for a good negative part to play.

Yes, I was scared when I was offered the part because my character Ankit has multiple layers in him. He is a romantic when he is wooing Neha (played by Yami Gautam Dhar) and then gradually he starts showing his real colours. On the surface, he seems to be a normal, next-door guy, but he is actually so driven by greed that even when his life is at risk on the plane, he stops at nothing to get his hands on the diamonds. I really had to work on understanding this man whose life and actions are determined by greed because, in life, I am someone who is happy and content with what I have and what I get. To bring that out in me, I had to work quite a bit.

Has the actor in you acquired a new dimension after playing such a layered character?

Yes, absolutely! Before I went on set, I had a lot of discussions with the director. But at the end of the day, all that is theoretical. The real test is when you face the camera and it all depends on how you apply all that you have gathered in theory in a practical manner. I remember when I went on set the first day, I actually did a double take and asked myself:‘Will I be able to do this role?’ This was quite complicated because, in the case of Ankit, a lot hinges on how much to hold back and how much to show. I had to keep a lot of things in mind before shooting every scene. That kind of scared me a bit (smiles). But at the end of it, I enjoyed playing this character a lot and I feel that I have grown as an artiste after doing this film.

I know that I can play a sweet boy, I know that I can be an angry guy like I was with Himmat Singh in Gold or the army guy that I played in The Forgotten Army. I would consider those parts as my comfort areas. But a guy like Ankit, who has no morality, was a challenge and made me stretch my craft a lot.

Are you attempting parts out of your comfort zone even in your upcoming films?

Yes, I am. We are at that stage in terms of film-making and storytelling where is now a lot of room to experiment. We are in the pursuit of giving out better and better stories and that kind of expands the playing field for all of us. I am trying to do different stuff, but at the same time, if a really great love story comes my way, I will definitely do it. But the focus now is to do diverse and different stuff that will stretch my boundaries.

Sunny as Ankit in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, now streaming on Netflix

Along with Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, your last few films like Mili and Shiddat have been direct-to-digital releases. Does that rankle a bit?

I am absolutely very romantic about the idea of my films releasing on the big screen. The fact is that we have grown up with it (theatrical releases) and have also in this country, going to the movies is a family culture and a tradition of sorts. It’s always been about families going together to the movies during the weekend and making an outing out of the whole day.That’s what I have also grown up with. The first film that I watched on the big screen was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. I was very young then but I still remember the kind of impact it had on me. I couldn’t understand then why so many people are locked in a dark room and I hadn’t seen such a big screen in my life before. I kept wondering why the people on screen are so big (laughs) and what was happening behind-the-scenes. It left a huge impression on me and I wanted to watch more and more movies on the big screen after that.

But I have to admit that during and after the pandemic, the OTT platforms came in as a saviour. This was the only outlet and it saved the films and careers of a lot of people... one cannot negate that. Today, both mediums are going hand in hand as they should. As an audience, I like watching something from the comfort of my home when I am eating or when I am lounging. At the same time, I like going to the cinema and watching a film.

Is watching films in the theatre still a family experience for you?

Right now, it’s become a little less. Everyone has become busier and since most films have pre-release screenings, I end up watching them. But I do try and catch some stuff, especially with mom, at home.

Which was the last film you watched in the theatre and really liked?

I watched Pathaan. I was shooting in Agra and I had a day off and really wanted to watch the film. I took the whole team and went to a theatre which was a multiplex but had a single-screen theatre feel. It was a 70-80 seater, but the experience was a blast, man! The way people were reacting to the film was insane... bada parda toh bada parda hota hain. The magic of the big screen cannot be replicated.

I am now really keen to watch John Wick: Chapter 4. I am a huge, huge, huge John Wick fan and a Keanu Reeves fan. I have watched all three parts seriously and I can’t wait to watch Chapter 4.