Vicky Kaushal’s performance as the eponymous hero in Sardar Udham is still raking in praise. Also coming in for his fair share of accolades is actor Amol Parashar who, even in a brief role, leaves a significant impact as Bhagat Singh. t2 chatted with Amol, who has lately been going from strength to strength on screens big and small, on being Bhagat Singh and the experience of spending time on a Shoojit Sircar set.
Congratulations for the unending appreciation for Sardar Udham. I am sure one never gets tired of praise!
Oh never, never! I read all the messages I get, at least as many as I can. I am shooting and in the middle of it, I am like, ‘Okay, one sec (gestures scrolling through his phone feed).’ Every piece of love counts in life (smiles). We put the same amount of commitment and hard work into everything we do. With this film, things came together magically and we were able to achieve what we set out to achieve. I am enjoying it.. and waiting for the next time when it happens again (smiles).
What’s been the standout praise for your portrayal of Bhagat Singh?
This film has left such an impact on people. A lot of my friends have been massively impacted by the film and then to have that feeling that someone you know is a part of a film like this, is very special for them. For many people, this film has already become a part of history. Sardar Udham is an achievement in film-making, especially in terms of overturning how we tell stories about our past and the freedom struggle in our country. That is something that I have heard a lot from people around me and close to me.
What struck me about the film’s take on Bhagat Singh as well as in your portrayal is that this is a flamboyant young man with both dreams and fire in his eyes. Was that also when you felt when you were offered the part?
We may not have used the exact same words as you did right now, but that was definitely the intention. The film tells the story of Sardar Udham Singh, but you quickly realise that it doesn’t really make the final act of heroism (Udham pumping bullets into Michael O’Dwyer) its focal point... that is anyway shown within the first 20-25 minutes of the film.
So what is Sardar Udham about? It’s about its people and their lives and their day-to-day struggles. The life that leads up to that one moment of courage that makes it to history books. Jaise ki ‘Bhagat Singh ne wahan jaake naare lagaye aur bomb phhod diya aur arrest ho gaye’.
These are just two-three events. But who are these people? And what makes them tick? What made Bhagat Singh somebody that everybody looked up to? In the film, people much older than Bhagat Singh are seen asking Udham, ‘Arre, Bhagat Singh se kab miley thhe? Woh kya bola? What were his last words?’
Bhagat Singh was a prolific writer. He wrote not only about the horrors of the British government, but also about society at large, about religion, about the social revolution.... He was following the politics of the world at that time and was writing about all that. Everyone kind of figured that this is a very smart guy and for someone to be that attractive and effective — which Shoojit sir also told me — he had to be approachable. Imagine a 21-year-old saying serious things and taking himself very seriously. Then nobody would listen to him and he would have ended up being just that one guy who would give constant bhaashan in college (smiles).
But no one ever saw him like that. Nobody was ever put off by his knowledge or his writing.... He had to be a charming fellow. He had to be not only smart, but also witty. He had to be friendly and approachable. Even when he was imparting knowledge, he had to talk to people as a friend, as opposed to having that attitude, ‘Chalo, main abhi tumko gyaan deta hoon (laughs).’
Why do we love Shah Rukh Khan? He’s not just smart... he’s witty, he’s charming, he’s approachable, he makes you feel a certain way.... That’s what struck me about Bhagat Singh. If he was just a moustache-twirling heroic guy, would he be as loved as he was in history? They still sing songs about him.
For this portrayal of Bhagat Singh, there was a certain briefing, and there was also a debriefing. Shoojit sir told me, ‘Don’t go home now and start thinking of Bhagat Singh in this way (imitates twirling a moustache). Just read the material that you have been given. Forget about everything else that you have seen of Bhagat Singh because that’s somebody else’s perspective and interpretation. I want you to form your own and take my help when you want.’
In the process, what we created were 21-22-year-old boys who were just more motivated, more passionate about everything than their peers. And just in one scene in that film, Bhagat Singh sums it up when he says, ‘Humko kisi ko darrana nahin hain. Hum kisi ke khoon ke pyaase nahin hain.’ They believed in certain elements of equality and justice and that’s all they struggled for.
We had all these discussions before and during shooting and it was almost like that person was being formed in my head as I went along. In history, the people who don’t think of themselves as iconic are the ones who become icons. Bhagat Singh wasn’t doing all those things so that we could make films on him 100 years later! (Laughs)
Was being on a Shoojit Sircar set everything that you had expected it to be?
Honestly, you never know what to expect. Different people have different styles and a different culture on set. This was a very calm, composed, well-planned set (smiles). It was just like he is. Many a time, the director’s personality seeps in on set. He is very focused and creates a safe space for his actors. He would keep us insulated from everything else. He was like, ‘Forget about everything else... you are here just to act.’ Everything on set was in place and worked like clockwork. That’s an ideal scenario for an actor because otherwise, film sets are madness! (Laughs) And the toughest job for an actor is to stay focused in the middle of all this madness. As an actor, you are literally in the middle because everything is being worked towards you. Light, camera sab aapke upar hi hain. But your mind has to be somewhere else because you are being someone else. That’s one of the trickiest things on set.
I came back very fulfilled from this experience. I had no idea how the film would turn out eventually, but the experience of making it was one to be cherished. Even though it was just six days, I have enjoyed acting on this set. I have been able to do something creative and collaborative.
Bhagat Singh gave up his life for the country at 23. What was Amol doing at 23?
I was trying to give up my corporate job and choosing a life in theatre. I wouldn’t even say I was choosing the life of an actor because I didn’t come to Bombay thinking that I would be in films or on TV or on the web one day.
I got attracted to acting when I was in engineering college... it gave me a sense of meaning, a sense of purpose and something beyond the narrow conventions of life. So one day, I packed my bags and headed out. My parents asked me, ‘How will you make money?’ I said, ‘I will figure it out.’ So this is what was happening at 23.