You can’t look for safety in an experimental field like cinema: Pratik Gandhi on constantly breaking the mould

Chandigarh: Before people put you in a basket, you should come up with a new one, says Pratik Gandhi, describing his philosophy behind chasing different genres and stories in the Hindi film industry post his big break with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story.

The actor has solidified his career with critically-praised turns in Modern Love: Mumbai, Madgaon Express, Dhoom Dhaam and Do Aur Do Pyaar. His new film Ghamasaan, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, premiered at the second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival here.

"As an actor, I always wanted to be in a space where I can happily surprise the audience. After ‘Scam’, some said I should maintain the swag image but I did a Gujarati series ‘Vitthal Teedi’ and ‘Modern Love’, where I played a gay guy. Many told me to not break my hero image.

"I was like ‘This is the time to break it because before you put me in a basket, I should present you with a new basket.' That’s how I can ensure my longevity. I have waited long enough,” Gandhi told PTI on the sidelines of the CIFF.

The 44-year-old actor, who spent over a decade chasing his acting dreams -- balancing a corporate job as an engineer while pursuing theatre and films in Gujarat -- knows it too well that experimentation is the only way forward.

Commenting on the current phase in the industry where many are hesitant to green-light unconventional projects, Gandhi said, “people have become risk averse”.

"You are looking for safety in the world of experiments. If you want safety, do a job. I have done that. I know that the 10 per cent increase every year just adds a new loop to the chain without changing your profile much.

"It is just that you carry that extra pressure. But here, you have to be fearless to tell stories. There is a commerce involved and people who put in money should get their return but one has to experiment.” But how does he navigate the industry while staying true to his core philosophy? Gandhi said as an artiste, he has always followed his gut instinct.

"If I read a certain story and feel it will be fun, I do it. I don't know many people and that was the case since the beginning. I didn't know who is an A-lister and which set-up is better than the other. If I put my energy in navigating that, I'll lose my craft and the joy of creating characters. I'd rather concentrate on my core." Before Hansal Mehta's Scam 1992, which premiered during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and earned him acclaim for his portrayal of the infamous stockbroker Harshad Mehta, Gandhi said he was trying too hard to break into the industry.

“I didn’t even know where to go for an audition. I was doing Gujarati films and theatre. I got the role of the hero's friend in ‘Mitron’ and ‘Loveyatri’, thinking it will lead to a break. But I never thought about how things work (here). If I could come to this point without thinking about all these things, then I’d rather continue the same way." Gandhi said he is always looking for stories and people that give him confidence to explore. It can even be a project from a first-time director or writer, he added.

“If I am confident, I will do it because this is the field of experiments anyway. There is no single actor or director who has not ever given any flops or all hits... Everyone has their fair share of good and bad movies. So, it is better to be a part of a professional and confident team.” During a session at the festival on Friday, Gandhi urged filmmakers to take a chance on new talent.

The actor said he has been speaking about it at every public forum. He also believes that the audience has the real power to bring about a positive change.

In the age of artificial intelligence and data-driven analysis, the streamers are also focusing on greenlighting stories that are backed by data.

The actor, however, has a different perspective -- audience preference is not entirely predictable or dictated by data.

“People never say they want the same thing, otherwise ‘Scam’ would not have been a possibility. If data was the deciding factor, then nobody would have touched ‘Scam’ because it had no data supporting it. It had new actors and a dry subject.

"Hansal sir himself says that before ‘Scam’, he didn’t have a commercial hit. He was known as an art film director," he said.

When Mehta called him for the SonyLIV series, the actor said he thought it was a prank call. But then one of his friends assured him that the director had asked around for his number.

He went to Mumbai and auditioned with casting director Mukesh Chhabra before having a meeting with Mehta.

“He told me that we should do this story and asked me to think about it. I was like, ‘There is nothing to think about, I want to do it’. The only thing he told me was, ‘Yaar, you are too thin, you need to put on some weight and then we will see.' “After ‘Scam’ was released and we did so many interviews, I realised that he never even saw my audition. He had seen one of my Gujarati films, ‘Wrongside Raju’ that had won a national award in 2016.” Gandhi's upcoming projects include Gandhi series, which reunites him with Mehta, and another show Saare Jahan Se Accha at Netflix.