Inside a garage with Shreyas

Actor Shreyas Chinga began his career in theatre. He made his debut in the film industry with 'Rangbirangi', which released on Friday. The young actor hails his debut as a good beginning.

Whether grooving to a song or playing a full-fledged role, Shreyas looks at every project as a learning experience. He feels it enriches and strengthens his journey as an actor.  In an interview with Nina C George, Shreyas talks about his experience of working in 'Rangbirangi'.

What prompted you to become an actor?

From my childhood, I have always been the sportive kind who was oriented towards extra-curricular activities. I was never studious. Be it acting, dancing or even playing pranks, I was at the forefront. I began my career with theatre but I knew cinema was where I wanted to be eventually.

Why did you choose 'Rangbirangi' as your debut movie?

As a kid, I was trained in dance
and enjoyed it. To be honest, I signed the film because I had a solo dance number to do in it. I thought it would be an opportunity to showcase my dancing skills. For an actor, the script needs to be challenging and I found my role as the Muslim mechanic Basheer apt for my debut.

How was it to play a mechanic?

It was a fantastic role and a fun-loving one too. My father started his career as a mechanic and I thought my playing the role of a mechanic would make my father happy. I felt he would help me get under the skin of the character. I have also had some crazy experiences when I started training for the role and at the time of shooting as well.

How did you get into the skin of the character?

I took my father's help and got connected to his close aide Sukoor Bhai who is a bike mechanic. I spent a lot of time with him in his garage to observe his work and understand his body language. I tried to imbibe his mannerisms. To get the body language right, I observed how young bikers in that area behaved.

What was the most challenging part of your role?

I wanted to convince the audience that I was a Muslim and was a mechanic at that. I have tried quite hard to talk, walk and act like Basheer.

Since it is a multi-starrer, did you feel out of place?

Not at all. I wasn't worried about my screen space or any other aspects. This being my first film, I didn't want to lose focus. I have always tried to concentrate on strengthening my character even when the other actors were filming their scenes.

How did you get along with other actors on the sets?

The makers of 'Rangbirangi' had an all-Karnataka audition before they selected the five actors (four boys and one girl). We had personal training sessions to get into the character and had spent a lot of time together.