With Gehraiyaan, the actors are turning away from stereotypes, leaning into ‘real’ narratives, and letting director Shakun Batra’s collaborative process hone their craft.
When actor Siddhant Chaturvedi started getting into Zain’s skin, so did director Shakun Batra’s character he played. depths, he automatically turned to the stereotypes that Bollywood perpetuates about love. “I started writing notes in a diary as Zain, and most of them were rejected by Shakun. That’s when I realized that I grew up on a diet of Bollywood romantic movies. [most of them starring Shah Rukh Khan]I was conditioned to see romance in a certain way. As this process continued, Chaturvedi forgot everything he knew about love and its portrayal. “She [director Batra] Made me look beyond all the glitter and glamour. He showed me a mirror that was so human, intimate and subtle. ,
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The Hindu Weekend Spoke with the 26-year-old via Zoom just as the promotions of the film were just about to begin and he was still looking for the right words to describe the film. “It is a relationship drama, but different from what you have seen before. We called it household noir for the longest time and it didn’t even have a title until much later because it’s so new and fresh. ,
depthsChaturvedi’s third film is Dharma Productions which also stars Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday. The actor had a dream debut in Zoya Akhtar’s film Gully Boy (2019) as MC Sher – who helped Ranveer Singh’s Murad channel his anger and achieve his dream of a career in hip-hop.
Siddhant Chaturvedi and Deepika Padukone in a still from ‘Gehraiyaan’. photo Credit: amazon prime video
When I met Chaturvedi a few days after the release of that film, he was still astonished at processing all the praise that came from his side. ‘Real’ was a word he often used during that conversation and almost three years later, the sentiment has not changed for him (last seen in YRF) Bunty Aur Babli 2), “Things still feel real. I actually have a movie releasing! I’m very young and new right now, so I guess that feeling will remain. It’s also a recognition that I’m doing something right and I’m living my dreams.”
‘Either good stories or massive’
Like everyone else’s life, Chaturvedi too had to take a break in March 2020, which seemed like the beginning of a dream. It would have been natural for him to be disappointed, but he is confident in his abilities and options. “I knew I’d work. After that, there’s telephone booth, Warning:, And where are we lost, So I was fine, but I was saddened by what was happening in the world. i just wish [the pandemic] It will be over and the children can go back to school – they have lost three years of their lives. My brother, who is about to turn 18, hasn’t attended college yet; He could not give his board. I think it’s bad for one’s mental health.”
even when he was preparing depths And in his other films, Chaturvedi spent the last two years “sit down and studied people and watched their tastes change”. “Thankfully I haven’t signed much and I will keep all this in mind while signing other films that I am going to do,” he added. You need really good stuff. Now, the stories and the writers are the most important part because you need to engage the audience. I really need some great stories and if not, I need massive [like Telugu films RRR or Pushpa], Don’t give me anything that is mediocre. ,
of complex modern relations
For now, though, he’s looking forward to seeing the audience’s reactions. depths, a movie where “you’ll feel like you’re watching yourself at times”. The shooting schedule was delayed due to the pandemic, though Chaturvedi believes it helped the film. “I’m glad that [the shoot] At that time it did not happen because during the lockdown we had brought many things. The omens came up with ideas about the characters and picked up those little nuances from real life, real people, and real experiences. It was a never ending process and he was tweaking things while dubbing. Due to the pandemic, a lot of things have changed. The definitions, tastes, consumer preferences of love and relationships – everything is evolving and it’s all happening very quickly.”
Director Shakun Batra and Deepika Padukone on the sets of Gehraiyaan | photo Credit: amazon prime video
Batra’s change in the film to reflect ‘ab’ meant that the actors had to bring their A-game and Our their characters. The filmmaker’s collaborative directing process helped. “We actors prepared for a year, did workshops, played sports and did team building exercises. We will all come up with things to help each other out and own our characters. Shakun made sure we are all on the same page. In addition to discussing our characters, he would ask us our opinions of others about why someone was feeling a certain way. ,
And for fun he made sure to bring some extras on the sets. “For every scene, I had my own Bollywood take. So, I will do the scene which Shakun wanted and then do a scene in Shah Rukh Khan’s style. Shakun shot all those texts just for fun!” he concludes.
depths Will Premieres February 11 on Amazon Prime Video.
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