Pratik Gandhi says it is his personal resolution to always experiment with the characters he plays on screen as the actor knows that he cannot be basking in the glory of one project all the time.
Gandhi became an overnight star with his performance in the critically-acclaimed series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story and today the Surat-born actor’s aim is to be consistent in his work
“One thing that should be consistent is good work, which is every actor’s dream and that is what I am aiming for. I still feel I have to prove myself with each and every project.
“Gone are the times that one successful project will give you everything for a lifetime. Every project is a challenge,” Gandhi said.
Post Scam 1992, Gandhi appeared in two projects — Vitthal Teedi, a Gujarati-language drama series, and Hindi movie Bhavai — but they both failed to garner much attention.
However, the dismissal response has not deterred Gandhi.
“I don’t want to shy away or be afraid of experiments. I want to keep experimenting with my craft and characters that I create. It is very easy to be caged, I don’t want to do that. It is ok to fail but I don’t want to stop experimenting, for sure,” the 41-year-old actor said.
Gandhi’s next project is the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar thriller series The Great Indian Murder, which yet again provided him to play a unique and challenging role.
Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, the show is based on Vikas Swarup’s best-seller Six Suspects, which revolves around the murder of the son of a high-profile minister.
“Our story goes beyond one murder and six suspects and it is talking about a lot of things, something subtle, something on the face,” Gandhi said.
The actor believes that adapting a book for the screen is quite a tricky job. “When you read a book, it plays with your imagination and you create a world in your mind. In the film or a series, you are seeing the same story from the perspective of the director. So, there is going to be a contradiction.
“It is not about being good or bad but about a difference of visualisation. Sometimes it is disappointing and sometimes it takes it to a different level,” he added.
In The Great Indian Murder, Gandhi features in the lead along with Richa Chadha.
The actor revealed he was aware about the popularity of the novel but he hasn’t read it yet, even after the show was offered to him. The primary reason agreeing to be a part of it was that his character, CBI investigating officer Suraj Yadav, was completely new and did not feature in the book.
“My and Richa’s characters were created when the book was being adapted. The team did tell us how they are planning to adapt it and that their story has something more to offer than the book. And hence I relied completely on the script to play the role which is flawed, layered and very colourful,” he said.
For Gandhi, who is also known for Gujarati movies like Bey Yaar, Wrong Side Raju and Dhunki, the bigger joy was the opportunity to be directed by Dhulia, who previously helmed critically-acclaimed movies like Haasil, Paan Singh Tomar and the Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster franchise.
“It was an opportunity of a lifetime. He thinks from the actor’s mind so when he communicates to you, you understand where it is coming from. When you are improvising, he will add to it. Working with a director who is also an actor is a boost, it makes things easier.”
The Great Indian Murder is backed by actor Ajay Devgn and producer Priti Vinay Sinha. It will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from February 4.