Actor Rajneesh Duggal tells Sangeeta Yadav that the word ‘give-up’ doesn't exist in his dictionary. He is a born fighter who has never learnt to accept defeat. In his upcoming film, Duggal plays a conman
How is your upcoming film, Udanchoo shaping upIJ
We have begun shooting for this fun film. The story is about a confident young conman who can fool just about anyone in the town. It’s a very interesting character with different avatars. Each disguise means a different body language and a weird way of speaking. That was a challenge to do, but I think I will do well in this role. We have a great ensemble of starcast that includes Prem Chopra, debutant Saisha (as the lead actress), Bruna Abdullah, Ashutosh Rana and Bijendra Kala. Subhransu Das, who gave us amazing film like Filmistaan, has been roped in for this project too.
How are you preparing for this challenging roleIJ
I’m watching a lot of films and reading and discussing about real life conman that we had in our country. I’ve been meeting people who had encountered conmen in their life and asked them about their experience and observation. Minute details like the way these people pick up their phone and speak would come in handy to me. But I would also like to meet a real-life conman just to have some fun.
Many actors have played conman. Who is your pickIJ
I liked Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2 and Ranveer Singh in ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. More than the looks, what matters is to get the attitude of a conman right. I find that very challenging as the character changes its avatar at a very fast pace, leaving no time for you to do any preparations.
Are you a method actorIJ
If it’s a comic role, I prefer to be spontaneous. But for intense roles like that of a conman, I live that character for some time to get the pulse right.
Did you ever feel nervous before an actIJ
If I wasn’t nervous, I would be over confident. At times, you falter and there is little bit of excitement or anxious feeling but that is necessary as it helps you to do better.
How do you manage stress at the workplaceIJ
It happened once when I was 23-year-old. I signed a movie and shifted my base to Mumbai. It was a big film and I had already worked for three months on it. But for some reasons, the producer said I was not cut out for the role. We discussed about the issue and peacefully parted ways. I was very depressed when the movie released with someone else playing the part. For months, I didn’t go anywhere. After that, I started giving auditions for other projects and did music videos for Bombay Vikings. When I look back, I think that maybe I was not ready for it and whatever happens, happens for the best.
Initial phase was very difficult for you…
When you not from the industry, things become more tough. It was Vikram Bhatt who launched me in Bollywood with 1920. But my second movie titled Phir was troublesome. For one-and-a-half years, the movie was stuck because there was a conflict amongst the producers.
How was Vikram Bhatt as a directorIJ
He is one of the finest directors in Bollywood. He was very patient on the set. There are many powerful directors who shout on the set. At the end of the day, power is not something that you need to show. It’s about giving respect to everyone and it gets back to you.
At any point, did you want to quit the raceIJ
No, not at all. That’s not the way I’ve been born. I’ve always been a fighter.
Any plans for TV showsIJ
A lot of teleseries were offered to me but I couldn’t take them up because of time issues and I found that it’s not the right thing for me to take up at the moment.