Some find him extremely funny and a brat in Fukrey and some loved his romantic avatar in Sanam Re. Pulkit Samrat will now leave you guessing in his next thriller suspense 3 Storey. He chats up with Sangeeta Yadav about his film and his journey so far
How was your experience working in 3 StoreyIJ
It was a great learning experience. The character Vilaas is a very mysterious character. He is someone who does not adhere to community living. He is a visitor there and that adds extra intrigue and mystery to his character as in what he wants and can we trust him. Is he a friend or foeIJ He talks something but his eyes are talking something else. There is a constant mystery till the time the story unfolds.
How difficult is it to do thrillerIJ
It is a long process to churn out a good thriller. Most of the job is done when the writers are writing. If you have the content right and good writing as the basis which is the root of everything, then you start building upon them. You get the director on board and co-writer and work together to set-up the world. When actors come on board, they have to cover the entire journey of two years and come on the same page. They get only a few weeks to prepare and culminate all the years of hard work in portrayal it well on screens. That is where the faith comes in and you surrender yourself to them.
How have you grown in the industry so farIJ
During my first film Bittu Boss, I was almost raw and long with portraying the character, I was also trying to understand the work culture of the movie set. Having worked in TV before foraying in movies, the work culture of both was different. Bittu Boss taught me a lot of things that were positive about me and my weaknesses. I was trying to still get the hold of it and by the time I came to Fukrey, I brushed my skills a lot. The challenge here was to be a part of an ensemble cast and how to not let anything else be bigger than the story. let the story alone be the hero of the film.
What has been your weaknessIJ
I have been lucky to work with some really good people so far so whatever my weaknesses had been, they have all worked together to make it look my strength on screen. I feel very awkward to say I love you on screens and would prefer saying it through my eyes. But when Sanam Re happened, it made me look very romantic. If something looks good on screen, the entire credit goes to the team. If Fukrey’s comic timing was nice, it was because of the amazing co-actors and a strong script.
Which has been the hardest character you have ever played and whyIJ
For me, the hardest character has been Praveen Chaturvedi in Bangistan. That was a tough nut to crack because it was a very satirical world and tough comedy. There was no reference point. We had to create our own references and imagine how the person would be. Karan Anshuman, the co-writer and director of the film, created a new world called Bangistan. To be a part of that film and understand that world it is very interesting for me. I had to go to Banaras and see how the city wakes up and what are its culture and tradition.
How was it like working back to back for Fukrey Returns and Veerey Ki WeddingIJ
It was fun at the same time challenging. When you see Fukrey and Veerey Ki Wedding, you will see a huge difference in the characters and my style and body. For shooting Veerey Ki Wedding, I had to lose a good amount of weight and for Fukrey Returns, I had to get back to the same weight. I started working on that. I tried to balance it out instead of going extreme. The credit to the actor’s success goes to the people working behind the scene. The more hard work you put in, the better results you get out of it and the appreciation for that is unmatchable.
How do you look at the celebrity statureIJ
Fame and celeb culture obviously become a part of you when you turn actor but my family makes sure that I don’t take this to my head but stay grounded. They are my biggest critics. I work to make them proud and that’s the only purpose I keep in mind. For stars, the biggest nightmare is if celebrityhood doesn’t happen to them. It is a part of who we are and we love playing to the gallery. You also have to be open to reciprocating the entire love.
Where do you see yourself ten years down the lineIJ
I would love to look the same as I do look now. Maybe also lucky to do Fukrey part 7 or 8. I always hope that things keep working out for you. Right now at this point in my career, I feel lucky and have the luxury and liberty to explore a lot of genres. I want to work in all the genres.