When you think of method actors, names like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Robert DeNiro, or Al Pacino come to mind who have gone out of their way to prepare for their roles. Vicky Kaushal did exactly that in Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0. He speaks to Sharang Bhaskaran
To make his character come to life and looks as believable as possible, Vicky Kaushal started to smoke three to four packets of cigarettes a day to embody his character of a chain smoker and drug abuser. His character was so engrossing that he ended up losing sleep on most nights and gradually developed a habitual insomnia, only to later overcome it.
He even disconnected himself socially and from his family while the shoot was underway, and became a loner. We talked to the actor about the film and his role and he had some interesting insights to share about his role and also the industry.
Tell us something about your role in Raman Raghav 2.0.
I’m playing a cop. His name is Raghavan and he’s not the ideal cop that you would think of. He’s got his own issues. He’s walking on the edge. So he might either fall on his face or fall off the cliff anytime. Basically he’s a pretty shaken up and a twisted guy. He’s into substance abuse and a lot of stuff that’s against the law. So this sort of a cop character becomes really interesting and challenging to play.
This role is quite a departure from those you played in Masaan and Zubaan. What kind of preparation did this role involveIJ
When you get a character which you can’t relate with at all, you know how he acts and reacts to situations, you need to break away from your own environment and try to live like the character would. You need to abandon the way you’re used to living in, to be able to live like the character and get into the skin. My responsibility as an actor is to believe in the character completely, believe that I am him. I had to look dehydrated and had to lean down. So I drank less water and ate food with no salt, to look that way. I started smoking and sleeping very little. Since it was a quick 21 day shoot, I was actually pretty tired, but then that actually worked out to make me look the part.
We read that you shut yourself in for five days to prepare for the role.
Yeah, I did. I had isolated myself for five days in a house. There was no phone, no TV, no computer, no WiFi, and no newspaper. It was just me and the script I was given for the audition.
What was it like working with Nawazuddin SiddiquiIJ
It was surreal. I have no other word for it. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would get to act in a film with Nawaz bhai. When I started out in the industry, I never in my wildest imagination thought that five years down the line I would be acting alongside Nawaz bhai in a film directed by Anurag Kashyap. Ever since I saw him act, I was blown away. I respect him a lot and that’s why it was really special for me.
You have worked with Anurag Kashyap earlier, having assisted him in a few films. But what was the experience like being directed by him in oneIJ
The best part about Anurag sir is that he’s really intimate with his actors and gives them time to prepare for the part. So, in many ways, this helps the actors a lot. He understands their requirements since he’s himself been an actor and done a fair share of theatre. He helped me a lot with the character throughout the film shoot.
Kashyap is known for the dark, brooding characters that he creates for his films. Did you refer to any characters from his films or any other actor’s role in another filmIJ
Well, the most important thing was to understand the psyche of the character I was playing. So there was no reference as such. With the drug thing though, I did a lot of study, especially with the method of taking it. It had to look real and not staged. So I had to learn how to make it and snort it. For that we used a combination of Glucon-D and cornflour while filming the scenes.
Your father has been a well-known action director in Hindi films. Do you someday wish to be in an action filmIJ
Of course! I’m dying to be in an action film someday. As an audience I love watching action films and as an actor, too, I’m waiting for a great role in an action film. It would be great to be part of such a film that has a good story and a good character for me. I hope it happens really soon.
What about a mainstream commercial Bollywood filmIJ
Why notIJ Actually, my next film is actually an out and out mainstream commercial film which is nothing like what I’ve done so far. It is a little early to talk about it though, but something is definitely happening.
Just a few days before Father’s Day, we saw you in a Google ad, The Hero. How did that happenIJ
It was pure co incidence. One day, the director, Ravi Sharma and I were working out at the gym and that’s where he narrated the story to me. Then he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it and I said, “Yes, of course!” It was special to me for many reasons. One definitely being the tribute to fathers and another to Bollywood. It was an honour for me to be a part of it.
Thanks for talking to us and wish you all the best for your film.
Thank you.