‘In the journey of coming out of the dark phase, I understand humans better,’ says Amit Sadh
The Kai Po Che! actor breaks silence about his troubled childhood and adulthood, Amit Sadh is completely healed now. Amit is winning hearts for playing the angry special branch police officer Kabir Sawant in Amazon Prime Video’s latest web series Breathe.
The actor tried to humanise the character. Asked if the compassion came from the dark phases of his personal life, Amit said: “As an individual, I am completely healed now. I had a troubled childhood, a troubled adulthood but now I am totally healed. I am lucky that there are people around me to support. I don’t shy away from accepting that I had a troubled past, but in the journey of coming out of the dark phase, I understand humans better. I am less judgmental and more compassionate. I learnt empathy and forgiveness, and that gives me confidence as a person.”
There was a phase in his life, especially after his break up from his girlfriend Neeru Bajwa, when he went through emotional ups and downs. He was reportedly on drugs and alcohol in his growing up years.
When asked how did he approach this character, Amit replied, “When Mayank Sharma (the director of the show) narrated the story to me, I felt connected to the character. Kabir is a strong man from outside but broken from within. He is misunderstood by the society and therefore, not an easily likable guy. For an actor like me, that was the most interesting part to play,” he said.
“There is a certain sense of honesty in Kabir’s actions. He is aggressive and focused; almost like a tiger attacking a deer while hunting. I, as an individual, understood the character enough to treat him with a little more compassion and humanity.”
He lived the life of Kabir in his mind for three months while shooting for the series. “There is nothing called ‘switch-on or switch-off’ in an actor. We are not machines. So, I sat down with my director and discussed my method of acting for this one and he approved it. “On the set, there were people who made fun of me but later the same people clapped and appreciated watching my performance. That’s the impact,” said the alumnus of The lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, New York.
He started his acting career in 2002 with the TV show Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr. Apart from doing fiction shows, he also participated in reality shows Bigg Boss and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. On his choice of projects, the Sultan actor said: “Whether it is a film, television serial or web series, there are three basic things that I consider when I give a nod to a project. Firstly, is the story bringing any effect on my mindIJ Secondly, the integrity of the makers, and how it will impact the society once the story goes on the public platform.”