Gautam Rode will become a superhuman in life OK’s Mahakumbh. He talks to S Mallik about his strengths and weaknesses
Mythological tales and epics have become a phenomenon of late, thanks to the exponential success of life OK’s Mahadev. So much so that the actors who portray religious deities on screen often find themselves flocked by ‘devotees’ at public places. AfterMahadev, life OK has come up with yet another mythological show Mahakumbh. “But the narrative of the story is unique and has something that has never been shown before,” said Gautam Rode, who plays Rudra (the central character of the show) during his promotional visit to the city.
looking dapper in a crisp white shirt and leather jacket, the actor was more than eager to share the difficulties that he had to go through before shooting Mahakumbh. “The character of Rudra was extremely challenging — both physically and mentally,” he said. The fact that he had no one to refer to for his character made it all the more difficult for him. He added, “I used to sit with Arvind Babbal (director) during what we used to call a workshop and he used to narrate to me details about the character. I noted all the points down and used to emulate them on my own because the character was a class apart from what I have ever done. He had certain sitting postures and different ways of reacting to situations.”
Gautam negated all theories of his character possessing supernatural powers. “He is just blessed with natural power but yes, there is an animal strength in him. He has got a pure heart and he does not think twice before helping someone in trouble or need. That is his strength and he does not fear death because he has spent his entire life in a shamshan ghat,” shared the actor who has not yet visited the Kumbh mela but plans to visit next year. There were also a few speculations about the significance of the mark that the actor sports on his back in the show. Gautam gladly cleared them and explained that the mark plays a very pivotal part in Rudra’s life as well as in the plot of the show. “The mark,” he said, “is something that the character is born with, which hides the secret of the Mahakumbh. It is a mark from God that identifies him as the chosen one, which he will realise quite later in the show.” Gautam also shared how the character grew up believing that the mark was curse due to which he was separated from his parents during the Kumbh mela and why all the people that he loved either moved away from him or left him. He added, “That is a trauma that he carries with him when he was growing up. He will eventually become the rakshak of Mahakumbh.”
To break away from a lover boy image in his last showSaraswatichandra to play a mythological character was something that Gautam had looked forward to. “It is difficult to get different roles on television. By the time I finish one project, my character becomes so famous that people cannot envision me in the skin of another character. We should break that myth and I have done exactly that with Rudra,” he said.
Mahakumbh will be broadcast in seasons. Out of the 120 episodes that are slotted for the first season, 30 have already been shot. “The script, dialogues and scenes are locked for this season and we will not be making any changes because we are convinced that it will strike a chord with the audience. What happens with serials is that makers wait for the TRPs to kick in and then they start making changes in the plot, script, dialogues and sometimes even the actors. That is where the show begins to lose focus. Every show is welcome till the time that they stick to the story and they have their own conviction,” he said.
Actors who have donned the role of mythological characters in the past often find it hard to shake off the image. But Gautam has not felt any pressure of keeping the image of a character outside the sets. “I don’t take pressure or keep expectations because then it becomes difficult to concentrate. I can’t think which show I did last or which show we are replacing. The only thing I am concentrating on is my acting. As it is the role is tough so if I start thinking about other things then I will not be able to perform my best,” the actor rounded off.