Jal unfolds a complex story of love, relationships, enmity, deceit and circumstances that bring out the dark side of human character. Actor Purab Kohli and director Girish Malik chatted with K Bhardwaj
Visualising Purab Kohli as the protagonist of a film with a rural backdrop doesn’t come easy. The happy-go-lucky guy, who so far has played varied characters on screen has come a long way. Perhaps, his forthcoming film Jal is an attempt to break the preconceived notions. “I know people perceive me as a cool urban lad, which is true since I am born and brought up in Mumbai, but I wonder what stops filmmakers to offer me challenging characters. At the end of the day, I am an actor. Jal was an exciting project and I am glad that somebody looked at me differently. How can people assume I might not fit into certain characters without even taking the auditionsIJ A director’s vision is to allow actors to prepare for roles and challenge themselves,” he said.
The energy and freshness that he exudes is like that of an 18-year-old boy brimming with excitement. According to Purab, his big day has finally arrived with Jal, which could be a bigger hit than Rock On. “Rock On took me to new heights but I couldn’t translate the success into films. Four big productions houses signed me as lead but withdrew films back to back due to recession. May be, they didn’t want to take risks with me during the low phase. It discouraged me a lot. I started questioning my own choices because I declined offers from top filmmakers. But thankfully, television always loved me and I survived. I did a few shows before Girish approached me for a film. We worked on it for a year but as luck would have it, it too got shelved. But we knew we would take our association further. I immediately lapped up Jal when he offered the script. I had never done anything like that. Jal has the potential to penetrate into the smaller pockets,” he said.
Jalis the story of a young water diviner, Bakka (Purab), who is gifted with a special ability to find water in the desert. With the backdrop of water paucity, the film tells a complex and fascinating story of love, relationships, enmity, deceit and circumstances that bring about the dark side of human characters. Shooting was no cakewalk for actors. The crew had to shoot in scorching sun with simmering temperature of over 50 degrees and was dependent on nature’s mercy. “Birds, camels and natural light were part of everyday shoot. We didn’t have a luxurious set and it was quite tough, especially for the director and female actors. We would begin the day at five in morning and finish by sunset,” he told us. Did he face problemsIJ “I started my career with travel shows and by the age of 27, I had travelled across the length and breadth of the country. Going back to Kutch was exciting. The moment you hit the land, you find it overwhelming. People have strong faces, you see history of generations in them. I interacted with locals because I wanted to be part of the project. In the film, the character of Bukka has spiritual side to it. And that has stayed with me. I think there’s more to life beyond everyday issues,” he said.
The film is already doing the rounds at international film fests. Director Girish Malik said, “There is a perception that offbeat films are not for the masses but Jal is entertaining and has comic and romantic elements.”