In high spirits after the thunderous applause in Cannes, Shashank Arora tells R Sharma that filmmakers need to make movies for the right reason
In a country where engineer’s son doesn’t want to be an engineer, artist’s son doesn’t want to follow his father’s footsteps, here is a car thief’s son who doesn’t want to be a car thief. He wants to escape the patriarchal world where he is saturated with masculinity. He wants to run way from this oppressive household where he is beaten every day and have a normal life,” says Shashank Arora who plays Titli in the forthcoming movie Titli directed by Kanu Bhel and produced by Aditya Chopra and Dibakar Banerjee
The young actor actor shares that it was really difficult for him to play the part. The only apprehension he had whether he would be able to make it alive through the rough and harsh days of shooting or not. “It was very difficulty to play the role. I am from a part of Delhi where I have been blessed enough to have food in my plate. I don’t know how 70 per cent of my city lives in.
I know that is shameful and I can vouch in the fact that the remaining 30 per cent also don’t know about it. Whatever little I explored in these two months, I realised how does it feel to wake up where you don’t have paani, and that not for one or two days but everyday. Where you are beaten with a chappal while you are studying for your IAS exams, and you have Sainik farms and BMWs right in front of you, so it was really challenging,” he says.
Not only the actor had to face the harsh realities of life, he also made sure that he does justice to the part given to him. When we asked him was there anything that he had to keep in mind while playing the part. And he adds, “I was was told that it is a documentary and I am expected to be as real as possible. He further shares, “Agar nakhuno mein gand dikhana hai toh dikhana hai (If we want to show dirt in your nails then we want real dirt), you are not supposed to pretend but rather act real, this is how I was prepared for the role.”
Though there are stark differences between Shashank and Titli, the actor shares with us that he finds some similarities as well. “Titli wants to escape from his personal problems and I have my own personal reasons to get away. We
As a lot has been in news lately regarding the young actor’s role in Rock On!! 2 i, he shares, “Yes,Rock On!! 2 is happening and I have other projects that I can’t talk about right now. I am ready to do good as well as bad movies.”
Clearing his stance right away on what he means by bad movies, the young actor concludes, “Filmmakers need to make it for the right reason.”
photos Sanjeev Kumar