Actor Amit Sadh gets candid with Chahak Mittal and talks about his understanding of film characters, Indian cinema and how the length of screen presence is just a number now as compared to its import
Many would recall Omi from Kai Po Che (2013) as the one who got involved in religious politics in his town and later mistakenly killed his own friend in the riots. However, his emotional breaking down in front of his late friend’s sister in the end was the audience’s ultimate takeaway from actor Amit Sadh’s highly relatable character — a fierce youngster whose anger was fuelled by instances of personal loss.
Well, the actor, who had once shared how he went out of work for some time after the role, has now come a long way in reaching what he had thought of as an actor. From Guddu of Guddu Rangeela (2015), Shivaji Nagre of Sarkar 3 (2017), Raghubir Pratap Singh of Gold (2018) to Amit Barot of Barot House (2019), he has some critically acclaimed roles in his portfolio today. And now, the actor is back with the “most intense of all,” Kabir Sawant of Breathe (2018) with its season 2, Breathe: Into The Shadows. The psychological thriller is a gripping tale of a parent’s quest to save his family.
Even though Amit’s “Yeh mera case hai, main hi solve karunga,” from the teaser might explain how he owns the plot here, how different is this Kabir from season 1? The actor is quick to explain, “Trailers are only 10 to 15 per cent of what you are actually going to experience in the series. Kabir Sawant was present in the first part and he is here again. It’s a new world and a new dimension altogether. We have worked harder on Kabir in this season. We have really upped the game, put a lot of effort in writing and tried creating something thrilling for the audience.”
Creating Kabir, a cop who investigates the series of murders happening in the city, surely took a lot of background research. For Amit, it’s been four years since he is working on the character and it’s all because of “the way it has been written” (by director Mayank Sharma). He adds, “I would also say that I understand this world a lot raw. I know a lot of people there and have been fascinated by them. I have hence tried to take inspiration from reality and keep it as authentic and equally dramatic as I can. When you make a series or a film, you want it to be real. And at the same time, you also want it to be aspirational.”
Looking at the recent examples in Bollywood, there has been a surge of grey roles. Actors have stopped putting their character into a box. Is Kabir also headed the same way? Amit points out that Kabir isn’t a grey character, rather he is a “protector.” He adds that he is just an intense character who is focussed on his targets.
“And yes, the fact that roles have taken a new shape in Indian cinema is right. I think now we have passed that stage of determining the good and the bad or the right and the wrong. We are exploring humanhood in complexity, in being damaged and in survival. What makes Breathe special is that all its characters have that dimension. Sometimes they are good, at times bad, and other times, they are failing, too. The audience connects with such lives. As actors and as an industry, we have become more courageous and we’re more inclined to explore and experiment now,” says he.
There have been a plenty murder mysteries written and filmed in the past. The genre, specifically, demands something different each time. In a thriller, there can’t be any repetition or a storyline that could be easily predicted. It has to be fresh. Amit agrees. One of the most important things when you chase a psychological thriller is “whodunit.” He adds, “Kisne kiya, kaise kiya, kyun kiya? When the audience starts raising such questions in their mind, the film or series works. Season 1 worked because it kept their intrigue alive. In season 2, we have tried upping it even more. I hope this becomes one of the best psychological thrillers in India.”
The season 2 revolves around a father (played by Abhishek Bachchan) whose daughter has been kidnapped and for three months, he’s left with no clue of her whereabouts. Just as he begins to lose hope, he receives a package that connects him the kidnapper, who demands him to do what could turn out to be a heinous crime — murder — in exchange of his daughter. As one moves towards the trailer’s end, the mother (played by Nithya Menen) tells her husband that (no matter how dark), he is a person who has done the best he could to save his family.
Well, talking about this practically, is it viable in real life — a parent going to any extent to protect his family, even murdering? Amit says, “It’s a very tricky question! I will definitely say that for Indian parents, this stands true. They will go to a great extent to protect their family. If it comes on me, even I will protect my kids with my life.”
When we counter question, “Really? Murdering too?” He laughs and adds, “My answer was only till Indian parents! You’ve added the murdering bit. Well, it’s a series, so there has to be a certain documentation, wavelength and drama. That dialogue is just one thing it sticks to. That is how a show or a film is dramatised. It does keep that curiosity intact and gives a thrill up your spine. There’s a hook in it for the audience to work.”
Looking at his recent past, in Hrithik Roshan-starrer Super 30, the actor played a cameo. However, the role turned out to be equally important for the film’s narrative. Well, such minor roles have surely become a thing now — appearing on the screen for a short span but bringing some impactful and major twists to the plot. Amit is quick to say, “I like how honestly this has been put up to me. Especially, the intention behind it, it’s so beautiful! However, I would like to make a correction here that we cannot call it a “minor” role. It was the one which impacted the film. When the director called me for the role, he also explained it to me by using the term. ‘Ek minor role hai, karoge?’ But I told him that it’s not minor. I will do it because it’s a special film and I will be very glad to be a “part” of it. I knew that it would do well as it has a great message. I felt that it would be good on my part if I could give a bit of myself to it and work with them. It became special.”
For Amit, the span of an actor’s screen presence does not matter. The character is what makes the difference. There could be times when an actor is on the screen all the time and even then, not leave a mark on the audience. “Times have changed today. The critics and the media have started focussing on minute details. They have started looking at characters very closely. They don’t see the screen time anymore because an actor could be present on the screen for three hours or thirty minutes too. For India, what matters more is an actor’s performance and not for how long he has been present. This is also a personal understanding. As an actor, I don’t look into minor or major. I look at the craft, the story and the reward I later get when I am appreciated for that presence,” says he.
“People made me doubt myself,” the actor had once said. Well, after garnering some decent reviews for his works, Amit has certainly come very far now. He says, “Yes, I said it at that time because when you get rejections, you tend to feel let down. But that’s just a part and parcel of life. You can’t complain. Especially, for an actor, you have to simply accept. But now that I am working hard on various things, I am really happy. I am able to connect with the audience. People are understanding me and my work. It feels great. And I will till date say this. Have I arrived? No. Will I ever arrive? No. In fact, recently when I was talking to a friend, he said, ‘Sir ab aapka hogaya (you’re done now). I asked what happened? He said aap aagaye ab (you’ve arrived). And I felt, no. Don’t say like that. I haven’t done anything yet. He then asked when will I arrive? I said in five years and realised this is the reality. Five years back, I felt I’d do it in the next five years. When I was 25, I thought I’ll be able to make it in another five years or till the time I turn 30. However, when I reached 30, I still felt there’s more to it. I need some time more. Abhi toh aage bohot kuch bacha hai. So I now feel I’ll never be able to reach that stage. But it has an advantage — I’ll never stop! Well, this is the process. I just want to get better. I want to create a good environment when I work. That’s my dream. And I really mean it!”
Amit believes that Kabir Sawant is one role that chose him rather than he being the selector. He says in a perplexed tone, “I think we will have to ask Kabir Sawant why he chose me (laughs). The producer had called me back then and told me about the role saying, ‘Tum yeh karlo bas!’ And touchwood, I did it. I am so grateful.”
(The series releases on Amazon Prime Video on July 10.)
