Sushant Singh Rajput prepares for his next two films; one based in 1940s, other in 2050!
Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 28, 2014)


The actor, who with just three films, has created a space for himself in the industry, is all set to make a 110-year journey in the course of two films. He will be seen next in two period films — Dibakar Bannerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and Shekhar Kapoor’s Paani. While in the former Sushant plays a detective in Kolkata in the 1940s, in the latter he goes into the future, as a ghetto-boy from Mumbai in the year 2050.

The cultural and chronological leap is tremendous, and Sushant is revelling in every bit of the challenge. He says, “I’m ready to make a 110-year leap from my one film to the next. In Byomkesh, though I had to go back in time, I had solid reference points. I watched a lot of films from that era. Then, of course, Dibakar was there to guide me. With Paani there are no references. I’ve the freedom to interpret my character in any way I like. In the rehearsals and workshops, Shekhar has allowed me complete freedom to do what I like with the character. Such supreme freedom is also a kind of captivity as you tend to go overboard. With Shekhar’s help I am trying to make my character in Paani believable.”

About his very unorthodox selection of roles (an aspiring cricketer in Kai Po Che, a horny wastrel in Shudh Desi Romance, a detective and a ghetto-Romeo in next films), Sushant says the irregular is the regular for him. “I don’t think I’d be comfortable playing the typical lover-boy romancing pretty girls in designer clothes. I’d die if I’ve to play stereotypical characters. I may fail with some of my unconventional choices. But I’d rather die with spectacular failures than mediocre successes.”