Priyaank Sharma explains why he never really missed having a sibling and that his dream film would be with his producer dad, actress mother and the extended family
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 12, 2019)

Priyaank Sharma, who debuts with the romcom Sab Kushal Mangal, the first release of 2020, reveals that he was inclined towards dramatics since he was in school but decided on becoming an actor only after a detailed discussion with his parents, producer Tutu Sharma and actress Padmini Kolhapure. “I watched films and mimicked actors but conversations with mom and dad were about studies, food and what one was doing,” he informs, adding that despite formal training in acting and filmmaking from a New York-based institute, the real learning happened while assisting Rajkumar Santoshi on Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, in which Padmini played Shahid Kapoor’s mother. “I worked closely with Raj sir on the scripting too. He was juggling multiple scripts and I learnt about drama, comedy and other zones of commercial cinema.”

Once, while trying to grasp the different aspects of filmmaking, he gave his mother a different page for her scene and she rehearsed her lines. It was when the camera rolled that everyone realised the mix-up. But Padmini, being the talented actress she is, improvised on the set and got the scene done without delay.

His co-star in his debut film is Akshaye Khanna and Priyaank admits he’s a fan of his work. During the shoot, Akshaye was like an elder brother who guided him at every step. “We had multiple conversations and that gave me a lot of confidence. We have around 60-65 scenes together,” he says.

Cousins Shraddha and Siddhanth Kapoor have also been promoting the Prachi Nitin Manmohan-produced film on social media and Priyaank says they share a warm relationship. “I have never missed having a sibling of my own, because Shraddha and Siddhanth were always there for me. They are very protective of me and call up every other day to check on me,” he smiles, recalling how, when they were kids, the trio would always come up with some dance or drama performances during family get-togethers and parties. “It was more in the Michael Jackson and Sridevi zone, and even today, we perform when together.”

Scan through his Instagram account and you will find a picture of him and Siddhanth posing against a Salman Khan poster. Priyaank laughs, “This was in bhaiyya’s room; he has Bollywood posters up on his walls. Our childhood was all about MJ, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. We kept getting clicked with their posters,” he confides.

High on his wish-list is a “family film” with his entire khandaan - mom Padmini, cousins Siddhanth and Shraddha, aunts Tejaswini and Shivangi, uncle Shakti Kapoor and his dad as a producer.

Apart from acting, the debutant is also passionate about mixing music and has performed as a DJ at private parties. “I wanted to play music as a kid, so the next step was to collect money, get a console and start mixing songs. I never accepted bookings from public spaces, but have played for family and friends,” he smiles.

Priyaank has been spotted with Karim Morani’s younger daughter, Shaza, many times and has even posted pictures with her on Instagram. Quiz him on this and he says shortly, “That’s my personal space, let’s not go there.”