Delhi boy Pavail Gulati credits the city in a big way for helping him find his calling as an actor. Pavail says it’s his summer workshops at the National School Of Drama (NSD) and his family’s love for cinema and theatre – along with his experiences at film school, behind the camera (as assistant casting director for My Name Is Khan), and on stage – that helped pave the way for roles in films like Thappad and web series like Made In Heaven. During a chat, he traced his journey in showbiz so far and spoke about learning from, and acting with, veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Amitabh Bachchan. Excerpts:

Though he lives and works in Mumbai now, Pavail says Delhi played a huge role in him choosing a career in acting.

“My father, Kanwar Deepak Gulati, is a theatre practitioner, so I grew up watching a lot of plays. I did summer workshops at NSD and learnt dance with Shiamak Davar, so everything that led me to becoming an actor, started from Delhi,” he shares.

Not many know that Pavail started as an assistant casting director. “I was training to become an actor and after film school, when that period comes when you have to struggle and go for auditions, I knew that it is not going to be easy. Everybody thinks ki film school se nikalte hi producers and directors ki line hogi to sign you, but I knew that’s not going to happen because my parents told me ki aisa nahi hota. So, I thought it’s better that I start giving auditions on one side, and also learn from the other side how casting really happens.”

He adds, “I was Shanoo Sharma’s first assistant. I started with the film My Name Is Khan. I was working on a big budget film, but that was my first learning ground. It was my first experience of working on a film and how casting takes place and that made me learn about how actors perform in an audition, what are the dos and dont’s of it, etc. That gave me a head start, and helped a lot in terms of getting to know the craft. I was then assisting on ads to make money and editing short films. I also assisted Mukesh Chhabra and did theatre with Naseer sir on the side. Thode bohot paise aa jaate thay and that was the whole grind until Thappad happened,” explains the actor.

Talking about his experience in film school, he says, “Film school or no film school, it actually depends on the student. At the end of it, if I am in films, I am learning for the rest of my life. Every film teaches me something. So, you can go to the best film school in the world and yet learn nothing. Naseer sir used to tell us that acting can be learnt, it cannot be taught. Film schools give you the basic confidence. You watch a lot of stuff, you pick it up critically, and it builds your foundation really fast. I think it gives you a little edge over the others. I was a good student because I have grown up watching films. My parents still watch movies in theatres every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so going to a film school was like Disneyland for me. It was a beautiful experience,” he says.

Pavail, who has recently finished shooting for Goodbye, a movie where he shares screen space with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta, among others, tells us, “Mr Bachchan and I had worked in a show called Yudh (2014). I remember, at that time, I was young and really nervous to meet him. But this time, I had such a beautiful experience working with him. He is the kindest actor ever and I love doing scenes with him because he makes you a better actor. He rehearses so much and while doing a scene, you are in awe of him and he likes to compete with you. That’s what I love about him, he is a hungry actor that when you are doing a scene with him, he is a scene stealer. That competition sort of makes you work better, and harder.”