Rising from the realms of regional films to becoming a national star, Pratik Gandhi has reinforced the fact that dreams do come true sometimes. While he continues to scale new heights, the one thing that hasn’t changed in Pratik’s life, despite his tryst with Bollywood is his first love — theatre. He made a comeback to theatre recently with a performance in Ahmedabad, following it up with his directorial debut for another Gujarati play. During a recent interaction, Pratik spoke to us about why he’s so passionate about theatre and films. Excerpts:

Theatre has always been my comfort zone, a place where I feel I always belong. During the pandemic, we couldn’t do any plays and even after that, I couldn’t get back to theatre as I was busy with other projects. So, I wanted to get back to that space and see if I still have it in me (laughs). And I felt like a newcomer when I took the stage after such a long gap. I felt the butterflies in my stomach, the anxiety and the excitement were back. It made me realise why I love theatre. The moment I was on stage, everything else seemed irrelevant. It was just me and the audience. I felt I was back where I belonged.

My very next project after Scam 1992 that became a hit, was a Gujarati web series and I did that show because the story was very compelling. A lot of people told me not to do it, but I went ahead because I loved the story. This is how I’ve approached all my projects post Scam 1992. I don’t let the pressure of delivering a hit get the better of me or impact my mental well-being. Success means different things to different people. As an actor, I feel am a success when I am able to play different characters convincingly. I don’t consciously pick projects that can become successful, I tend to go by my instinct.

This is the best time for creative people and those who want to experiment in the entertainment industry. There is no tag like a ‘regional actor’ anymore. In fact, regional entertainment industries have captured the audience’s imagination and provided quality content. I feel Bollywood has missed the beat at times because most of the films that aren’t doing well commercially were made three years ago. Since then, the audience’s taste has changed so drastically that some of these Hindi films looked and felt stale. Having said that, if a film that was shot before the pandemic can look old in just two years, there is something wrong with the project in the first place.

Moving into the Bollywood circle never felt alien to me. I totally feel like I belong there. In fact, I am getting to do different stuff. Bollywood is the biggest stage any actor can dream of and I have got this wonderful chance of working with actresses like Taapsee Pannu and Vidya Balan. It has been a fantastic ride so far. Working with such powerhouse performers made me realise that they are as passionate about the craft as I am. And that puts you on the same level as them.