There is a lot on Aditya Seal’s plate—from Hardik Gajjar’s Amar Prem to the Kajol-starrer Maharagni: Queen Of Queens. But nothing excites the actor more than sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar in the Mudassar Aziz-directed film Khel Khel Mein. Working on the comedy drama, especially with Kumar, was “an incredible experience,” says the actor, who is known for his performances in Tum Bin 2 (2016) and Student Of The Year 2 (2019).

Opening up on his experience, Seal says, “Akshay is not just a superstar but an industry stalwart whose work I have admired for years. His filmography, from romance and biopics to drama, sports, and action, is unparalleled. He has dabbled in almost every genre with remarkable ease and success.”

Seal reveals that while working with his idol has been wonderful, his father is a bigger admirer of the actor.

“My father has been a fan of Akshay’s action. To let me walk in Akshay’s footsteps, my father took me to Bangkok when I was young to stay and learn martial arts. Working with him now [feels like] a full-circle moment.”

When the makers of Indoo Ki Jawani saw Aditya Seal in Student Of The Year 2 (2019), they knew they had found their hero. But they worried whether an actor, who played such a glamorous part in SOTY 2, would fit into their film. "This is a much rustic character," begins Seal, who stars opposite Kiara Advani in the comedy. "Director Abir (Sengupta) had his vision and knew exactly what he wanted. It was the happiest set I have ever been on. It's so integral to setting the tone in a comedy. The film isn't slapstick but is more of a comedy of errors. It contributes towards cinema if the humour is beyond baseless. Cinema should have depth and a social slant. I am all for entertainment but movies should give people something to think about."

The trailer left everyone wondering whether Seal plays a Pakistani character. "That's a well-guarded secret," he laughs. Unfortunately though, soon after the promo dropped, a section of netizens attacked the film, claiming that it highlighted a Pakistani man-Indian woman romance. "Till the time one hasn't watched the film, what are they commenting about really? People have seen 2 minutes of a 2-hour long film and they've judged the entire film. This is the stereotype that we are attempting to break with the film. The core of the movie is about how we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. To play Samar, I had to defeat my own conditioning and stop judging the world on mere appearances. Everybody has been through a lot this year. When I saw the movie's trailer, I found it refreshing. I have myself been through a lot this year and the film's glimpses have made me smile, given me hope. I wish people could start to lighten up a little. I have a problem when people pass judgements just because they have a mouthpiece given."

The actor has had a rough year, having lost his father to Coronavirus in September. Taking a cue from the words of Meghan Markle, we ask him the one question that we were evading: Is he okay? "No, I am not okay. I don't know how I am coping. Honestly, now that I reflect upon the last few months, I don't know how we got by that. My heart kept saying that I should pause. I wanted to stop and process my grief. But it felt like I don't have the option to. I grew up before I wanted to. There are a lot of responsibilities on my head so I have to keep going. Once my worries are over, will the enormity of what has happened sink in."

Actor Aditya Seal, who was seen in Tum Bin 2 (2016) and Student Of The Year 2 (2019), lost his father, Ravi Seal, to Coronavirus recently. A few days later, he dived deep into work to distract himself from the loss he had suffered. After completing the patchwork for a forthcoming film, the actor is busy prepping for choreographer Bosco Martis’ directorial debut Rocket Gang.

“For the first 15 days, it didn’t sink in that I would no longer get to see my father. It took more than a fortnight to come to terms with this loss. My sister and mom were miserable, but I had to hold fort. One night, it suddenly hit me that I will never really see my dad again. That’s when I broke down and would often cry, but only when I would be alone. On the sets, I tried not to think about it. I would never have liked to feel like a grown-up man this way,” says Aditya.

Aditya says that it was his father’s work ethic that inspired him to return to the set soon after the personal loss. He shares, “It was difficult to deal with losing my father suddenly, but I knew that he would have wanted me to get back to work. He started working at 14 and worked till the age of 61. Wherever we are in life, is because he worked hard for it. I hope to be as relentless towards work as he was. I have a lot more responsibility towards my mother and sister now. My mother has been a homemaker all her life. Suddenly, her world has changed. I plan to help her be a little more independent, starting with working on brushing up her driving skills and teaching her net banking. I want her to feel confident about managing these things on her own.”

While on set, Aditya is extremely cautious and ensures that people around him, too, take the pandemic seriously. He says, “My father was doing well, but suddenly his condition worsened in the last three days. Whenever I am on the set, I am a lot more cautious, because I don’t want to put anyone’s health at risk. I carry four sanitisers, two masks, gloves, the works... I ensure that I follow all the precautionary measures. In fact, I didn’t go back home when I was shooting. I stayed elsewhere, so that people at home would be safe.”