With Avrodh depicting the 2016 surgical strikes, Amit Sadh says he is unfazed by comparisons with Vicky Kaushal's Uri
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; August 4, 2020)

It has been a busy month for Amit Sadh. After Breathe -  Into The Shadows, the actor had three more releases — Shakuntala Devi, Yaara and Avrodh: The Siege Within — all in a span of four weeks. "When I didn't have work, people complained that they don't get to see me. So, I'm sure my fans will be thrilled to see my work back-to-back. All I did was to submit to the masterplan that the universe had for me," grins the actor.

His latest series on Sony LIV, Avrodh, a retelling of the 2016 surgical strikes, is based on a chapter from Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh's book, India's Most Fearless. The nine-part series, which was conceptualised after eight months of research, was ready since late last year. "I was offered this role when I was lean and weighed about 72 kilos, and was filming my cameo in Super 30. The director [Raj Acharya] gave me pictures of men in Special Forces who had big builds. That is when I took the challenge [of bulking up]. My brother, who is in the Indian Army, introduced me to someone in the Special Force units. Their training protocol, manner of functioning, orders and responses are quite different from regular armed forces."

Before facing the camera as a Special Force officer, Sadh read India's Most Fearless as part of his prep. "I have read both their books [in the series]. Their research in the books has been accepted by the army chief, and several others in the armed forces." The actor reveals arrangements are underway for a screening of the series for the army personnel.

The 2016 Uri attacks has already been depicted on the big screen with the much acclaimed Uri: The Surgical Strikes. Comparisons with the Vicky Kaushal-starrer do not bother Sadh. "I am like Arjun with my eyes trained on the target. We didn't make Avrodh keeping such comparisons in mind. Uri was a great film and I am a fan of Vicky's work. I will be thrilled if Vicky watches the series," he says.

While Abhishek Bachchan-fronted Breathe 2 has its share of fans, the series was panned by critics for its contrived storytelling. Says Sadh, "I have only read the audience's reviews, and they have loved it. I only consider the views expressed by the audience, my director, and the studio. With due respect, I will not [pay heed] to criticism by five people, who are doing the job of giving star ratings. I prefer to know whether my fans liked my work or not."

To convincingly portray an Army officer in his upcoming web series, Amit Sadh on how he bulked up in three months
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 5, 2018)

His successful web outing Breathe behind him, Amit Sadh is now hard at work for Applause entertainment’s drama, India Strikes - 10 Days, which is based on the 2016 Uri attacks. Apart from getting into the mindspace of the character, the actor had to bulk up to slip into the role of Major Mike Tango, the mission leader of the Indian Army’s Special Forces team that conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps along the LoC. “It was a conscious decision to show the physicality that Special Force officers have,” begins Sadh. Training rigorously under the guidance of Rakesh Udiyar — the man who helped Aamir Khan pile on the kilos for Dangal — the actor recounts how he went from a lean 72 kilos to 90 kilos for the Raj Acharya-directed drama. The key, he says, was to stick to his regimen of body weight training and cardio. “Over a period of three months, I would do fasted cardio — which is essentially working out on an empty stomach — every morning, and then work on my abs. Post that, I used to go back home, have two meals and then return for another round of cardio and weight training,” says Sadh, adding that kick-boxing too featured prominently in his routine. His dietary modifications implied that he had to cut down on sugar entirely.

Sadh says the demanding workout regimen, coupled with the dietary changes, often took a toll on him mentally. “There were days when I would be snappy when a workout session was not to my liking. I went through mood swings; there were days when I went back home wondering if all my efforts were worth it. But I channelled it in a positive way, I went to my next gym session and worked harder.” 

MUMBAI MIRROR (August 23, 2018)

Applause Entertainment, the content studio from the Aditya Birla Group headed by Sameer Nair, is set to bring a gritty, realistic and dramatic recounting of the recent Uri terror attacks onto the web.They announced India Strikes -10 Days, a multi-season web series with talented cast and show runner Samar Khan of Irada Entertainment. Now, the studio has announced that Amit Sadh will feature as the lead actor in this much-awaited series.

Being a versatile actor, Amit has made an impact with his performances in films like Gold, Sultan and Kai Po Che, and the web series Breathe. This series is based on the first chapter from Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book India’s Most Fearless.

The incident is fresh in the mind of every Indian — Pakistani militants had attacked the Indian Army brigade in Uri, Kashmir on September 18, 2016. Making a marked departure from diplomacy and protest, the Indian government gave a clear message to its neighbouring state. Displaying a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and unprovoked violence, Indian Armed Forces selectively retaliated by attacking terrorist camps across the Line of Control.

The series is being directed by Raj Acharya, who has previously directed the show The Battle Of Saragarhi and was also the assistant director for Talaash. Meanwhile, Harmanjit Singha, Sudeep Nigam, Abhishek Chaterjee and Aadhar Khurana have scripted this ten-part thriller.

Commenting on the announcement, Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, said, “Amit and I go back a long way, as he made his TV debut. He is a focused and passionate performer who brings heft and experience to a part. Applause Entertainment is focused on creating a niche of qualitative and engaging fiction drama series on the web that connects with the Indian digital viewing appetite. India Strikes - 10 Days highlights the role of our security forces in protecting our country and people.”

Amit added, “I am excited to get associated with Applause Entertainment on a thrilling series based on a real mission which is one of the most challenging roles I have done so far. My character offers scope to display a fresh side of me as an actor. Major Tango is someone who has many shades to him — bravery, a host of emotions, and everything in between.”

Samar added, “India Strikes - 10 Days brings together an experienced and passionate team focused on creating a series that captures a powerful moment which will get audiences involved. I look forward to delivering this series and filming this powerful story.”

Raj said, “I found the mission and its treatment by our writers very compelling. I look forward to developing and shooting this series. We want to tell our audiences this true story through an intense narrative and transport them into a world of drama and emotions.”

India Strikes - 10 Days begins filming soon in Mumbai and Kashmir, and the show is expected to stream early next year. Applause Entertainment has an exciting line up of upcoming shows including Taj — A Monument of Blood with Contiloe Pictures, Hasmukh with Ranvir Shorey, Vir Das and Nikkhil Advani, The Scam with Hansal Mehta, Criminal Justice and The Office, City of Dreams with Nagesh Kukunoor, and has over 20 premium shows lined up for the year.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 9, 2018)

Rohan Sippy, who has directed films like Bluffmaster! and Dum Maaro Dum, recently made the transition to television and directed a couple of episodes of Khan No 1, which he is also producing. The other episodes will be directed by his industry friends.

“Each episode has a different story and setting. I helmed the one about a pimp who turns into a godman and another about young struggling actors turning conmen. Kunaal Roy Kapur has directed an episode and so has Raj Acharya. Dharmesh Mehta, known for Gujarati movies and the popular TV show Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has also come on board,” Rohan says.

Speaking about his cast, Sippy says that Rajesh Sharma is the sutradhar as well as the cop who brings criminals to justice. “Other than him being a constant, every episode has new characters. We have some fun cameos by actors like Pitobash Tripathy playing a conman,” he informs.

Sippy admits that crime has always interested him and the genre is popular on TV. “When I pitched the idea, it was called Bluffmaster! because thanks to journalists, we keep reading crazy crime stories every day and that is where the inspiration came from. There are so many Buntys and Bablis out there, and while there are a lot of shows about rapes and murders, there wasn’t any about white-collar crimes. We aren’t getting into the violent space,” he adds.

He admits that it takes a while to adjust to TV as you are working with limited resources as compared to films and ads. “My memories of the shoot are blurred because there’s so much to pack in so little time, there’s no breathing space,” he says.