Showing posts with label Rajat Barmecha interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajat Barmecha interview. Show all posts
It took me two years after my debut film, Udaan, to even understand how this industry really works-Rajat Barmecha
8:06 AM
Hasti Doshi (BOMBAY TIMES; December 1, 2022)
Actor Rajat Barmecha, who grabbed the spotlight 12 years ago with Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, has today, found a foothold on the digital platform. Bring up the dozen years that have passed since his debut, and he says, “The journey has been productive. I have made two parallel journeys — one was personal and the other was professional. On the work front, I admit I faced several ups and downs; it was like being on a roller coaster. It was a different world when I entered show business. It took me two years after my debut film, Udaan, to even understand how this industry really works. When I look back, I do feel that I could have done things differently. And yet, I wouldn’t like to change anything about what I’ve experienced so far. At a personal level, I have experienced growth and maturity. From the raw energy of absolute youth, when I used to get intimidated by people and things around me to now, I’ve become more confident, composed and self-assured.”
After making a notable debut, the actor’s career took a long pause before the OTT space rebooted it. Rajat, who has been part of web shows such as Love Lust And Confusion, Girl In The City and Hey Prabhu! adds, “The industry is very different now,” reasons the actor, adding, “Earlier, producers were not ready to invest as much money on a newcomer, who was all of 21. It was less about a story and more about the actor. People have now begun to focus on content. Makers want to experiment and work with newer actors. It’s the perfect time to be an actor. In these years, I don’t feel that I’ve lost anything. These years only prepared me better, so I can take on more work and deliver some promising performances. I was offered some work, but I turned it all down because it didn’t work for me. If I had become successful 10 years ago, I probably would have lost myself about five years after that. Things are in an upswing now, probably because I can now handle it. I’m excited about the project I’ve recently completed. I’ve worked on a few web shows and I wanted to get back to films, which is also gradually taking shape. I just hope people like what I deliver.”
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Udaan actor recalls spending additional hours on cricket ground to nab sport he wasn’t well-versed in, for new role
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; December 1, 2022)
While an opportunity to play a cricket professional is one that most Indian actors would latch onto without apprehensions, Kacchey Limbu actor Rajat Barmecha admits to exercising caution while taking on the film. “I am not a cricket enthusiast, and was not good at the game,” admits the actor whose character is meant to be a superlative cricketer.
“While [co-actors] Radhika Madan and Ayush Mehra also had to learn the game over 45 days, my character had to look technically sound. So, my coaching sessions would begin an hour or two earlier than theirs, and would end later too. Often, I wasn’t afforded the off-days that the others were. Before the training, I didn’t even know what cover drive and square cut were. Today, of course, my game is significantly better.”
Shubham Yogi’s directorial debut, which premiered at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, is headed to the World Film Festival of Bangkok on December 3. Subsequent screenings will be held at the International Film Festival of Kerala on December 12 and 14. “It is great for a small [budget] film to come out and travel to various festivals. Consequently, the festival round gives the movie a much bigger platform and reach, back home,” points out Barmecha.
He concedes that ahead of the TIFF premiere, he was uncertain about a foreign audience’s reaction to a film about cricket. “But, it was wonderful to see that people were reacting to every [emotion]; they even reacted to a scene that was a commentary about an issue.”
In India, except for Dil Chahta Hai, we have never had an authentic backpacking film-Rajat Barmecha
8:23 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2020)
Rajat Barmecha, who was noticed for his acting debut in Udaan (2010), is now exploring other creative aspects of filmmaking. He has penned the script of a film, which he claims will be India’s first backpacking movie. In a chat with BT, he talks about the inspiration behind his script. Excerpts...
While you have had outings in the digital space, one has not seen you on the big screen for a long time. And now, you have penned the script for a film. Tell us about it...
It’s a travel film. In India, we have never had an authentic backpacking film. Yes, we have had an iconic movie like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), which is about three friends who travel to Goa, but that’s about it. Anyone, who has heard or done backpacking, will completely relate to this film.
How did this story come about?
For the first year after Udaan, there wasn’t much happening, and things didn’t shape up the way I had expected them to. During that time, I saw a film called Into The Wild. It motivated me so much and made me realise that there is life beyond just cinema, work and money. So, I started backpacking solo. This was in 2015, and since then, most of my trips have been solo. The script comes from personal experiences — the people I have met, and the stories they have told me.
What inspired you to give writing a shot after acting?
The credit for it goes to Vikram’s (Udaan director Vikramaditya Motwane) mom, Deepa aunty. After the film, whenever she would meet me, she would ask me, ‘What’s happening next?’ And I would tell her that while I was getting offers, nothing interesting had come up. So, she told me, ‘If you can’t find the work that you are looking for, create it for yourself’.
Have you finalised the cast for your film? Will you act in it?
At its core, this is a love story. I would like to essay the lead character, because I created it for myself. The girl opposite me has to be a foreigner because that’s the demand of the script. I have a couple of Spanish actors in mind, but I haven’t approached anyone yet. I am in the process of registering the script, which has been delayed because of the pandemic.
People, from distant relatives to the media, wanted to know what I was doing next-Rajat Barmecha
8:26 AM
Rajat Barmecha, the wonder boy of Udaan, reveals that backpacking around the world for five years helped him deal with lack of film offers
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 2, 2020)
Seventeen-year-old Rajat Barmecha came to Mumbai chasing fame, success, and money. Within six months of landing Udaan, filmmaker-mentor Vikramaditya Motwane had him hooked on world cinema and acting. His turn as a boy torn between an angry father’s expectations while still nurturing his dream of writing, fetched him rave reviews, along with invites to every award ceremony and Bollywood party for the next year-and-a-half. “Everywhere I went, I was being complimented for my performance. As a 21-year-old actor, it gave me hope. I read every script that came my way, but they were all mediocre, formulaic films or those in which I was there throughout, but added no value. I couldn’t afford to do a bad film because then, I’d be written off as a one-film wonder,” points out the actor, who eventually stopped attending events. “People, from distant relatives to the media, wanted to know what I was doing next.”He received high praise from the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor, along with some A-list filmmakers. “But on the red carpet, those with no project to their name but coming from a film background were clicked more than me, while the producers who had praised my work earlier, did not recognise me,” he grouses.
Desperate for money, Rajat then started taking up offers which he didn’t particularly like and was beginning to feel lost in this jungle, when in 2015, he happened to watch the Emile Hirsche-starrer 2007 Hollywood biographical adventure drama, Into The Wild. He started travelling, too, and slowly got out of the dark phase. After five years of backpacking around the world, he decided to script a film he would be proud to be a part of. “Vikramaditya sir’s mother, Deepa aunty, who was the executive producer of Udaan, had once told me, ‘If you don’t find the kind of projects you want to do, make them.’ Her words had stayed with me, but I didn’t want to make something I wasn’t sure of,” Rajat recounts.
A raw and real travel film finally prompted him to turn writer. “I started scripting last year, but was being lazy. The Coronavirus lockdown gave me ample time to complete it. After I register the script, I will share it with Vikramditya sir and a few other friends,” he reveals, adding that he will play the lead in this love story with a foreigner opposite him.
I didn't want to end up as just the poster boy of indie cinema-Rajat Barmecha
7:59 AM
Rajat Barmecha who played a troubled teen in Udaan will now be seen in Warrior Savitri, which he says is a 'commercial film with action and erotica'
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 3, 2015)
In 2010, the Vikramaditya
Motwane-directed Udaan was unanimously acknowledged as one of the
year's best films. And its 21-year-old protagonist, Rohan, a youngster
who returns home to an authoritarian father after being expelled from
school, played with remarkable maturity by Rajat Barmecha, was
considered one of the most-loved performances.Four years later, Rajat is back on screen in an unlikely follow-up to his memorable debut that premiered in Cannes. There's no poetry in Param Gill's Warrior Savitri, instead the poster boy of indie cinema has a British topless model, Lucy Pinder, for company. “But I didn't want to end up as just the poster boy of indie cinema,“ protests Rajat, saying that post-Udaan had he accepted all the offers he got, he'd have made a fortune by now. “I've read over 40 scripts in the past four years but none appealed to me.“
And what about Warrior Savitri appealed
to him? “Param is a friend and he came up with this modern take on the
Satyavaan-Savitri mythological tale. That was what excited me. I play a cool dude from Vegas
and the film has a lot of action, song-and-dance and yes, even erotica!“
he exults.And what was he doing before Warrior Savitri? Rajat informs that he was doing commercials, short films, reading up and taking vacations. But has he kept in touch with his mentors, Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane? “I don't meet them often but I'm in touch. Anurag once told me to take my own decisions when it came to choosing movies. So I don't consult him before signing a film but he's always there“ he retorts.
However, his brother Vicky has been assisting Anurag on Bombay Velvet and his sister is doing films down South. “My parents will soon shift to Mumbai. I've moved into a bigger apartment. From a family of complete non-actors, we've become a filmy family,“ he smiles.
And what kind of reactions is he anticipating to Warrior Savitri? “I'm doing it after a lot of thought. I have refused films in the past which I felt could damage my career. Good scripts can sometimes make disastrous movies and vice versa. I hope Warrior does good things for my career. Rest is all destiny,“ he says, before adding, “I hope another Udaan comes along soon. If it does I won't refuse it!“
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