Showing posts with label Saurabh Sachdeva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saurabh Sachdeva. Show all posts
If we start playing safe, we’ll make bad films-Saurabh Sachdeva
10:01 AM
Vishakha Pandit (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 11, 2026)
At a time when filmmakers are grappling with the unpredictability of what will connect with audiences, actor Saurabh Sachdeva believes uncertainty might actually be cinema’s biggest creative advantage.
The actor, known for his roles in films such as Animal and Jaane Jaan (2023) and most recently Satluj and Ishqnama, says, “We don’t know what kind of success we will get from which project. We don’t know which film will work or not.”
He adds, “I always think that’s the best place because uncertainty is the mother of creativity. The more uncertainty we have, the more curious we will be and the more on the edge we will be to make the right project.”
The actor’s remarks come amid conversations around increasingly formula-driven filmmaking and after Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj recently made headlines when it was removed from ZEE5 in India just two days after its digital release.
For Sachdeva, unpredictability should encourage filmmakers to experiment rather than retreat to tried-and-tested formulas. “If we start playing safe, then we will get bored and we will start making bad films, which was happening,” he says, adding, “The formula that we are trying is not working, so it’s better to do something new.”
However, the actor acknowledges that creativity cannot be divorced from commerce. “Business and creativity have to go together,” he says, but cautions against reducing films solely to their box-office numbers. “With the numbers, the film cannot be judged… We are only running after that.”
Saurabh Sachdeva feels proud to see Triptii Dimri's growth: "Her vulnerability makes her look beautiful"
8:30 AM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; August 10, 2025)
When Saurabh Sachdeva first heard director Shazia Iqbal narrate Dhadak 2, he had tears in his eyes. That reaction was enough to convince her he was invested — and ready to play Shankar — the quietly menacing casteist killer in the Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri-starrer.
Produced by Dharma Productions, Zee Studios, and Cloud 9 Pictures, the film is an official adaptation of Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 anti-caste Tamil drama, Periyerum Perumal. While Sachdeva had the source material to draw inspiration, he brought his interpretation as well.
“I would discuss [the character’s] lifestyle and [equation] with his wife and daughter with the team. While his actions are violent and brutal, I thought I didn’t need to make the character aggressive. He should be more timid and busy with life otherwise. He won’t be in-your-face with his violence, like threatening or scaring someone. Shazia and I were aligned on the fact that he would be passive, until he acts. Then, he would be very aggressive,” he says.
Sachdeva is elated with the response to the movie, calling it an important film to have come out of Bollywood that he would have celebrated it even if he wasn’t part of it. “Even if I wasn’t in the film, I would have been happy. I’m getting calls from directors and producers because they are genuinely impressed,” he shares.
He points out that caste-based discrimination is far from limited to small towns. “I was discussing with my family about big buildings having service lifts. [It shows] that we still have [caste-based discrimination] in big societies. It is not just happening in small towns. But we are so oblivious and don’t want to see these things.”
The actor is equally proud of his student Dimri, whom he met before her debut in Laila Majnu (2017). “I love how people are liking her work. She is going to show more of her beautiful colours in her upcoming projects. I remember how introverted she was when I met her. She used to work with a wall [around her]. But she was very vulnerable and receptive. I have seen her growth, which is magical. I believe it’s her vulnerability that makes her look even more beautiful,” he says, adding that it warms his heart that Dimri hasn’t let success go to her head.
Check out Prakash Jha in Amar Aaj Marega
1:48 PM
Prakash Jha (front) and Saurabh Sachdeva in the film
Ahead of Amar Aaj Marega’s première at International Film Festival of India, Prakash Jha says debutant director Rajat K’s quirky story prompted him to front the short film
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 18, 2024)
Give him a fascinating role, and director Prakash Jha will happily leave his place behind the camera and face it instead. An example is his latest short film, Amar Aaj Marega, which has been selected for the Indian Panorama section at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The Rajat K-directed venture will première at the festival in Goa on November 24.
What prompted Jha to front the project? He points to the quirky story that revolves around a 62-year-old widower, who is convinced that he has lived his life to the fullest and plans to end it. “It’s a quirky movie. Amar has decided to end his life after a small celebration with a close friend [Saurabh Sachdeva]. When the friend learns of his plan, he gets scared and starts calling people home. Then they all sit and decide whether Amar should die or not, even discussing the method of his death,” says Jha.
Acting is not new to the National Award-winning director, who featured in Saand Ki Aankh (2019) and Matto Ki Saikil (2022). To him, it’s a joy to bring another director’s vision to life.
“When Rajat approached me, I thought it was a good concept. The film being screened at IFFI is good for him as he is a first-time filmmaker. I love encouraging debutant directors. First-time filmmakers are the best. Even in Matto Ki Saikil, debutant Mohammed Gani made a beautiful film.”
Though busy with Aashram’s fourth season, Jha says he will always make time for acting. It comes with a simple condition—the role should enhance the story. “If I say yes to a role, it should be pivotal. Otherwise, I get approached for many parts, including cop roles. But I don’t need acting as a profession; I do it purely out of love. Directing and writing will go on,” he states.
I do Abrar’s entry step to get me in the moment-Saurabh Sachdeva
8:43 AM
Navya Kharbanda (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 18, 2023)
Actor Saurabh Sachdeva, who plays Abid Haque, Abrar Haque’s (actor Bobby Deol’s character) brother in Animal, says he was behind creating Deol’s viral hook step in Jamal Jamaloo Jamal Kudu. “It was a very exciting moment. A lot of people were in the room, along with Bobby. I was so nervous,”
Sachdev recalls the shoot, adding, “I started doing my regular exercise that gets me in the moment [when I have to do a scene]. I kept asking myself, ‘How do I feel?’ and moved the same way (as Deol did in the song). I looked over at them (director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Deol) and they asked me [what were the steps I was doing]. They both liked it, so I said, ‘Let’s do it’. Bobby ne bola, ‘Aur kya karta tu?’ Mai neeche chala gaya and thoda back wala step kiya. He then kept the glass on my head — that one was his idea. Sandeep sir told me, ‘Thank God I cast you’.”
Talking about the viral step, the 45-year-old highlights the “organic and natural vibe” of the song. He says, “I never expected ki yeh aise viral ho jayega. Koi bhi agar halka sa bhi move kare, ispar acha hi lagta hai. It’s a simple move, which anybody can do.”
On camera, many actors freeze. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ranbir Kapoor own their space-Saurabh Sachdeva
7:27 AM
Animal, Jaane Jaan actor, Saurabh Sachdeva, on picking projects that show him in a new avatar
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 15, 2023)
There are two elements that are recurrent in Saurabh Sachdeva’s current cinematic line-up—all of his roles are diverse, and each of his co-stars is a phenomenal talent. After starring in Nawazuddin Siddiqui-led Haddi, he will now be seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan, with Kareena Kapoor Khan, and in Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, which releases in December.
The actor’s cinematic choices, he says, are determined by the diversity of the roles that he is offered. “The decision to be versatile comes from me spending years on [improving] myself as an actor, and my teaching abilities as an acting coach,” says Sachdeva, who wanted to “surprise” viewers with his act as a transgender person in Haddi. “I am happy that I didn’t make a mockery of the character.”
Both Siddiqui and Kapoor are bound by their commitment to the craft, he says. “I have seen many actors, who are great on stage, but, on camera, they freeze. But Nawaz and Ranbir own their space.”
People will be surprised to see Saif Ali Khan's look in Laal Kaptaan-Saurabh Sachdeva
8:05 AM
Saurabh Sachdeva, acting coach and Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kakaji’, plays a pivotal role in Saif’s revenge-drama
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 4, 2019)
Saif Ali Khan’s next, Laal Kaptaan, is a revenge-drama revolving around two warring brothers. The Navdeep Singh directorial also features Zoya Hussain and Manav Vij. Renowned acting coach Saurabh Sachdeva, who was last seen in Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan as the matchmaker Kakaji, plays a pivotal role in the protagonist’s backstory. “I play an army general from a royal family who brings everyone together for the war. He is an integral part of the childhood of Saif’s protagonist,” Saurabh informs.
He goes on to reveal that as part of his prep, he had to read up on wars but that apart, no other prep was required. “In reference to the character, I am a high-status player in real life,” he asserts, explaining that the term means “someone who may or may not have money but is high on confidence”. He adds that working on the film was a new experience, even if a tad difficult. “We shot in the scorching heat of Rajasthan and until now, I had worked only in studios.”
Next up, Saurabh wants to be seen in roles that his costar has been taking up lately. “Saif is doing good stuff; he has evolved as an actor, signing powerful projects and taking on mature roles. An actor is defined by the choices he makes, and Saif has been making some brave choices. People will be surprised to see his look in this film,” he says.
Among other projects, Saurabh will be seen in are the period portions of Farhad Samji’s Housefull 4 and as an antagonist in a film titled Gwalior with Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta. “Soon, I start shooting for Bejoy Nambiar’s next in London,” he signs off.
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