Ajitesh Gupta, the young and talented actor, who is known for his exceptional acting talent in projects like Raat Akeli Hai, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, Kedarnath, and Ajeeb Daastaans, is winning appreciation for his latest role Darshan in Dice Media and Disney Plus Hotstar’s Ghar Waapsi. In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, the actor spoke about his journey, takeaway from the role, preparation, working experience with his co-star, and more. Read on:
How was the journey working on the project Ghar Waapsi?
It was a treat. The environment on the set was actor friendly. They made sure actors were relaxed and could perform to the best of their capability and that reflects when you watch the series. Yes, on day 1 and 2, I was under-confident because I wasn’t sure how much of the Indori dialect I could perform and whether it would look like a caricature. It was our Director Ruchir Arun who guided me a lot.
What was the best part about playing this character?
For Darshan, I have been so real as an actor. I believe more in the ‘process’ than the ‘result’ and learning the Indori dialect was extremely exciting.
What has been your takeaway from this role?
The way I performed and the way Darshan has been received by the audiences has given me a lot of faith and confidence in my skills. Today, I am more confident and I believe I am on the right track as an actor and all the years of hard work that I have put in while doing theatre is finally bearing fruit.
How easy or tough was it to prepare for the character?
It wasn’t easy to get into the shoes of Darshan. Emotionally I understood who Darshan was but achieving the technical things was tough, especially learning the Indori Dialect. However, I knew I could do it because of my past learnings from performances as a Daastaango, from my work in theatre, and as a voiceover artist. I didn’t want to play safe so I devoted myself to learning Indori. I suppose it has paid off as I get messages from people from Indore saying ‘Bhaiya Indore me aapka ghar kahaan hai?” They feel I am an Indori.
You have been winning appreciation for your role. Every reviewer has appreciated your performance. How does it feel? Share the best compliments received so far…
I am truly ecstatic with the kind of response I am getting. As an actor, you work hard and hope that you are able to perform to your full potential and that your work gets noticed and that is what is happening to me with Ghar Waapsi. Plus, the mention I received by Film Companion on the Best Performances of July 2022 alongside Faahad Fasil, Sai Pallavi, Sanjay Dutt, and Rajat Kapoor was a supreme icing on the cake! I am full of gratitude.
Who do you give credit to for your splendid performance in the series?
Well, there are many to thank. I’ll begin with Idrak Hashmat, the dialect coach on the series. He helped me get the Indori accent right during my prep before the shoot. And while on set he was always there like a faithful friend guiding and correcting me whenever required. Ruchir Arun, the Director, for he gave me complete freedom to play the character yet he would tell me whenever I was lost or went overboard. Kartik Krishnan, Creative Producer, and Rijul Rajpal, Casting Director for their faith in me that I will be able to play a layered character like Darshan. When the creators trust you so much, it boosts your confidence in a way that you don’t operate out of fear. And that is a very important factor to get the best out of a performer. Also, the amazing cast. They were all so supportive that it felt like we were all a big happy family out on some celebration. They say you are as good as your co-actor and doing scenes with them made my performance come out so much better.
How has your experience been working with your co-star Vishal Vashishtha?
He is a star in his own right. He has such a die-hard fan following yet he is so humble and grounded. I remember the first day we met, even before I could spot him on set, he came forward and hugged me. There was so much warmth in that hug that our camaraderie began right from that moment. The greatest thing about him is that deep down he is just a genuine simple boy and he wants to remain that way. He is one of the most secure and sincere actors I have worked with.
What is your take on the growth of web platforms?
I think it is a boon for the whole ecosystem of filmmaking. Today, makers have the opportunity to create diverse stories, that’s why all kinds of actors are being cast, more locations all over the country are being utilized, and more people are getting work. There is a story out there on OTT catering to everyone’s interests regardless of their class, language, or region. People are able to access films made in different regions which in turn is diluting the borders between various so called woods (Bollywood, Tollywood etc) in our country. I feel it’s great that today Samantha Prabhu is cast for Family Man 2. I hope we have many more such examples in time to come.
What is the kind of genre you would want to explore as an actor?
What I want is to be part of good stories, be it of any genre. I believe the best in an artist comes out when they are in unknown territory. That is where I want to be. Through the characters I play, I want to explore parts of me that are unknown even to myself. I might fail in the process but the adventure is too tempting. One thing I am clear about is that I don’t want to get stuck in one genre and I don’t want to repeat myself. New territories are what I strive for.
Any final message?
I would like to share one thing that I have learnt. It is of utmost importance that you keep educating yourself as an artist regardless of whether you achieve ‘so called’ success or not. If you do that, you’ll be ready at the time when an opportunity comes your way. If you love art, success or failure becomes redundant. It becomes a very ‘personal’ journey and sooner or later, art starts giving you back what is rightfully yours.
