Prit Kamani the young and good-looking actor has come to the limelight, courtesy his amazing performance in the Netflix film Maska directed by Neeraj Udhwani.
Prit who started his acting career early in his childhood has had a good journey as a model and has worked in many ad films. He’s been part of few short films but the recent Netflix film Maska has indeed proven his mettle as an actor.
In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Prit Kamani talks about his journey with Maska, on his future aspirations and much more.
Excerpts:
How has the personal journey been with Maska for you?
Maska has been a very interesting journey. This was a story that I instantly fell in love with. The film has given me a fresh start as an actor. The roles I have done till now have been heroic, of individuals who never give up. In simple words, I have played the hero till now. But here, Rumi is exactly the opposite. He is not a hero but wants to become one. But he realizes that he is not meant to be in the spot of a hero. This realisation is very interesting and real. When Director Neeraj Udhwani narrated the story to me, I was extremely convinced to play the role. However, through my auditions, I had to convince them that I was Rumi. So my auditions for Maska were important for me. I enjoyed being a part of Maska. The film has a great production team, shoot team, post-production team, dubbing team; all have been great. So yes, it has been a very fruitful journey.
How similar or different are you from Rumi?
Rumi Irani and I have only one similarity in the sense that we both have an innocent, child-like mind. I at times behave like Rumi. But otherwise, Rumi is a Parsi South Mumbai boy who is an introvert, while I am an extrovert. So we are very different in that way. Rumi is a chef and a bad actor. And I hope, with fingers crossed (smiles), that I am a good actor. Rumi is very gullible and can be fooled easily by someone but I do not fit into that. He’s 19 years old, and I am 26 years old. So it was very interesting to play this character. Rumi is a chef and can make any dish with his culinary skills. But I had not seen raw meat, chicken or fish in my life. So I had to really learn all of that.
The response to Maska has been really overwhelming and I hope that I get more and more work.
So Maska has given you a bit of cooking knowledge now?
I had never been into cooking. But yes, just yesterday I cooked for my family. I make good Paneer Masala and rotis. I have become my mother’s chef now (smiles).
Do you think Maska has put you in the next league as an actor?
Definitely, Maska has given me the limelight and the big break that I was looking for. I started working at the age of 7. I have had a very long journey, and have done a lot of television and ad films. My ad for Prithvi gave me the leverage and exposure that I needed as an actor. And that landed me the role of Maska too. Neeraj actually liked my work in that ad film is what I was told. So yes, in terms of films, Maska has given me the kind of exposure I was looking for. This film is based on my character. There was a lot of responsibility for this character. I had to make sure that as an actor, I perform really well. Yes, the response to Maska has been really overwhelming and I hope that I get more and more work.
How was it working with Manisha Koirala? There was a very cute mother and son bonding in the film.
She is phenomenal as an actress and we all know that. But the way she welcomed me even when I was a new actor, was really amazing. She used to discuss scenes, give me that space as an actor and allow me to improvise too. Even after her shoot, she would stay back to watch my scenes. There was no superiority complex from her side at all. And that very well showed onscreen in our chemistry. She did 75% of the work easier for me this way. It was a pleasure working with her. I have been a huge fan of her work. I have loved her roles in films like Dil Se, Khamoshi etc. It was really surreal to finally work with her. Even Jaaved Sir, I admire his work as an actor. I remember watching him as a kid, dancing and acting. It was a pleasure to jam with him in Maska. And all my scenes with him are really nice. I am fortunate to have had all of his scenes with me. We really gelled well on the set.
What was the kind of work you had to put in to play the Parsi boy right?
I have a lot of Parsi friends. Also, the photographer in the film is a Parsi and we used to hang around a lot. We became great friends and I learnt a lot from him. It is not a very strong accent for me as compared to Manisha Mam who has a stronger lingo of Parsi language in the film.
There is a saying that, happy people make good work and that is exactly what happened with the team of Maska.
You were lucky to be operating between three beautiful ladies – Manisha Koirala as the mother and Shirley Setia and Nikita Dutta cast opposite you. So how was it with Shirley and Nikita?
Luckily, Shirley and I had a mutual friend. Nikita and I too in a similar way had few common friends. Shirley is more of the reserved girl and takes her time to bond. But once we broke the ice we gelled very well. She is now a very good friend. Nikita and I could instantly see friendship brewing. I have always followed Shirley and her music, so it was exciting to work with her. And after watching Nikita and her acting prowess, I am her fan too. We all gelled really well. I made sure all were entertained on set. There is a saying that, happy people make good work and that is exactly what happened with the team of Maska.
What are the aspirations of the actor in you?
I am presently working on a film that is directed by Ratna Sinha. That is a romcom theatrical and I am looking forward to that. I am looking at a lot of projects and hope after Maska, I get more and more projects to work on.
