1 00:00:00,264 --> 00:00:05,047 4-5 months later, Salman bhai said you know I am going to play the cop. And I said but you 2 00:00:05,047 --> 00:00:08,970 are playing a cop in Dabangg and Radhe, its going to be the third film that you will be 3 00:00:08,970 --> 00:00:14,361 playing a cop. He was like no but I like the organic reality of this film. I think that this is 4 00:00:14,361 --> 00:00:16,486 going to have a different view to it 5 00:00:16,586 --> 00:00:22,424 All actors always want that phantom shot. Who doesn’t want the slow motion right? 6 00:00:22,424 --> 00:00:25,826 Everybody wants to one day see themselves do that phantom shot 7 00:00:26,010 --> 00:00:30,693 A big superstar should always try something new because they are always repeating 8 00:00:30,693 --> 00:00:33,745 themselves but when they want to try something new then 9 00:00:33,745 --> 00:00:35,959 there is also a box office pressure that binds them 10 00:00:36,763 --> 00:00:41,082 But your last film didn’t make 100 crores so that means it wasn’t a hit. But actually, the thing 11 00:00:41,082 --> 00:00:47,075 is the film is already made in a budget that it is also recovered its money so we are not risking anything 12 00:00:47,597 --> 00:00:51,041 Hi guys this is Himesh and welcome to Pinkvilla. Today we have with us Aayush Sharma 13 00:00:51,041 --> 00:00:54,370 who is all gearing up for Antim which is releasing on November 26. 14 00:00:54,556 --> 00:00:56,523 Welcome to Pinkvilla Aayush, its lovely having you here. 15 00:00:56,652 --> 00:01:00,691 Thank you so much brother. Its amazing to be with you and on Pinkvilla 16 00:01:01,020 --> 00:01:01,610 Thank you 17 00:01:01,924 --> 00:01:05,800 Aayush my first question to you is you have been involved in Antim right from the time, I 18 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,680 think it has been three years. Could you tell us about the journey? 19 00:01:08,743 --> 00:01:14,391 I think in November we first time saw Mulshi Pattern and by December we had decided that 20 00:01:14,391 --> 00:01:19,585 we are going to make this film. From January onwards I started training for it like you know. 21 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,654 At that point in time, I didn’t really know that Salman bhai is going to be a part of it. I just 22 00:01:22,654 --> 00:01:25,632 knew that I am playing this character Rahulya and the rest of the casting is going to take time, 23 00:01:25,632 --> 00:01:29,632 it’s going to happen soon. So, my first thing when I figured out that I am doing this character 24 00:01:29,815 --> 00:01:33,815 was like I want to really present myself in a new light. I really want to go out there and 25 00:01:34,540 --> 00:01:39,038 change the way my physical appearance is, through my voice, through my performance to 26 00:01:39,038 --> 00:01:45,107 have that kind of a graph that this character demands. At that point in time, I remember I 27 00:01:45,107 --> 00:01:49,743 thought this was going to be like 7-8 months and we will be able to do my transformation but 28 00:01:50,112 --> 00:01:56,034 it was much difficult to actually put on that weight you know. It was like almost going in a 1 29 00:01:56,034 --> 00:02:03,221 kilo per month. So, I think in March I got in touch with Tiger, Tiger Shroff I called him up 30 00:02:03,221 --> 00:02:09,063 and I said, brother you know I really want to transform and do this film and this action film 31 00:02:09,371 --> 00:02:13,821 and I think you can really guide me in how to go about it. So he told me that you know why 32 00:02:13,821 --> 00:02:18,093 don’t you have my trainer? So, I go this trainer on board and the first thing that trainer told 33 00:02:18,093 --> 00:02:22,452 me that is sir I don’t think I can do it in 3-4 months. I mean like no, but why can’t we do it in 34 00:02:22,452 --> 00:02:28,702 3-4 months? I am not out of shape; I am much leaner. He said no, the kind of action you are 35 00:02:28,702 --> 00:02:33,116 looking for, the kind of stuff you are looking for it will give us. It will take minimum one 36 00:02:33,116 --> 00:02:38,663 year. It will be a gradual thing. You will need to first start training like an athlete. I want you 37 00:02:38,663 --> 00:02:44,411 to be strong in real life to look strong on camera and so it will take time. You will have to lift, 38 00:02:44,673 --> 00:02:49,191 eat and you will have to really, really dedicate your life into this to actually do that. So, first 39 00:02:49,191 --> 00:02:52,799 thing I went and Salman bhai that its going to take some time, its not going to be as simple 40 00:02:52,799 --> 00:02:57,029 and he said, don’t worry. Do it at your pace. Don’t do it in the pressure that you have to start 41 00:02:57,029 --> 00:03:02,735 this film this year. We started that journey and then I think about 4-5 months later, Salman 42 00:03:02,735 --> 00:03:06,553 bhai said you know I am going to play the cop. And I said but you are playing a cop in 43 00:03:06,738 --> 00:03:10,278 Dabangg and Radhe, its going to be the third film that you will be playing a cop. He was like 44 00:03:10,278 --> 00:03:16,905 no but I like the organic reality of this film. I think that this is going to have a different view 45 00:03:16,905 --> 00:03:22,185 to it. Its not that typical cop who is going to be like you know completely out there. This film 46 00:03:22,185 --> 00:03:27,063 has a little bit of darkness to it and I really want to be part of it. I genuinely believe that it’s 47 00:03:27,063 --> 00:03:32,938 going to be good for you and I was very happy. Every actor it’s a dream to be on a poster 48 00:03:32,938 --> 00:03:36,806 with him. I mean come on who doesn’t want to be on poster on with him? But obviously I 49 00:03:36,806 --> 00:03:43,463 knew that it is, I am up for a huge task because to even be worth of being on a frame it is not 50 00:03:43,463 --> 00:03:48,203 only a matter of physical transformation, it is not only a matter about trying to look, be or feel 51 00:03:48,203 --> 00:03:53,032 muscular. It had to be completely distinct you know my character had to be a worthy 52 00:03:53,032 --> 00:03:57,815 opponent to him so I think that took its own course. About a year and a half, we were just 53 00:03:57,815 --> 00:04:03,253 training and just working on this character and finally I think when Mahesh sir officially 54 00:04:03,253 --> 00:04:05,693 came on board and he started writing the film in the way that 55 00:04:05,693 --> 00:04:10,347 he saw the film that really helped in shaping up what happened. 56 00:04:10,929 --> 00:04:14,427 And you know the film was initially titled Guns of North and I believe you were planning to 57 00:04:14,427 --> 00:04:17,609 set it up in the northern belt. How did that change happen 58 00:04:17,609 --> 00:04:19,548 after and how did the Sikh cop came into picture? 59 00:04:19,694 --> 00:04:23,694 So basically, when we were working for this film, you know we thought we can you know 60 00:04:23,752 --> 00:04:29,614 the situation back drop of where that story starts from is actually, we can set up in north. At 61 00:04:29,614 --> 00:04:32,553 the same situation, same things have happened there as well so we thought we might be able 62 00:04:32,553 --> 00:04:37,559 to set up north but eventually when we started going through the multiple drafts that we were 63 00:04:37,559 --> 00:04:44,220 writing we were not, I was not sure that we have the right approach to the film because it 64 00:04:44,220 --> 00:04:47,469 almost felt like we are having a very top angle view to this problem. 65 00:04:49,590 --> 00:04:55,596 We had a very top angle view of this gangster and this whole world and how you know 66 00:04:57,297 --> 00:05:01,087 people come from this village and become gangsters in the city. I think I felt that it is very top 67 00:05:01,087 --> 00:05:06,453 angle view so did Salman bhai. He also felt that you know just to scale up the film it might 68 00:05:06,453 --> 00:05:11,956 actually lose the essence of what we really want to tell. A story we want to and then we 69 00:05:12,087 --> 00:05:17,669 decided we really got Mahesh sir back and we said we really want it to be a rooted film. A 70 00:05:17,669 --> 00:05:25,091 film that has real character, it should feel like a real film. We don’t need a glossy film on this. 71 00:05:25,250 --> 00:05:30,124 This story doesn’t really have that kind of a backdrop that you can have choppers and this 72 00:05:30,124 --> 00:05:35,668 luxurious cars and this and that. Like my character in the film, he is not, he is the gangster of 73 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:41,186 Pune. But he is not some lavish gangster sitting who has this massive houses and he has 74 00:05:41,784 --> 00:05:43,431 Not as flamboyant as we have seen 75 00:05:43,632 --> 00:05:49,099 Yeah, yeah. He is a very real space of a gangster so that’s why we moved the film back and 76 00:05:49,099 --> 00:05:55,255 we said that lets go to Antim. Let’s make the film we intended to make not go towards 77 00:05:56,393 --> 00:05:59,395 And you know you said that you know when the film was conceptualised you were not 78 00:05:59,395 --> 00:06:03,266 aware, actually no one was aware that to who is going to play the cop. And for first 4-5 79 00:06:03,266 --> 00:06:07,266 months when you were training what were the discussions like because you know in the 80 00:06:07,479 --> 00:06:12,889 original film if we look at Mulshi Pattern it’s a very pivotal character but not as long in terms 81 00:06:12,889 --> 00:06:15,665 of length. So, what were the discussion like and how did 82 00:06:15,665 --> 00:06:18,793 that character evolved since you were involved in the journey right from the first day? 83 00:06:19,645 --> 00:06:25,611 See, when we as you rightly said in the original film cops character was actually like 25-30 84 00:06:25,611 --> 00:06:32,017 minutes of the film but there is a very, we felt that the climax when he says it was a very 85 00:06:32,017 --> 00:06:37,572 important scene if you think about it. When he says, what village are you from? He says 86 00:06:37,642 --> 00:06:44,605 Mulshi. That point we felt was a very, very strong point. We felt that is a very strong point 87 00:06:44,659 --> 00:06:48,333 then you know otherwise you are thinking there is a cop who us just doing his job, trying to 88 00:06:48,333 --> 00:06:53,759 go after a gangster. We felt that this is a very interesting thought to say that there are two 89 00:06:53,759 --> 00:06:59,657 people who had the same back story, who actually know they both know each other’s back 90 00:06:59,657 --> 00:07:08,374 story very well but on one side there is a cop who has been wronged but he chose to be a cop. 91 00:07:09,002 --> 00:07:15,983 And there is one person who chose to be gangster so there’s a flip side to both the characters 92 00:07:15,983 --> 00:07:21,898 and both of them had the choice so what Mahesh sir genuinely felt was the story also has the 93 00:07:21,898 --> 00:07:27,189 option to give a message out to people that at any given point of time even though you are 94 00:07:27,189 --> 00:07:31,310 wrong you still have an option of what path to choose and that’s something that we wanted to 95 00:07:31,310 --> 00:07:36,473 project so that’s why we increased the role and we also felt that there has to be a certain 96 00:07:36,473 --> 00:07:43,065 person who is the catalyst behind the journey. You know we need somebody who is making 97 00:07:43,065 --> 00:07:48,125 sure this journey is manoeuvring the way you know the ups and the downs of the character 98 00:07:48,125 --> 00:07:52,515 happen that’s what something we felt and that’s the reason why we increased the element. 99 00:07:52,754 --> 00:07:59,036 We increased him very much pertaining to Hindi cinema, we involved him a little bit more, 100 00:07:59,397 --> 00:08:04,029 we increased the run time, we gave him a little but of more cinematic treatment to obviously 101 00:08:04,219 --> 00:08:11,359 cater to his fans and the film story and make sure that he is still not away from the film. You 102 00:08:11,359 --> 00:08:15,359 know it should not be that he is a sperate entity of the film, he is very much also a character 103 00:08:15,359 --> 00:08:20,716 in the film like we all are just characters you know that’s how everybody is intertwined with each other. 104 00:08:21,459 --> 00:08:25,980 And Aayush you know like you said you transformed for this role. How easy or difficult was 105 00:08:25,980 --> 00:08:28,730 that transformation journey like and also because you know 106 00:08:28,730 --> 00:08:32,119 in between the pandemic struck us in which delayed the process? 107 00:08:32,535 --> 00:08:37,910 Well I think the most difficult thing was the eating. I had to eat a lot. I had to constantly keep 108 00:08:37,910 --> 00:08:43,377 feeding myself and that was the most irritating thing. I remember when I was going on a 109 00:08:43,377 --> 00:08:47,277 vacation or something I had to go and choose hotels which had certain kind of a gym for me 110 00:08:47,277 --> 00:08:53,679 to go to and you know meals booked in advance and eat that. So I think the most difficult part 111 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:59,414 about the transformation was more than anything was just eating, training everyday like there 112 00:08:59,414 --> 00:09:03,819 were no of off days so it used to be training every day and then there used to be 113 00:09:03,819 --> 00:09:08,418 physiotherapy in the night and there used to be ice bath in the night just to make sure we 114 00:09:08,555 --> 00:09:13,725 don’t get injured, to make sure that, there used to be constant process. It was almost like how 115 00:09:13,725 --> 00:09:18,102 athletes’ train. And then by the end of it got to me you know 116 00:09:18,622 --> 00:09:25,193 And you know talking about the delay due to pandemic, did that ever bother you because you 117 00:09:25,193 --> 00:09:29,714 even at the trailer launch Salman sir said that Aayush used to be, when will we start? And 118 00:09:29,714 --> 00:09:31,830 you lost patience that one point of time 119 00:09:32,041 --> 00:09:38,289 So its but natural because my first film came out in 2018 and I had decided to do this film in 120 00:09:38,289 --> 00:09:44,749 beginning of 2019. Now you are like prepping for it, there’s been delays and I have to still 121 00:09:44,749 --> 00:09:48,749 work on myself and there is certain amount of days so 2019 is gone in that and then there is 122 00:09:48,834 --> 00:09:53,932 2020 that starts and you are okay now, we are three months away. Now we have like one year 123 00:09:53,932 --> 00:09:58,697 okay so as an actor sometimes you feel like I debuted in 2018 now if I don’t have a release in 124 00:09:58,697 --> 00:10:03,134 2019 then it looks like that there is nothing happening you know those thoughts come to your 125 00:10:03,134 --> 00:10:10,614 head. You get like but I had taken up something as Antim which was quite bigger than what I 126 00:10:10,614 --> 00:10:15,896 could chew and that needed that kind of effort and that patience to make sure that it happens 127 00:10:15,896 --> 00:10:22,517 in the right way so finally when it was about to start in 2020 then the pandemic happened and 128 00:10:22,517 --> 00:10:32,900 just you are like that’s work more towards, the three year period by the end of it just felt like I 129 00:10:32,900 --> 00:10:37,060 hope by the time this film releases I hope I don’t have to come back and introduce myself to 130 00:10:37,060 --> 00:10:41,128 people that you know that I had to, I hope the wait was worth it 131 00:10:41,218 --> 00:10:44,022 you know that to wait for something like Antim was worth it 132 00:10:44,433 --> 00:10:50,529 And you know talking about Loveyatri and the journey since then what made you decide to 133 00:10:50,529 --> 00:10:54,697 you know step away from lighter space, the rom com space and you know switch to 134 00:10:54,998 --> 00:10:58,677 something as intense as Antim? And what were the offers that 135 00:10:58,677 --> 00:11:00,117 were coming your way in between that? 136 00:11:00,659 --> 00:11:09,370 See my first reaction after the feedback I got to me after Loveyatri I always wanted to make 137 00:11:09,370 --> 00:11:14,167 sure that I do something else in my next film. Obviously, some offers were coming again that 138 00:11:14,167 --> 00:11:18,696 I was a boy next door, falling in love with a girl and the songs and the story and how all these 139 00:11:18,696 --> 00:11:24,928 things go by but I genuinely didn’t feel convinced that I want to comeback, to another 140 00:11:24,928 --> 00:11:30,943 romantic comedy you know I think that was the first film. I really wanted to shift gears in the 141 00:11:30,943 --> 00:11:36,908 second film. I genuinely feel that you know right now its too early in my career to box myself 142 00:11:36,908 --> 00:11:41,091 in one zone and say this is who I am and this is what I am going to always do. I believe there 143 00:11:41,091 --> 00:11:45,899 is I have time, I have the energy, I am young to keep manoeuvring, keep changing myself to 144 00:11:45,899 --> 00:11:50,389 do something else and you know if something excites you, why not? And action has always 145 00:11:50,389 --> 00:11:56,395 been one of my favourite genres you know. Let’s be honest all actors always want that 146 00:11:56,395 --> 00:12:01,371 phantom shot. Who doesn’t want the slow motion right? Everybody wants to one day see 147 00:12:01,371 --> 00:12:06,605 themselves do that phantom shot and I still remember that when finally, the teaser, the first 148 00:12:06,605 --> 00:12:10,337 look of Antim came out and I am running Salman bhai asked me what do you think of it? 149 00:12:10,463 --> 00:12:15,179 You think it’s works? I said I don’t know I am just happy that it’s a phantom shot. I am just 150 00:12:15,179 --> 00:12:19,319 happy that this whole action thing is coming out, I am just happy with that because that’s like 151 00:12:19,976 --> 00:12:28,229 a dream come true for every actor to have a phantom shot so I just felt that if I really need to 152 00:12:28,229 --> 00:12:33,130 make an impact, I need to throw myself at a different ship altogether you know. In my first 153 00:12:33,130 --> 00:12:39,142 film I tried to be this romantic, sweet character and my second film because that’s what the 154 00:12:39,142 --> 00:12:44,412 challenge was first thing that many people told me that you are too cute looking for being a 155 00:12:44,412 --> 00:12:50,734 gangster. But I said that’s the challenge. This is something that we have here that you look 156 00:12:50,734 --> 00:12:55,949 like this so you can’t do this but if you go to see films in Hollywood people, they change 157 00:12:56,050 --> 00:13:00,686 according to films. It’s not about how you look. You change, you put on weight, you lose 158 00:13:00,686 --> 00:13:05,743 weight. If Christian Bale can put on so much of muscles and then lose it so can I 159 00:13:05,932 --> 00:13:09,710 And Aayush you know this is your second film so there might not be much of box office 160 00:13:09,710 --> 00:13:13,935 pressure on you but you know with Salman Khan’s involvement there is a certain number 161 00:13:13,935 --> 00:13:18,883 that everyone expects, what sort of discussions are there on that front between you and him 162 00:13:19,029 --> 00:13:22,829 because you know whenever his films come its like 100 crores in three days and then what 163 00:13:22,829 --> 00:13:25,840 next, we will see. So what are the discussions around that? 164 00:13:25,871 --> 00:13:31,164 See I think when we started the idea of Antim was actually to attempt something different for 165 00:13:31,164 --> 00:13:36,581 me and for him as well you know I think last couple of films that he has done it is the first 166 00:13:36,581 --> 00:13:40,263 time that there is no female protagonist for him, there is no song where he is romancing 167 00:13:40,263 --> 00:13:43,586 anybody or there is something like that. We are doing something different this time so we 168 00:13:43,586 --> 00:13:46,624 were mentally prepared that we are actually signing up for something which is going to be 169 00:13:46,624 --> 00:13:53,207 different either and this is a honest conversation. Either it is loved because it’s a dark film if 170 00:13:53,207 --> 00:13:57,405 it’s not loved it might not get loved, its fine. But even he wanted to attempt it, even I wanted 171 00:13:57,405 --> 00:14:02,070 to attempt it and I feel that at this point in time I genuinely don’t have as you rightly said I 172 00:14:02,070 --> 00:14:07,146 don’t have the box office pressure but his name is expecting something. People are expecting 173 00:14:07,146 --> 00:14:13,519 those things but I think it is all about experimenting. Sometimes I genuinely feel that we 174 00:14:13,896 --> 00:14:20,474 always speaking on his behalf that a big superstar should always try something new because 175 00:14:20,474 --> 00:14:24,729 they are always repeating themselves but when they want to try something new then there is 176 00:14:24,729 --> 00:14:26,777 also a box office pressure that binds them 177 00:14:27,464 --> 00:14:31,784 But your last film didn’t make 100 crores so that means it wasn’t a hit. But actually, the thing 178 00:14:31,784 --> 00:14:37,565 is the film is already made in a budget that it is also recovered its money so we are not risking 179 00:14:37,565 --> 00:14:44,138 anything out here but that image of 100 crore but that also boxes you into that small thing that 180 00:14:44,138 --> 00:14:48,452 100 crores if you want to keep playing in that club you might have to repeat yourself all the time. 181 00:14:48,570 --> 00:14:50,630 So there are no pressures in that front? 182 00:14:50,630 --> 00:14:55,290 No, I think we are very content with the fact that we are trying to tell something. This is a 183 00:14:55,290 --> 00:15:01,069 different film for both of us that’s why you know we feel that I just feel that this film has, this 184 00:15:01,069 --> 00:15:08,030 film will see its own destiny and I think there will be people when we went into the whole 185 00:15:08,177 --> 00:15:11,704 sequences there were times when we would say that you know Salman bhai’s film audiences 186 00:15:11,704 --> 00:15:18,214 are more family audiences, is it okay to have this in the film? Are we okay to be so brutal in 187 00:15:18,214 --> 00:15:24,286 the film and the idea was that I think its high time we need to, we can't always be catering to 188 00:15:24,286 --> 00:15:31,234 same cinema. He is always been a huge superstar and he just told me I have time between 189 00:15:32,311 --> 00:15:34,871 before Tiger starts and I genuinely want to do this film 190 00:15:34,871 --> 00:15:37,804 as an experiment for myself as well so I think that’s exciting. 191 00:15:38,522 --> 00:15:40,289 And Aayush what next for you after Antim? 192 00:15:40,646 --> 00:15:45,169 Well there are you know I genuinely feel that I really don’t want to rush into anything you 193 00:15:45,169 --> 00:15:49,169 know I just feel that you know everything depends mainly for Antim because this is a big 194 00:15:49,211 --> 00:15:53,450 film for people to actually gauge what I am capable of. So I would not say that there is 195 00:15:53,450 --> 00:15:57,450 multiple offer that I am getting or I am this film and that film and I am sitting and work, this 196 00:15:57,470 --> 00:16:02,365 is not that. I genuinely feel that there is going to be a, its going to be a career defining film for 197 00:16:02,365 --> 00:16:07,506 me. It’s a very important film for me if it does connect, if it does get the appreciation and the 198 00:16:07,506 --> 00:16:12,645 love then it will be based on Antim. Right now, everybody will talk about movies but they 199 00:16:12,645 --> 00:16:18,662 will not start the time Antim shows its merit at the box office. So I really don’t want to rush 200 00:16:18,662 --> 00:16:25,088 into it you know based on anything, I just want to take my time. After my first film I took my 201 00:16:25,088 --> 00:16:30,188 time to work on the things that I was told that this is the things that I ned to work on as an 202 00:16:30,188 --> 00:16:34,188 actor. I worked on it and I came to Antim. So I am sure there will be some feedback that I 203 00:16:34,188 --> 00:16:37,234 will get after Antim, I will work on that and then I will what I want to do next 204 00:16:37,716 --> 00:16:43,354 But there are reports about you doing another film with Salman that’s Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali? Is there 205 00:16:43,354 --> 00:16:46,981 any truth to that or there have been multiple reports for the last two years that’s why? 206 00:16:47,604 --> 00:16:53,270 Well, you know this film is definitely on floors, its called Bhaijaan and I think they are 207 00:16:53,270 --> 00:16:58,879 already Sajid bhai and Salman Bhai discussing for it. I think it all depends if you know Sajid 208 00:16:58,879 --> 00:17:02,879 bhai and Salman bhai want me in the film and if they offer me and tell me to do the film I 209 00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:06,343 will definitely be a part of it and why not? It is Farhad sir is 210 00:17:06,343 --> 00:17:09,387 directing it, Sajid bhai is there, Salman bhai is there, I think it’s kickass 211 00:17:09,921 --> 00:17:13,567 Perfect. Thank you so much Aayush. Lovely talking to you and wish you all the best for Antim 212 00:17:13,677 --> 00:17:14,485 Thank you, thank you.