4-5 months later, Salman bhai said you know I am going to play the cop. And I said but you
are playing a cop in Dabangg and Radhe, its going to be the third film that you will be
playing a cop. He was like no but I like the organic reality of this film. I think that this is
going to have a different view to it
All actors always want that phantom shot. Who doesn’t want the slow motion right?
Everybody wants to one day see themselves do that phantom shot
A big superstar should always try something new because they are always repeating
themselves but when they want to try something new then
there is also a box office pressure that binds them
But your last film didn’t make 100 crores so that means it wasn’t a hit. But actually, the thing
is the film is already made in a budget that it is also recovered its money so we are not risking anything
Hi guys this is Himesh and welcome to Pinkvilla. Today we have with us Aayush Sharma
who is all gearing up for Antim which is releasing on November 26.
Welcome to Pinkvilla Aayush, its lovely having you here.
Thank you so much brother. Its amazing to be with you and on Pinkvilla
Thank you
Aayush my first question to you is you have been involved in Antim right from the time, I
think it has been three years. Could you tell us about the journey?
I think in November we first time saw Mulshi Pattern and by December we had decided that
we are going to make this film. From January onwards I started training for it like you know.
At that point in time, I didn’t really know that Salman bhai is going to be a part of it. I just
knew that I am playing this character Rahulya and the rest of the casting is going to take time,
it’s going to happen soon. So, my first thing when I figured out that I am doing this character
was like I want to really present myself in a new light. I really want to go out there and
change the way my physical appearance is, through my voice, through my performance to
have that kind of a graph that this character demands. At that point in time, I remember I
thought this was going to be like 7-8 months and we will be able to do my transformation but
it was much difficult to actually put on that weight you know. It was like almost going in a 1
kilo per month. So, I think in March I got in touch with Tiger, Tiger Shroff I called him up
and I said, brother you know I really want to transform and do this film and this action film
and I think you can really guide me in how to go about it. So he told me that you know why
don’t you have my trainer? So, I go this trainer on board and the first thing that trainer told
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
3-4 months? I am not out of shape; I am much leaner. He said no, the kind of action you are
looking for, the kind of stuff you are looking for it will give us. It will take minimum one
year. It will be a gradual thing. You will need to first start training like an athlete. I want you
to be strong in real life to look strong on camera and so it will take time. You will have to lift,
eat and you will have to really, really dedicate your life into this to actually do that. So, first
thing I went and Salman bhai that its going to take some time, its not going to be as simple
and he said, don’t worry. Do it at your pace. Don’t do it in the pressure that you have to start
this film this year. We started that journey and then I think about 4-5 months later, Salman
bhai said you know I am going to play the cop. And I said but you are playing a cop in
Dabangg and Radhe, its going to be the third film that you will be playing a cop. He was like
no but I like the organic reality of this film. I think that this is going to have a different view
to it. Its not that typical cop who is going to be like you know completely out there. This film
has a little bit of darkness to it and I really want to be part of it. I genuinely believe that it’s
going to be good for you and I was very happy. Every actor it’s a dream to be on a poster
with him. I mean come on who doesn’t want to be on poster on with him? But obviously I
knew that it is, I am up for a huge task because to even be worth of being on a frame it is not
only a matter of physical transformation, it is not only a matter about trying to look, be or feel
muscular. It had to be completely distinct you know my character had to be a worthy
opponent to him so I think that took its own course. About a year and a half, we were just
training and just working on this character and finally I think when Mahesh sir officially
came on board and he started writing the film in the way that
he saw the film that really helped in shaping up what happened.
And you know the film was initially titled Guns of North and I believe you were planning to
set it up in the northern belt. How did that change happen
after and how did the Sikh cop came into picture?
So basically, when we were working for this film, you know we thought we can you know
the situation back drop of where that story starts from is actually, we can set up in north. At
the same situation, same things have happened there as well so we thought we might be able
to set up north but eventually when we started going through the multiple drafts that we were
writing we were not, I was not sure that we have the right approach to the film because it
almost felt like we are having a very top angle view to this problem.
We had a very top angle view of this gangster and this whole world and how you know
people come from this village and become gangsters in the city. I think I felt that it is very top
angle view so did Salman bhai. He also felt that you know just to scale up the film it might
actually lose the essence of what we really want to tell. A story we want to and then we
decided we really got Mahesh sir back and we said we really want it to be a rooted film. A
film that has real character, it should feel like a real film. We don’t need a glossy film on this.
This story doesn’t really have that kind of a backdrop that you can have choppers and this
luxurious cars and this and that. Like my character in the film, he is not, he is the gangster of
Pune. But he is not some lavish gangster sitting who has this massive houses and he has
Not as flamboyant as we have seen
Yeah, yeah. He is a very real space of a gangster so that’s why we moved the film back and
we said that lets go to Antim. Let’s make the film we intended to make not go towards
And you know you said that you know when the film was conceptualised you were not
aware, actually no one was aware that to who is going to play the cop. And for first 4-5
months when you were training what were the discussions like because you know in the
original film if we look at Mulshi Pattern it’s a very pivotal character but not as long in terms
of length. So, what were the discussion like and how did
that character evolved since you were involved in the journey right from the first day?
See, when we as you rightly said in the original film cops character was actually like 25-30
minutes of the film but there is a very, we felt that the climax when he says it was a very
important scene if you think about it. When he says, what village are you from? He says
Mulshi. That point we felt was a very, very strong point. We felt that is a very strong point
then you know otherwise you are thinking there is a cop who us just doing his job, trying to
go after a gangster. We felt that this is a very interesting thought to say that there are two
people who had the same back story, who actually know they both know each other’s back
story very well but on one side there is a cop who has been wronged but he chose to be a cop.
And there is one person who chose to be gangster so there’s a flip side to both the characters
and both of them had the choice so what Mahesh sir genuinely felt was the story also has the
option to give a message out to people that at any given point of time even though you are
wrong you still have an option of what path to choose and that’s something that we wanted to
project so that’s why we increased the role and we also felt that there has to be a certain
person who is the catalyst behind the journey. You know we need somebody who is making
sure this journey is manoeuvring the way you know the ups and the downs of the character
happen that’s what something we felt and that’s the reason why we increased the element.
We increased him very much pertaining to Hindi cinema, we involved him a little bit more,
we increased the run time, we gave him a little but of more cinematic treatment to obviously
cater to his fans and the film story and make sure that he is still not away from the film. You
know it should not be that he is a sperate entity of the film, he is very much also a character
in the film like we all are just characters you know that’s how everybody is intertwined with each other.
And Aayush you know like you said you transformed for this role. How easy or difficult was
that transformation journey like and also because you know
in between the pandemic struck us in which delayed the process?
Well I think the most difficult thing was the eating. I had to eat a lot. I had to constantly keep
feeding myself and that was the most irritating thing. I remember when I was going on a
vacation or something I had to go and choose hotels which had certain kind of a gym for me
to go to and you know meals booked in advance and eat that. So I think the most difficult part
about the transformation was more than anything was just eating, training everyday like there
were no of off days so it used to be training every day and then there used to be
physiotherapy in the night and there used to be ice bath in the night just to make sure we
don’t get injured, to make sure that, there used to be constant process. It was almost like how
athletes’ train. And then by the end of it got to me you know
And you know talking about the delay due to pandemic, did that ever bother you because you
even at the trailer launch Salman sir said that Aayush used to be, when will we start? And
you lost patience that one point of time
So its but natural because my first film came out in 2018 and I had decided to do this film in
beginning of 2019. Now you are like prepping for it, there’s been delays and I have to still
work on myself and there is certain amount of days so 2019 is gone in that and then there is
2020 that starts and you are okay now, we are three months away. Now we have like one year
okay so as an actor sometimes you feel like I debuted in 2018 now if I don’t have a release in
2019 then it looks like that there is nothing happening you know those thoughts come to your
head. You get like but I had taken up something as Antim which was quite bigger than what I
could chew and that needed that kind of effort and that patience to make sure that it happens
in the right way so finally when it was about to start in 2020 then the pandemic happened and
just you are like that’s work more towards, the three year period by the end of it just felt like I
hope by the time this film releases I hope I don’t have to come back and introduce myself to
people that you know that I had to, I hope the wait was worth it
you know that to wait for something like Antim was worth it
And you know talking about Loveyatri and the journey since then what made you decide to
you know step away from lighter space, the rom com space and you know switch to
something as intense as Antim? And what were the offers that
were coming your way in between that?
See my first reaction after the feedback I got to me after Loveyatri I always wanted to make
sure that I do something else in my next film. Obviously, some offers were coming again that
I was a boy next door, falling in love with a girl and the songs and the story and how all these
things go by but I genuinely didn’t feel convinced that I want to comeback, to another
romantic comedy you know I think that was the first film. I really wanted to shift gears in the
second film. I genuinely feel that you know right now its too early in my career to box myself
in one zone and say this is who I am and this is what I am going to always do. I believe there
is I have time, I have the energy, I am young to keep manoeuvring, keep changing myself to
do something else and you know if something excites you, why not? And action has always
been one of my favourite genres you know. Let’s be honest all actors always want that
phantom shot. Who doesn’t want the slow motion right? Everybody wants to one day see
themselves do that phantom shot and I still remember that when finally, the teaser, the first
look of Antim came out and I am running Salman bhai asked me what do you think of it?
You think it’s works? I said I don’t know I am just happy that it’s a phantom shot. I am just
happy that this whole action thing is coming out, I am just happy with that because that’s like
a dream come true for every actor to have a phantom shot so I just felt that if I really need to
make an impact, I need to throw myself at a different ship altogether you know. In my first
film I tried to be this romantic, sweet character and my second film because that’s what the
challenge was first thing that many people told me that you are too cute looking for being a
gangster. But I said that’s the challenge. This is something that we have here that you look
like this so you can’t do this but if you go to see films in Hollywood people, they change
according to films. It’s not about how you look. You change, you put on weight, you lose
weight. If Christian Bale can put on so much of muscles and then lose it so can I
And Aayush you know this is your second film so there might not be much of box office
pressure on you but you know with Salman Khan’s involvement there is a certain number
that everyone expects, what sort of discussions are there on that front between you and him
because you know whenever his films come its like 100 crores in three days and then what
next, we will see. So what are the discussions around that?
See I think when we started the idea of Antim was actually to attempt something different for
me and for him as well you know I think last couple of films that he has done it is the first
time that there is no female protagonist for him, there is no song where he is romancing
anybody or there is something like that. We are doing something different this time so we
were mentally prepared that we are actually signing up for something which is going to be
different either and this is a honest conversation. Either it is loved because it’s a dark film if
it’s not loved it might not get loved, its fine. But even he wanted to attempt it, even I wanted
to attempt it and I feel that at this point in time I genuinely don’t have as you rightly said I
don’t have the box office pressure but his name is expecting something. People are expecting
those things but I think it is all about experimenting. Sometimes I genuinely feel that we
always speaking on his behalf that a big superstar should always try something new because
they are always repeating themselves but when they want to try something new then there is
also a box office pressure that binds them
But your last film didn’t make 100 crores so that means it wasn’t a hit. But actually, the thing
is the film is already made in a budget that it is also recovered its money so we are not risking
anything out here but that image of 100 crore but that also boxes you into that small thing that
100 crores if you want to keep playing in that club you might have to repeat yourself all the time.
So there are no pressures in that front?
No, I think we are very content with the fact that we are trying to tell something. This is a
different film for both of us that’s why you know we feel that I just feel that this film has, this
film will see its own destiny and I think there will be people when we went into the whole
sequences there were times when we would say that you know Salman bhai’s film audiences
are more family audiences, is it okay to have this in the film? Are we okay to be so brutal in
the film and the idea was that I think its high time we need to, we can't always be catering to
same cinema. He is always been a huge superstar and he just told me I have time between
before Tiger starts and I genuinely want to do this film
as an experiment for myself as well so I think that’s exciting.
And Aayush what next for you after Antim?
Well there are you know I genuinely feel that I really don’t want to rush into anything you
know I just feel that you know everything depends mainly for Antim because this is a big
film for people to actually gauge what I am capable of. So I would not say that there is
multiple offer that I am getting or I am this film and that film and I am sitting and work, this
is not that. I genuinely feel that there is going to be a, its going to be a career defining film for
me. It’s a very important film for me if it does connect, if it does get the appreciation and the
love then it will be based on Antim. Right now, everybody will talk about movies but they
will not start the time Antim shows its merit at the box office. So I really don’t want to rush
into it you know based on anything, I just want to take my time. After my first film I took my
time to work on the things that I was told that this is the things that I ned to work on as an
actor. I worked on it and I came to Antim. So I am sure there will be some feedback that I
will get after Antim, I will work on that and then I will what I want to do next
But there are reports about you doing another film with Salman that’s Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali? Is there
any truth to that or there have been multiple reports for the last two years that’s why?
Well, you know this film is definitely on floors, its called Bhaijaan and I think they are
already Sajid bhai and Salman Bhai discussing for it. I think it all depends if you know Sajid
bhai and Salman bhai want me in the film and if they offer me and tell me to do the film I
will definitely be a part of it and why not? It is Farhad sir is
directing it, Sajid bhai is there, Salman bhai is there, I think it’s kickass
Perfect. Thank you so much Aayush. Lovely talking to you and wish you all the best for Antim
Thank you, thank you.