'Give First, Receive Later': Sachin Lalwani On Finding Faith, Craft And Community In 'Tu Meri Puri Kahani'

In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, actor Sachin Lalwani opens up about his journey from child actor to theatre performer, the lessons he’s learned from Mahesh Bhatt and Hansal Mehta, and why Tu Meri Puri Kahani feels like a deeply personal chapter in his artistic evolution.

When actor Sachin Lalwani walked into the screening of Faraaz at Sunny Super Sound, he didn’t expect the evening to lead him to his next big project. The film had just been shown, and the cast and crew were huddled together, waiting to hear what people thought. “It’s a vulnerable space to be in,” he recalls. “You’re smiling outside but waiting for fresh perspectives inside.”

He approached Mahesh Bhatt, introduced himself as Rohan from Faraaz, unsure if the filmmaker would even recognise him after all, his look had completely changed. “I had a long beard in the film, but by then it was gone. My hair was shorter, my beard had become stubble. I was almost unrecognisable.” Bhatt’s response, however, made the actor’s evening. “He said, ‘The moment I saw you on screen, I wanted to kill you!’ It was the biggest compliment that I was playing an annoying terrorist.”

The Meeting That Sparked a Collaboration

That spontaneous exchange started a friendship. Lalwani kept in touch with Bhatt Saheb, who hinted he had “something in mind” for him. Months later, the promise took shape. “It took about a year for things to materialise,” Lalwani says. “In the meantime, I met Suhrita Das, who directed my story in Tu Meri Puri Kahani, and I used to invite them to my plays to stay in touch.”

One afternoon, as he sat down for lunch, his phone rang. Suhrita and Bhatt Saheb called: “What are you doing? Come to the office.” Within an hour, he was there and so was Arhan, who plays Rohan in the film. “I thought it was an audition,” Lalwani laughs. “But we just talked for 45 minutes about life, the industry, insecurities, and what it means to be an artist today.” That chat ended with an offer: the role of Lucky.

A Role that Reflected His Own Life

Lalwani was immediately drawn to Lucky, a young, struggling artist who rents a room from Rohan, a selfless mentor who helps emerging musicians. “He’s a giver, doesn’t expect anything in return,” Lalwani says. “It was interesting because I’m an actor myself, so there were parallels.”

One scene especially stayed with him: a father advising his musician son to perform for the common man, not just in air-conditioned studios. “That line hit me hard,” he reflects. “In theatre, I feel that. Every pause, every silence, you can hear the audience breathe. Those live reactions make performing so much more fulfilling.”

A Positive Set and a Young, Hungry Crew

The actor describes the Tu Meri Puri Kahani set as “a very positive environment.” Veteran actor Uday Chandra was often a guiding presence. “Arhan and I would sit with Sir for hours, talking about life and passions. We all had lunch together, actors, directors, everyone. It felt like family.”

Working with a young crew was refreshing. “The average age on set was around 30,” he says. “They were lean, hungry, full of energy. It reminded me of Faraaz, where the average age was even younger, maybe 28.”

Lessons from Bhatt Saheb and Suhrita Das

Lalwani’s biggest takeaway from Mahesh Bhatt was the idea of selfless giving. “Even if the camera isn’t on you, give your co-actor everything. If their take suffers, the scene suffers, and then you suffer too.” Another key lesson: honesty with emotions. “Bhatt Saheb told me, if you’re nervous or sad, don’t run from it. Acknowledge it, say, hi, nervousness, you’re here.”

He used that approach during a key scene in which his character gets slapped. “I was nervous because I didn’t know how I’d react. Suhrita told me, ‘Use it.’ And I did. What came out on screen was real.” He adds that Suhrita Das taught him faith  “to trust your director completely.” Seeing her coordinate seamlessly with co-writer Shweta and Bhatt Saheb “inspired immense confidence.”

Matching the Energy, Frame by Frame

Shooting Tu Meri Puri Kahani posed new challenges. Unlike Faraaz, which used multiple cameras,Suhrita’s film relied on a single-camera setup. “We had to wait longer between takes as the lights and camera moved,” Lalwani explains. “But you can’t drop your energy. The next take must match the last, or the scene looks odd.” With Suhrita’s guidance, he learned to sustain intensity even through breaks.

This focus reminded him of the theatre again. “Faraaz was shot almost like a theatre, one emotional breath leading into another. Tu Meri Puri Kahani was about precision and continuity. Both taught me different kinds of discipline.”

From Child Actor to Theatre Performer

Looking back, Lalwani calls his journey “lucky.” In just two-and-a-half years, he’s worked with Hansal Mehta, Suhrita Das and Mahesh Bhatt and performed more than 50 stage shows. Yet, acting remains unpredictable. “You can have fifteen busy days, then a silent month with no auditions,” he says. “So I’ve started writing again.”

He had written in college but stopped due to self-doubt. “Now I’m learning to write without overthinking. Maybe the first few drafts will be bad, maybe the fifth will click. The goal is to write daily, even if inspiration doesn’t strike.” He plans to make a short film soon, his first after nine years.

The Stage that Cured His Fear

Ironically, Lalwani’s strongest passion once scared him most. “I had major stage fright,” he admits. “I was in front of the camera from age eight, but on stage, I’d freeze thinking  what if I forget the dialogue?” Theatre felt too risky, until one day he saw an Instagram ad for an improv workshop during lockdown.

“I thought there are no dialogues in improv, I can’t forget what doesn’t exist,” he jokes. The workshop was online, which made it easier. “Worst case, I fail, switch off Zoom, and no one knows.” But he didn’t fail. Instead, improv unlocked confidence, teaching him stagecraft, projection, and storytelling. “After a year of improv, I joined theatre, and everything changed.”

Discovering the Craft in Faraaz

Working on Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz deepened his understanding of the process. Cast in early 2021, he spent months in readings with Kashyap, Raghav and the direction team. “We’d meet thrice or four times a week, not to perform, but to explore  who these characters really are?”

Hansal Mehta then gave his actors freedom. “He’d say, ‘This is the kitchen, you’ve done what you had to, now just be.’ For five minutes, we’d breathe in that space while an iPhone rolled. It wasn’t acting, it was existing as the character. That’s when you learn who your character truly is.”

The Joy of Working with Hansal Mehta and Bhatt Saheb

Both Faraaz and Tu Meri Puri Kahani share one thing: generosity. “Everyone said Faraaz was the best set they’d worked on, and I agree,” he says. “We lived together in a hotel for 17 days in a COVID bubble. The set was just 100 meters away. You live, eat, breathe the film together; it bonds you.”

That sense of community mirrored Bhatt’s team as well. “Whether it’s Hansal sir’s calm or Bhatt Saheb’s raw passion, both create spaces where actors feel safe to fail, and that’s rare.”

Dream Directors and Future Plans

Lalwani recently made a list of 40 directors he dreams of working with, but he begins with those he already knows. “Hansal Mehta, Suhrita Das and Bhatt Saheb, I’d love to work with them again.” Among others, he names Anurag Kashyap (“I love his improvisational freedom”), Vasan Bala, Anubhav Sinha, Vishal Bhardwaj, Shoojit Sircar, Anurag Basu, Vikramaditya Motwane (“Udaan and Lootera are unforgettable”), Anant Mahadevan and Neeraj Ghaywan. “I recently watched Homebound and was half in tears. Please watch it after Tu Meri Puri Kahani,” he adds.

Up next, Lalwani has a short film scheduled to shoot in November and a few other projects in early 2026, currently awaiting funding. “It’s that waiting game between projects,” he smiles. “In the meantime, I keep doing plays at Rangshila and Vedakumbha, and post updates on my Instagram @sachmeinre.”

“If Not Acting…”

Has he ever thought of another profession? “Honestly, no,” he laughs. “I said I wanted to be an actor when I was six, watching Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi with my family.” Yet, if he had to pick today, he says he might be a writer-director, cinematographer, or editor. “And if not in the film world, probably a teacher or a therapist. We need more of both.”

For now, though, Lalwani is right where he wants to be, living each pause, each breath, like the theatre performer he has become. “At the end of the day,” he says softly, “it’s all about giving first and trusting that the story will give something back.”