Nishant Dahiya made his silver screen debut a decade ago in Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. He also played significant roles in Kedarnath and Raat Akeli Hai. His upcoming release is Kabir Khan’s 83. Nishant plays Roger Binny in the highly anticipated film. Opening up about how he got cast in the film, he says, “The journey started for me around March 2019 when I finished shooting for Raat Akeli Hai, and I got a call from the casting director to audition for Roger sir’s part. The next day itself, they called me and asked whether I could play cricket. I reached and met Balvinder Singh Sandhu sir, Kabir sir along with the actors who were already on-board and were training there. I was bowled in my first ball, and Sandhu sir gave his nod to cast me. It has been an incredible journey from training sessions to shooting, and now the film is nearing its release. It feels surreal. 83 is my World Cup. No one can take that away from me ever.”
Ranveer Singh plays Kapil Dev in the film. Nishant is all praise for the actor. “Ranveer just lets everyone be themselves. He is not overpowering at all, never showed his stardom on the sets. Being an outsider in the industry, he has earned a lot of respect through his work. Wh shooting, I had a lot of injuries, and he used to give me back massages. He is caring and warm as a person,” he explains.
Nishant is glad to have got the opportunity to work with Kabir. “Surprisingly, Kabir sir, who has done massive films in the past, is completely opposite of what people think of him. He is a chilled out person. One wouldn’t even notice he is on set. No matter what, he hardly loses his temper,” he adds.
The actor has fond memories of playing cricket during his childhood. “I started playing cricket when I was five to six years old. I was primarily a fast-bowling all-rounder. I represented my school in every possible tournament, under 13’s, under 15’s, state level, and national level twice. My father is an army officer and was posted in Gwalior, I was in the eighth standard, and just behind my school, there was Baseball Academy. Post my school every day; I used to go there and continuously bowl for four hours. When I was training for 83 and had to catch Roger sir’s style, which was the most difficult thing, I used to keep bowling non-stop, and Kabir sir had to stop me,” he shares.
Nishant, in fact, wanted to pursue sports as a career, but destiny had other plans for him. “I always wanted to be a cricketer, but since I was good with academics, my parents wanted me to take up engineering or medical studies. Eventually, I took up engineering. Since I come from an upper-middle-class family, my father insisted that I become academically sound. I also cleared my CATs, but then I also wanted to do my bit of acting and modelling. I am a jack of all trades, master of none,” he reveals.
Most of his previous films failed to ring in the cash registers. However, Nishant remains unfazed when asked if 83 would be a game-changer for him. “I don’t look at it that way. I am not seeking any commercial success with this film. In a decade-old journey in the industry, I learned to be realistic in life. I am not presuming what will happen and what won’t. Just to be a part of 83 is so fulfilling in itself. This film has let my creative juices flow,” he signs off.
