Vardhan Puri has been living out of a suitcase literally, as this year, the young talented actor has been shooting for films and music videos back-to-back. His latest music video is Kahan Chale and on the film front, he will be next seen in Nautanki. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
You are well versed in every sphere of filmmaking. Your comment?
I am just having fun shooting different characters on different mediums and different avatars with different directors. I am in a good space and having a good time as an artiste.
What is your latest music video Kahan Chale about?
It is actually a romantic gangster kind of music video which I chose as it presents me in an interesting space as an actor. I am romancing around with my girl on reel. Travelling the world, running away from the police. It has a rough and rugged exterior but has a very melting heart. I thought it was a deadly and a lethal combination. The song was really very amazing. The team is also so nice. I was keen on shooting in Mauritius. It was a fantastic experience.
You are also a writer. What’s happening on that front?
I have been writing a few things-drama, love story and comedy. I am working on something on a period and alongside developing a few things. Few things are ready, one of them you will see soon. I am not allowed to share anything if you see a hard hitting drama written by me.
Will you be directing or acting?
This one that I have written I will be acting in it but right now we have not locked the director. Eventually, I am definitely going to make films. That’s the idea. But right now my full focus is on acting and writing. I am looking forward to that. When I have enough time to dedicate myself to holding the reins of the captain of the ship, I will surely do it. That is the ultimate fantasy.
What are your future films/series?
There’s Nautanki, alongside Anupam Kher, Satish Kaushik and Pallavi Joshi. Two films with Jio Studios out of which one will be directed by Kunal Kohli and another by Sarim Momin, a psychological thriller film with Endemol Shine and one I am currently shooting for is being directed by a National Award-winning director.
What difference did you note in our films when compared to international ones?
The main difference between international films and our films is budget. You give us that kind of budget and we will give you better stories, better treatment, better technique, better performances, etc. I think it all boils down to the scale of production, like what we achieve 1/100th or 1/1000th of their budget is still spectacular. The moment studios start pumping in big money, they will start seeing returns. It’s also the sense of discipline they have in their industry is beyond spectacular. That is something very inspiring and we must learn from them just like they can learn drama and emotion from us.
Do you feel our makers can do better?
I think Indian filmmakers are the most intelligent. We have the best material; we have the Mahabharata, Ramayan, vedas and Upanishads which makes for the greatest base for any film or any solid story. As I said, once we get the budgets that Hollywood and other foreign language films get, we will create wonders because technically we are almost at their level.
