Pratik Gandhi became an overnight national sensation with his turn as Harshad Mehta in the web series, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. After winning hearts on the OTT with his powerful performance as the suave businessman, Pratik is gearing up for his Bollywood debut with Raavan Leela. The movie, which sees him opposite Aindrita Ray, is set for a theatrical release on October 1. Apart from this, he also reunites with his Scam 1992 director, Hansal Mehta, for another feature film, Dedh Bigha Zameen. In a chat with the Cinema Journal, the actor gives a glimpse into his debut film and talks about working with Mehta. Excerpts:
What was the experience of shooting for your debut movie like?
Raavan Leela, directed by Hardik Gajjar, is officially my Bollywood debut. Hence, it’s special for me. Also, shooting for the movie was an unforgettable experience for me on the personal front. During the course of the filming, two life-changing events happened. One was the call I received from Hansal Mehta for the web series, Scam 1992. The second was from my mother informing me of my father's hospitalisation. This was in May 2018, when the filming for the movie was still in progress. In November 2018, I lost my father. Hence, many emotions are attached to Raavan Leela and I have high hopes from the movie.
The title of the film, Raavan Leela, is interesting. What is the movie about?
Raavan Leela has a sensitive subject. It is based on the theme of dual personality. There is Ram and Ravan within all of us. The good thoughts, the good side is Ram, the other is Ravan, the evil side. And there is a constant fight between the two sides. Whether the Ram or the Ravan within us wins, is what makes us who we are. There is another angle to this dichotomy.
Today, we are living in a world driven by perceptions. If the world perceives you as evil, then the onus is on you to prove them wrong. That’s a tricky situation as you have to prove yourself to be Ram if you are not Ravan. I am thankful to the entire team of Raavan Leela for trusting me with the lead in such a delicate subject at a time when I was not a known name and face in Hindi cinema.
You are reuniting with Hardik Gajjar for another film, Atithi Bhooto Bhava. How is that shaping up?
In Atithi Bhooto Bhava, I had the honour of sharing screen space with Jackie Shroff. In fact, I signed the project after the success of Scam 1992. And Raavan Leela’s shoot was wrapped up before Scam 1992 started streaming.
Then what led to the delay in Raavan Leela’s release?
I guess the director had to bear his own struggle in putting the project together. Things were different before Scam 1992. The Hindi film industry has started showing a lot of faith in me now — post the success of Scam 1992. That’s how they managed to complete the film, and now it’s going to be released.
Would you say Scam 1992 opened new avenues for you?
Yes, and I can never thank Hansal Mehta enough. I became a known face across the world because of the web series. I hope I get the same love and support from the audience for this film that I got for the web series.
