Post his impactful role as the antagonist in YRF’s Fighter, Rishabh Sawhney’s next project, Echoes of Valour, recently had its screening at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which also stars Divya Dutta and Neeraj Kabi, is directed by Kolkata-born filmmaker Indira Dhar, and is inspired by the life of Shukla Bandopadhyay, mother of an Indian Army soldier. The movie tells a poignant story of sacrifice, resilience, and love within a military family.
In an interview with The Free Press Journal, Sawhney talks about his new project, his deadly physique, the role of Prithvi Theatre in his life, and more. Excerpts:
Q. How did you get associated with Echoes of Valour?
A. For Echoes of Valour, I was contacted by the casting director of the film, Romil Modi, and he asked me if I would want to play a part in the film. Initially, it was the role of a terrorist, but then, with the better judgment of my director, Indira Dhar, who had seen me perform in Fighter, she came back to me and told me there's another part in the film which she would want to test me for, which was a positive role. And that is how my association with the film began.
Q. What was it like working with Divya Dutta and Neeraj Kabi?
A. Just watching such brilliant actors perform was a big learning for me. I remember this one scene where Divya ma'am was giving a speech, and I was standing and listening to the speech in the scene as well. And I didn't have to do anything. I was just listening and being in the moment, and I welled up. I had tears in my eyes, and I could feel the pain. And similarly, when I saw Neeraj sir on screen performing, I could see the amount of emotions and the depth of emotions that he was carrying in this character. Turned out to be a big learning curve for me.
Q. Quite an insane physique you have. Tell us about your daily diet?
A. Thank you for the compliment. On my physique, I have been into fitness and bodybuilding for the longest time. I started my fitness journey back in college when I did not know anything. When I came back home after college, I got a little serious into it, and I competed as a fitness model in bodybuilding competitions as well. And for the last eight years, I've been on the same diet, which includes the same five foods. I eat about five to six meals a day and work out seven days a week because I feel being physically fit helps me do more, helps me achieve more, it gives me more confidence. And yeah, so there's no breakfast, lunch, dinner. I have breakfast, then I have pre-lunch, then I have lunch, then I have post-lunch, then I have an evening post-workout meal, and then I have my dinner. I think people always think that it's only important to work out and ignore the dieting bit of it. But they're both 50-50, I feel, and you should do that. My daily diet consists of potatoes, rice, chicken, mutton, protein shakes, and sweet potatoes. But I eat only these five things, and I make out different permutations and combinations about foods from them.
Q. What role does fear and weakness play in motivating one to get in superhuman shape?
A. I don't know if fear or weakness helps in motivating someone to get in superhuman shape. It's more about motivation. You have to feel it from inside. You have to feel that you need to make a change, and only then you will be able to do it. For me, what clicked was I was always a fat kid. I was 120 kgs till the time I was in school. And then I had a sudden weight loss, which was about 60 kgs in six months, and I'd become too thin. A friend recommended me to start working out. I started working out, and the first time I saw any cuts on my body, like my biceps bulging or my triceps being visible, that was motivation for me. And ever since, I've been chasing fitness and looking my aesthetic best. So I think when you see changes in your body, that motivates you the most.
Q. What is the significance of Prithvi Theatre in your life?
A. Prithvi Theatre has been very significant for me. I've been one of those lucky actors who got to do his first play at Prithvi Theatre. And I believe theatre is the foundation of someone to be a good actor. And the first time I went for a theatre rehearsal, a play rehearsal, I was hooked onto it. I was going out of my way to meet people, ask them about things which I was not able to understand. That fear, that acceleration, that feeling of goosebumps that you get in your stomach when you're performing in front of a live audience — I don't know how to explain that feeling. It was something which really drew me towards acting and made me realize that this is something I want to do for the rest of my life, and I'll be happy doing it.
