Gaurav Chopra : My effort is to give you a different version of me every time!

Gaurav Chopra has been around the entertainment industry for more than two decades and still going strong. He has been choosy in selecting roles so that he isn’t seen in a mediocre character. Having started on the small screen, Gaurav successfully transitioned to films and has been doing meaty roles. In his early days he started out with a Tamil film Ottran and later did the television serials, ‘#SaaraAkaash’ and ‘#KarmaKoiAaRahaaHaiWaqtBadalney’. He shot to fame with the Hindi serial ‘#Uttaran’. He also has acted in an #Americanfilm, ‘#BloodDiamond’ and has participated in the Georgian edition of the international dance reality show ‘#DancingWithTheStars’ where he was chosen as a cultural ambassador.

#GauravChopra has an impressive filmography. He was part of serials like ‘#Lavanya’, ‘#VikraalAurGabraal’, ‘#PiyaKaGhar’, ‘#LeftRightLeft’, ‘#GharKiLakshmiBetiyann’, ‘#Aghori’, ‘#Sanjivani’ etc. He did films like ‘Men Will Be Men’, ‘#BachchanPandey’, ‘#Gadar2’, ‘#Lakeerein’ etc and was part of web series ‘#Fourplay’, ‘#HelloMini’, ‘#RamaNaidu’ etc. In a recent blockbuster movie ‘Gadar 2’, his role of Lieutenant Colonel Devendra Rawat was highly appreciated. He had to gain substantial weight for the role and as a prep he lived with real-life army. His last release ‘Lakeerein’ received critics’ approval. Our Sr Editor Keerti Kadam interacted with Gaurav Chopra. Excerpts…

At the beginning of your career you had the chance to act along with superstar Rajnikant and now Sunny Deol. What do you think when you look back at your journey as an actor have you improved over the years?
I hope I’ve improved. I hope I’m a better human being. When you grow you should be a better actor, a better human being and it goes hand in hand. I think, if you are not a better human being, you can’t be a good actor. For imaginary characters you have to be observant enough, sensitive enough towards other people and then portray it sincerely on screen or else it will look fake.

Your last film, Lakeerein started a conversation around marital rape. What are your views on that?
We are living in times when women pick this up really quickly these days. The empowered women make it a point that they want to talk about the underprivileged women. I think that will be the first reaction. I’m not saying this as a man but I’m saying this as an observer. I think that men and the right kind of men also support these kinds of sentiments, which is why there has been a change in the society. Not as much as we would like but whatever has happened, has happened because the right thinking men have also always supported. It is not a man thing or a woman thing. This film speaks about the rights of married women and their consent during a physical act.

Talking further about marital rape, it shouldn’t happen. This is an evil in the society. It should not be happening. In a marriage you should be making love and not having sex. There would be days when you passionately make love but it’s still making love. The point that one person is getting some gratification out of it and the other person hates it to the point of calling it a rape. Then, according to me, the marriage is already over. If there is marital rape then the marriage is over.

Generally you seem to be choosy. What made you say yes to ‘Lakeerein’?
I was first called by Dilip Shukla Saab, the legendary writer of movies like ‘Damini’, ‘Dabangg’ etc.. He’s known for writing layered characters, mazedaar characters. He makes them enjoyable to watch. The guy who had called me for narration had given me a very simplistic brief saying, ‘Sir aisa ek role hai, aap hamare film ke Hero hai.’ I went there and on hearing the lines and scenes from him, I understood that it was way more layered and how Vivek Agnihotri, my character’s name, is such a good representation of the Indian men who are somewhere in the midst of this change, he thinks he has evolved. He thinks he has accepted all of these changes in society. But, somewhere is still caught up with the old concepts and he still accepts some things from his wife and the marriage. And it’s not a good or a bad role, it’s just a complex part because the topic itself is complex. So I think Vivek represents the milieu, the country and also is the protagonist of the story.

Do you think Vivek is a male chauvinist pig?
I don’t think anybody is a male chauvinist pig. I think you are just a chauvinist if you are. There is good and bad chauvinism. I hate terminologies because they generalize and put everybody in one bracket. I try very hard and we’re trying very hard that women and human beings should not be put in a bracket. We shouldn’t do that with men either. Vivek is not the kind of chauvinist that you like but there are things about him that you will like. There are things about him that are attractive. I will not be surprised if there are some people who will actually like bits of him because, he has been constructed like that. He is as complex as life is. He, of course represents one side, one extreme of this spectrum but he’s as complex as life is how all of us are good and bad. We’re heroes one day and villains the other day. And that’s what Vivek is. So, in a way, he is the Hero and Villain, both, of the film.

Did you have any reference points while portraying the character?
No No, like I said the gentlemen who had called me for the role had given me one reference point which was very simplistic. This is not something like that at all. Vivek is somebody that I have completely sort of imagined and portrayed. But I’ve imagined and portrayed him in a sense of how it could be. He wants to get married to a cow (docile woman). But that is the sentiment of so many people. I had improvised a line which says, ‘Main apni zindagi mein saralta chahta hu toh gaay se shadi karna chahta hu’. Now, you do bring these little points to your role when you are playing him like a human being and not a caricature of a human being.

Any preparations you’ve done for this role?
Preparation was a little difficult as I was simultaneously shooting for ‘Sanjivani’ at that point of time. And both the characters are bang opposite. In ‘Sanjivani’ I was/am literally the best husband in the world. I was shooting during the day, flying to shoot the film all night and then fly back and shoot for serial. So, there were no sleep days for me and within 24 hours I was playing both the extremes. But it was fun doing it.

You have been directed by several directors. How was the experience working with ‘Lakeerein’ director Durgesh Pathak?
He is sincere. He does his homework. He means what he’s showing on screen. He deals with the subject sensitively and objectively at the same time. He allows you to blossom. Understanding the absolute crucial point of the complexity of the scene. So in improvisation you cannot ruin the complexity of the scene. It still has to work for the strong subject that is being made and yet as a performer he would give you the freedom to add your lines. As he knows with this line the scene will enhance. But he’ll stop you at a point where he feels necessary.

You received appreciation for your role in ‘Gadar 2’…
Yes. I have won an award for ‘Gadar 2’.

How was your experience co-acting with Sunny Deol?
It was Sunny Sir’s idea that I should play a villain in the film. We were so free with each other that we were discussing what the climax should be and ideally Tara Singh should kill the villain. But, it was his opinion first and that’s how it happened. And of course he is a legend and an extremely cooperative co-star.

What do you think about your potential being utilised on small or large screen?
More on television. People underestimate television. For an actor and writer in television, there is immense potential to discover layers in the character and play it and become the person. You literally become the character. People’s assumption about television is regressive stories, family drama, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’s discussion. I have never done these type of shows on television. My television has always been different.

Define any difference in projecting yourself in web-series and films? Which medium do you prefer?
Fortunately I don’t find anything different. I do what I do everywhere. Unfortunately there is a difference in the way people perceive. So films are perceived in a different way. I am up for all kinds of roles if I like the story.

Will you continue to work on Television?
Well television continues to offer me roles which by itself is a good sign that they still think I’m available for them. It just so happens that television requires a lot more time. You can’t be doing anything else. If you’re playing a lead character on a TV show that’s what your life will be. No two things can happen together. With many scripts in hand it is a little difficult but, if something interesting comes my way, I shall do it.

Reason your films are very far and few between?
I’m just trying to do different things. I’m trying to do stuff that people haven’t seen me do which is difficult. People don’t cast me for Gaurav. People cast me for the perception about Gaurav. So, I could be a good actor but my perception might be different. So, your perception is as big or as small as your last project. After doing ‘Gadar 2’ I was offered 3 army officer roles. Because that’s how people see. Your effort is to try and do different things; the rest is in people’s hands.

What is the secret of your fitness? You’ve been the same for so many years now.
Miracle! The size of the jeans I wore at age 14, I still wear the same. The reason is not that I am an actor but I am boring. ‘Main ghar ka khana roz kha sakta hu’. I don’t mind not eating anything. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I believe whatever that you do if you’re consistent with it that remains permanent.

Which are your forth coming projects?
There are actually 6 scripts in my hand now. But of course there will be one at a time. My next upcoming film is a biopic after that, a thriller. So, the effort is to give you a different version of me every time. In some I might get appreciation, in some I might not. But, the constant effort is to try and do all kinds of cinema big, small, relevant, entertaining. You shouldn’t be typecast. I was typecast for a long time in my life. I don’t want to be typecast anymore. Also there’s something coming on OTT. It’s a thriller. My priority is a biopic as it has a Haryanvi character and I have to get into the physicality of it which means I will put on 7-8 Kgs of weight to look like a Jaat.