New Delhi: Child actor Partho may have won glorious awards for his debut 'Stanley Ka Dabba', but he plans to take a break from films after his next release 'Hawaa Hawaai' in order to concentrate on his studies.
In 'Hawaa Hawaai', which is based on inline speed skating, the National-award-winning actor, 13, plays a determined rural boy, who never loses focus from his goal. Directed by his father Amole Gupte, the sports film will hit cinemas on May 9.
"For now I won't be acting in films as I want to study. I want to finish 9th and finish my school first. Then I want to study direction at New York University. I want to make films (when I grow up). I don't want to sound preachy but I want to make films that convey a message to people," Partho told PTI.
"The message could be anything but it should make people understand more about life and about themselves through the films," he added.
However, fitting in the shoes of a skater was not a big deal for the actor as he was popular in the sport at the district level some years ago. But Partho insists he did have to polish the skills for the film that also features Saqib Saleem of 'Bombay Talkies' fame in role of his mentor.
"When I was a kid, I used to skate at district level and I left it for some reasons. I practised it again for sometime for the film as there were certain parts that were a bit hard to do in skating," he said.
The story of a focused skater had been cultivating in his father's mind ever since he exhibited a passion for the sport. Amole had been penning the script of 'Hawaa Hawaai' from a very long time.
"It all started when I am smaller than now. I used to skate everyday, and my father used to go with me. He used to type something or the other on laptop while I was skating," he said.
"Then he started telling me the story of 'Hawaa Hawaai' and the character (Arjun) I play. I wanted to know more about him. So we were all into the script. When I was in 7th, my father was like, 'now you have to be Arjun'," he added. Partho credits his father for instilling in him the desire to pursue acting.
"My biggest inspiration in terms of acting is my father as he is the one who introduced me to all these personalities like 'Godfather' legend Vito Corleone and many others. He runs these theatre and cinema studies workshops. He teaches underprivileged students at a school. I have been with him since its started," he said.
"We used to go together. There used to direction and acting (cinema and theatre studies). We used to have a blast," he added.
Movies, books, photography, and his cat keeps the young actor occupied in his leisure. But it is movies and his camera that interests him the most.
Even though Partho hugely admires the work of Oliver Stone, Majid Majidi, it is filmmaker Rohit Shetty whose movies he never misses.
"I like all types of films. Oliver Stone, Majid Majidi's films they all introduced me to a different type of world. But I love Rohit Shetty," he said.
"He is like everything, he is superb. I have seen all of his films atleast three times," he added.
