Sushant Singh Rajput, who turns 30 on January 21, has done a variety of roles in such a short span of time. The actor, who is busy with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s biopic, opens up about his life.
How difficult is it for you to portray a living icon Dhoni?
I think for every actor the most challenging part of playing a character, specially a real-life character, is to convince yourself that you are the character.
The moment you achieve that you are safe. With Byomkesh, my director Dibakar and I had to construct that character out of our imagination. I’ve been a fan of Dhoni for years. I’ve seen him play for India for over 10 years.
My biggest challenge was to convince myself that I was Dhoni. Having done that the rest just followed.
You come from a family of cricketers. Did that help?
Yes, my sister Mitu is a state-level cricketer. I did have an inclination towards cricket from a very young age. I, too, was a national-level player. I did think of taking up cricket as a profession when I was in Class VIII. But there was a lot of family pressure.
What do you mean?
I was the youngest child and the only son. I was expected to shine in academics. It seemed like too big a risk to take up cricket as a career. I thought I had to live up to my family’s expectations. So I chose to be an engineer. I gave up my dream once. But I wouldn’t let myself give it up a second time.
So, cricket’s loss was cinema’s gain?
I hope I am a gain (laughs). And here I am playing Dhoni. It was the great Sunil Gavaskar who had once said, “Given a chance I’d like to be in the mind of Dhoni just once to understand what he is thinking”. I guess I am going where Gavaskar saab wanted to.
Talk about your preparations
As far as possible, I am trying to walk on Dhoni’s footprints, going wherever he has been. I’ve researched him as much as possible, gone wherever he had, stayed in the places that he has.
Most importantly, his personality has changed. He isn’t same physically or emotionally as he was five years ago. So I’ve to sit down with the man and figure out various phases of his life.
Would you be imitating Dhoni?
No. But the way he talks, walks, holds the bat, plays in the field… these are very important.
But if you imitate his walk and talk, the performance becomes mimicry?
Right. There is a very thin line dividing characterisation from impersonation. I’ve to make sure I don’t cross over into mimicry. Dhoni has millions of fans. When they go to see the film they must not get a visual jerk in the first few frames.
There mustn’t be too big a gap between his body language and mine. The moment that is sorted I’ll have the audience with me.
Then I can take the character forward in the way I choose to interpret it. I think I’ve done my homework well. I’ll be able to communicate Dhoni’s thought process.
Are you never bothered with who your co-stars are?
Yes, I am too much into my own work.
So, how far can you take the quest to be a character?
It all depends on how many hours of practice you put in. I was reading an interview with Kevin Spacey about shooting with Al Pacino. Pacino would remember exactly how many takes he did on the 19th day and how many on the 52nd day.
And he would ask the director to take Take 3 from day 19 and Take 7 from day 52. That’s the way to do it. Because the first few takes is just about warming up.
But many actors feel they lose their spontaneity after the first take?
If you do only one take you will never know what you can do in the second or third take. You can never realise your full potential.
So, most one-take actors are lazy?
Maybe (laughs). Or maybe they don’t know their potential. My reaction now can’t be what it could an hour from now.
Is girlfriend Ankita more important to you than you are to yourself?
Ankita is the only factor in my life that makes me believe in destiny. How we catch what life throws at us is destiny. Ankita is my destiny.
Were you as passionate about television as you are about cinema?
As long as you’re true to your character I don’t think the size of the screen or the format on camera matters. Even if there is no camera, I’d still play my characters exactly the same way. I’d give all of myself on stage or even a street play.
