Pratik Gandhi: I go back to the theatre to check if I’m still good

Pratik Gandhi, who ‘arrived’ in Bollywood in 2020 with Scam 1992, a biographical web series on Harshad Mehta, is co-starring with Yami Gautam in Dhoom Dhaam, a high-energy rollercoaster of action, romance and comedy, about the chaotic events that take place on a couple’s wedding night. The busy actor talks about his career in general, and in particular, the project which is set to premiere on Netflix on February 14.

Favourite genre of films?

I enjoy all genres; however, comedy is the most difficult to crack. It has to be translated to the audience at multiple levels on the screen. The same joke has to work in every single take from every single angle. I enjoy doing it.

How difficult is it to win the audience with the Dhoom Dhaam kind of cinema?

It’s difficult.The writer, directors and actors have to be on the same page throughout the film. In many films I have watched, I have felt that though a scene might work on its own, it doesn’t match the tone of the movie as a whole. You get the feeling that it’s from a different film. When everyone is ready to find common ground, it’s an immense blessing, especially for this genre. People have to set aside their egos, and work as a single team. This is particularly true of this film, which was written in 2014. It would have been easy to lose sight of the idea after so many years. The writers deserve a lot of credit for thinking of such a theme, a first of its kind.

How has the theatre helped your performance on the big screen?

Theatre has given me everything, all the understanding and all the emotions. It played a huge role in my personal life too. Theatre has changed my perception of life and the world. After doing any film, I want to go back to the theatre and challenge myself and find out if I’m still good enough, still able to deliver a monologue for two hours.

Every Friday your status changes as a star or actor. Has it affected you?

A writer doesn't work with a pre-conceived idea of writing a commercial or non-commercial script. If it works at the box office, it is considered commercial and if it doesn’t, it’s considered non-commercial.

Similarly, we don’t know if the audiences will perceive us as an actor or a star.