Farhan Going All Out To Play Pt. Ravi Shankar
‘An opportunity to get to know this amazing person,’ he says
Farhan Akhtar is leaving no stone unturned in the quest to be pitch perfect in his portrayal of the late Pandit Ravi Shankar in Sam Mendes’ film on the Beatles. “It is a challenge, a huge challenge. The world will be watching. But it is also an opportunity for me to get to know more about this amazing personality who won the West and ruled the East,” says Farhan in an exclusive chat.
On the anvil is a meeting with Pandit Ravi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka Shankar, to help him understand the sitar maestro on a personal level. The one thing that Farhan will completely avoid is trying to look like the Bharat Ratna awardee. “I don’t think a physical resemblance is essential to playing a real-life character. And that too someone as iconic as Panditji. I looked nothing like Milkha Singh when I played him (in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag). I didn’t even try to,” says Farhan.
The actor-producer is currently rejoicing in the triumph of the Manipuri film Boong which was adjudged the Best Children & Family Film at BAFTA. “This means a lot, not only for Ritesh Sidhwani and I who co-produced the film, but also for cinema in the North-East. Some truly outstanding talent exists in that part of our country. Boong proves it,” Farhan said.
