FILM INTEVIEW: PRATEIK
‘Aarakshan’ an Eye-Opening Experience for Bollywood Actor
The much-anticipated socio-political drama, Aarakshan, finally hit theaters this past weekend, and as Independence Day dawns upon India the Monday after the film’s release, Bollywood actor Prateik (Dhobi Ghat) is just grateful to be associated with the likes of Prakash Jha, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Saif Ali Khan.
Of course, when Prateik was first approached by Mr. Jha to star in Aarakshan, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
“I had no clue what the film was about until (Mr. Jha) explained (it) to me,” Prateik said. “My initial reaction was, ‘Wow, Rajneeti was amazing. You have some nerve to go out there and give out such a strong message.’”
Indeed, Aarakshan takes on a whole new challenge that well surpasses the political soap opera that was Rajneeti. In Aarakshan, Mr. Jha takes on the sensitive issue of “Reservation” in India’s college system -- a practice very similar to Affirmative Action in the United States.
“My character is similar to me in some portions. He wasn’t really bothered by Reservation, (then) that sudden jerk in personality because he is sucked into this Reservation situation,” Prateik said.
Once he studied both the script and his role and realized what the film was truly about, Prateik, too, was sucked into his character’s development. It did not help that the cast only received snippets of the script with each passing day during filming.
As each portion of the script came into Prateik’s hands, he only became more curious of the role he was playing. Accordingly, it was not too long before Prateik started harassing Mr. Jha to find out more.
“I kept asking questions. We used to get our scenes one day before the shoot, so I used to call (Mr. Jha) late at night and ask (what happened to my character before the scene we were shooting),” Prateik candidly said.
In the end, it was all worth it, partly because he was thrilled to be a part of another socio-political thriller rivaling the likes of Rajneeti, but also because of his association with a stellar cast.
“I always wanted to work with the best. So early on in my career, I am getting to work with Deepika (Padukone), who’s made such strong films. I’m just like, wow. This is an amazing opportunity,” Prateik said in awe.
As the box office numbers roll in throughout this week and into next, Prateik hopes he will continuously be in awe of how well Aarakshan performed.
Naturally, if Aarakshan indeed does well at the box office, those amazing opportunities Prateik was referring to will occur much more frequently. Accordingly, it will only be a matter of time before the tables are turned and fans and newbie thespians alike are wowing cinematic experiences they share with him.
‘Aarakshan’ opened on August 12, 2011 and is now playing in theaters worldwide.
