Adivi Sesh has stepped into one of his most intense roles yet with Dacoit. From playing a rage-fuelled ex-convict to seamlessly switching between Hindi and rustic Telugu, the actor dives deep into the complexities of his character, Hari. During an exclusive interview with Filmfare, Sesh talks about his writing process, on-screen chemistry with co-star Mrunal Thakur, collaborating with Anurag Kashyap and why, for him, storytelling always trumps Box Office numbers.
Did you write the story for Dacoit keeping yourself in mind from the get go?
I have an easy setup on that. As a writer, I get many ideas. But I only go along and develop a story when I suit that idea. The others go into the folder where I have kept ideas that I hope to develop at some point. So the question of me writing for myself goes out the window. So once I have moved past that, I only write it just as a character. I don’t even see the faces, if that makes sense. I can’t see the faces. They are just grey blurs when I’m writing.
You have promoted your character in Dacoit as one of the most layered characters that you’ve ever portrayed. What makes him different from your past roles?
I have played many introverted and inward roles in the past. For example, take Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. There is a certain dignity that we had to hold the whole time. But Hari is like an explosive bomb. He is brave. He feelings show on his face. That is really cool. He is an ex-convict coming out of jail after 13 years. He has a lava-like rage. It gives a different spin.
How did you keep the characteristics authentic in the different versions of the film, say Hindi and Telugu?
The most demanding thing was to switch between casual Hindi and rustic Telugu. The Telugu I spoke for the movie was a rural dialect. Then immediately, I am speaking casual Hindi. The film happens on the Andhra-Karnataka border. Even for the Hindi language, we did not want to speak a different kind of Hindi that would be rooted somewhere else. But to be able to do each scene in two different languages with two different sensibilities back-to-back, was a real challenge.
Are the differences in the two versions very stark?
For example, the songs hold different meaning in the different versions. In the romantic track Rubaroo, which was sung by Saiyaara fame Faheem Abdullah, there is a line where Hari talks about how he breathes her being. But in the Telugu version, he is talking about how he is never going to let her cry. He’ll be the one that wipes her tears. They have different meanings. These are the little nuances.
Reddit is convinced that Mrunal and you are dating…
I have to give credit to her for making me feel at ease on the sets. Actors from the South tend to get a little shy.
Why is that so?
We are more conservative. I grew up in the States and all. I’m not conservative socially, but we are a little more reserved. So credit goes to her for making me feel at ease. Whenever there would be a moment when we could not land the shot, she would suddenly take the mic and start singing. She would make everybody laugh. She just has a lovely way about that. And that really shines through. That is what you are seeing through our chemistry.
But what surprised you the most while working with her?
We had a lovely surprise the first few days of shooting. On the first day, she was simple and professional. She was doing her job. The second day, she was super happy. The third day, she was super serious. We didn’t understand. We were like, ‘Wait, what did we do? Did we do something wrong? What’s going on?’ That’s when we realized that she has this lovely way of getting into the zone of the scene she’s about to do.
How did Anurag Kashyap fit the bill?
He is one of the best actors I have seen. He brings much gravitas to what he does. But his perception of himself is often like, ‘Sesh, I don’t know anything about acting. You tell me. I tell him, ‘No, sir. You do something of your own.’ And I genuinely believe Anurag sir does not realize how good an actor he is. But he does realise what he brings to the table as a writer and as a director. And we were the first ones to mischievously take advantage of that.
Did he help you with the technicalities?
We took our Hindi dialogues to him. We asked him how to make them better. Suddenly, we had India’s best Hindi dialogue writer writing for free for us.
There has been some chatter about set safety lately. Since this is an action-packed movie, how did you keep safety in mind while performing the stunts?
I believe that action always carries a certain element of risk. It is important to be as rehearsed as possible with adequate safety protocols. That’s why you see somebody as prepared and rehearsed as Tom Cruise, breaking his ankle famously. Well, he does what he does.
Also coming to the romance bit of the movie, you went to great lengths for your first love…
I went from Canada to the United States. While writing about it here, our people made it that I crossed the border. There is no border as such. Americans and Canadians just go here and there. They don’t have any border order. There is a border, but it is just like showing your ID and going through.
Do you recall personal experiences while shaping your performance?
You draw upon what you know, to make the character more relatable. If you are playing a scene where you have to shoot somebody, I would draw from a violent confrontation I might have had before. This is to get into the right mood for that scene. It is a classic go-to thing for most actors.
What is your anticipation about the Box Office for Dacoit?
I always ensure that my producers are safe. You can research that and check my last six films, the producers were safe. And the reason for that is because I look at that as my primary responsibility. I want to help my producers theatrically and non theatrically. Beyond that, I am just not in any sort of race or game. The reason for that is because when you talk about a film like Sholay, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Rang De Basanti, you wouldn’t talk about its Box Office. You won’t even remember its Box Office. Frankly, I don’t know the Box Office numbers of any of the films I love. I feel like it largely becomes a measuring contest of headlines. That is not relevant for the audience.
Since you have grown up in the United States, has there ever been any inclination towards Hollywood?
I would try and audition as a kid. But as an actor in today’s day and age, I have my own life in India. I did get offered a Netflix series of an American lead. But it is tough out there. It is a different game. So I’d have to be really tempted. Also, I can obviously draw upon my entire childhood of growing up there to be able to do that kind of role. But it has to be something that really moves me from my commitments here.
What kind of auditions did you do as a kid?
Everything you can get your hands on. I would get into a friend’s car and go to LA for open call auditions. You get cast as terrorist number four, or a gas station employee number three. That’s when you are starting out as a 16 or 17-year-old.
If Dacoit had to be remembered for one thing – its action or love story, what would you choose?
I have two answers to it. Anurag Kashyap called the movie ‘feels on wheels.’ And I would say it is a love story told in the rhythm of an action film.
Also Read: Adivi Sesh’s Japanese Superfan Flies to Hyderabad for a Surprise
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
