‘Anurag Kashyap called the trailer nonsense: Sumit Gehlawat said – Everyone has their own opinion, everyone should watch the beef scene of The Kerala Story 2.
The first part of ‘The Kerala Story’ had given rise to heated debate across the country. There were different reactions regarding the film at political, social and ideological levels. Now its second part is going to be presented to the audience with a new story and new characters. In this part of the film, actor Sumit Gehlawat plays an important and layered character named Salim. Sumit, who has been active in the industry for almost 12 years, says that this is one of the biggest and challenging roles of his career so far. In a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, he spoke openly about the film, controversy, struggle and his journey. Your films, such as The Kerala Story and Bastar: The Naxal Story, often give rise to political and ideological debates. As an artist, how do you view these reactions and controversies? I personally look at every film just as cinema. As an actor, my job is to play my character with complete honesty. Whether the topic is political, social or controversial is the viewpoint of the writer and director. While reading the script, I look at how much depth there is in my character, how much challenge there is and how much truth I can bring to it. I have come into this industry so that I can play different types of roles. That’s why my selection is always based on the role and the script, not on the basis of any political ideology. In such films the debate of ‘propaganda versus truth’ starts. Does it affect you? It is natural to have debates, but sometimes it is sad that the discussion of acting is left behind. We actors prepare for months, mentally get into the character, we get such opportunities after many years of struggle. When the film is released, the discussion starts more on the political angle than the story. I don’t get into politics. I just want people to see how honestly the artist has done his work. Film personalities like Anurag Kashyap and Prakash Raj criticized the trailer of the film. What is your opinion on this? I would not like to react much on this. Every person has every right to express his opinion. It is not necessary that everyone likes every film or trailer. Many times we also do not like a trailer and we say it openly among ourselves. If someone doesn’t like it then it’s their personal choice. Many people are also praising. Those who are saying good things are respected as well as those who are criticizing. Our job is to work hard and try to do better. There was controversy over a ‘beef’ related scene shown in the trailer. Was there any discussion about removing or changing that scene? Such decisions rest entirely with the director and producer. Our job as an actor is to play the scene given to us with complete authenticity and impact. That scene was emotionally difficult. But if the audience feels hatred towards my character Salim, then as an actor I will understand that I did my job correctly. Playing a negative character in such a way that it seems real is the success of acting. How different is your character in The Kerala Story Part 2? This time the story is completely new. I am playing the character of Salim. This is a layered roll. In the beginning he appears to be an educated, intelligent and civilized person, but with circumstances his other side is revealed. This character is not solely negative or positive. Its a journey and a change. Playing that journey was a very interesting and challenging experience for me. Can playing a negative role affect the image or fan base? no way. The job of an actor is to play all kinds of emotions. If you see examples, actors like Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have done both positive and negative roles. Today the audience is intelligent. They know that an actor and his character are different. Negative roles often pose more challenges and the actor gets a chance to show his acting range. How was your struggle in the industry as an outsider? When I came to Mumbai, I did not even have basic knowledge of the city. One had to stand in long lines for auditions. Many times they were refused saying ‘not fit’. I had decided from the beginning that I would have to give at least 10 years to this industry. There are no guarantees here. Getting one film does not mean that you will get another one too. One has to prove oneself at every level. Patience is most important. If you don’t have patience, it is difficult to survive in this field. Why is The Kerala Story Part 2 special for the audience and what message or experience will they get from watching this film? This film has been made with a lot of hard work. From the director to the technical team and the actors, everyone has worked with full dedication. We are new artistes and the trust of the audience means a lot to us. We just want the audience to give it a chance. If they like our work, that will be our biggest success.
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