‘Subedar’ was not just a film for me, it was a big opportunity: Gaurav Kumar said – Working with Anil Kapoor sir was like a dream come true.

Gaurav Kumar, who is making his mark in Hindi and Telugu cinema from Rae Bareli, is a versatile actor and filmmaker. Recently he has been seen in Anil Kapoor’s film ‘Subedar’. After his successful film ‘Rae Bareli’, he is now exploring new possibilities through projects like ‘Pradhani’, ‘Lal Dana’ and ‘Suar’. Special conversation with him… How did you get the opportunity to work in ‘Subedar’? How was the casting process? To be honest, it was more of a coincidence. ‘Casting Bay’ had organized a five-day audition in Lucknow. I thought maybe it must be fake, because a five day long audition? But a friend took it by force. The casting directors there liked my look, then I auditioned twice more. When he told that Anil Kapoor ji is in the film, my happiness knew no bounds. Having watched his films like ‘Nayak’ since childhood, we have been a fan of his work. During the audition, I did not tell anyone that I had already done 2-3 films. I have done a solo role in a film named ‘Rae Bareli’. How was the experience of working with Anil Kapoor on the sets? Even today he has the energy of a 20-25 year old boy. I had a 15-day schedule, in which I got screen space with him. He is very honest and serious towards his work. They do whatever the director says. They also used to have fun and joke after the shoot. He shared with me many stories from the film ‘Nayak’, especially the mud scene, how much hard work it was. Tell us about your character and co-stars in the film? I have got a good amount of screen space in the film. I am the right hand of Faizal Malik (series ‘Panchayat’ fame). Faizal Bhai is a very wonderful person. It was a lot of fun working with him. Apart from this, Paresh Rawal ji’s son Aditya Rawal is also in the film, he has also done a tremendous job. Did you tell us on the set that you had made the film yourself? We told this to Saurabh Shukla and Faizal Malik because they have a deep connection with theatre. He praised it a lot. When we told that we were passouts from Bharatendu Natya Academy, he was even happier. Giving blessings he said, ‘Very good, this is even better.’ He believes that whatever he learns and studies, that experience will definitely be useful in future. What is the difference between working with independent films and big banners? The biggest difference is professionalism and honesty. Big stars come to the set on time and remain completely serious during work. Directors Suresh Triveni and Anil Kapoor ji praised my work and looks. Even his bodyguard came and told that sir was praising you a lot. This is a huge plus point for me. ‘Subedaar’ is a suspense thriller and hopefully my character will be seen in its second part also. How do you view the era of social media as an actor? Social media is the need of today. Casting agencies now also look at followers as they help in promotion. Now I am also going to work on good and message based content. But I must say one thing, there is a difference between acting and YouTube. Those who want to come to Mumbai should come after learning. Study is very important. Don’t take any action without thinking just because someone says “You look like a hero” or “Go to Mumbai and try”. The most important thing is to understand yourself whether you can act or not. Have you tried connecting with a talent agency? Right now I am not associated with any agency, but have got good information about it. Usually agencies make agreements for 2 or 5 years. Whatever work you do during that time, it is done with their knowledge and permission. This system is professional. If you are transparent and take advice from them, they support your career. What projects are you working on at the moment? One of my films ‘Suar’ is going to be released for OTT, in which my look will be completely different. Apart from this, the shooting of ‘Lal Dana’ and ‘Pradhani’ has been completed. ‘Pradhani’ is a realistic film, just like ‘Panchayat’, in which village politics and the functioning of the Pradhan has been shown in a realistic manner. What is the update of ‘Rae Bareli 2’? ‘Rae Bareli’ got a lot of love. Now we are preparing for ‘Rae Bareli 2’ and we are trying to start its shooting this year itself. My aim is to give opportunity to local talent, who are unable to go to Mumbai due to financial reasons. Along with positive, I also got some negative feedback, so I will try to overcome those shortcomings in the next film. An interesting thing was that during the audition in Mumbai, people were considering ‘Rae Bareli’ as ‘Bareilly’. Then I thought that I will make a film in the name of my city, so that it gets recognized. How was ‘Rae Bareli’ funded? The film was funded through our friend Vineet Yadav (Etawah/Mainpuri). Initially he was a little hesitant, but we convinced him and took the responsibility of the location and other arrangements. Now UP government is also promoting films. If 70 percent of the shoot takes place in UP, then subsidy is available, which helps the filmmakers a lot.



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