Yogesh Bharadwaj, who made his big Bollywood debut with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’, went on to be a part of projects like, ‘SP Chauhan’ and ‘Satellite Shankar’. He was last seen in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s ‘Lost’. ETimes caught up with the actor for an exclusive interview where he spilled the beans on receiving appreciation for his role, working with Pankaj Kapur, bagging another film with the ace director and more. Excerpts…
Your last venture, ‘Lost’, garnered massive appreciation from the audience and critics alike. How does it feel?
As an actor, you feel happy for all your releases. Sometimes your work gets appreciated, sometimes it doesn’t. However, you feel happy for all your work because you have equally worked hard on all of them. When you get appreciated for a film like, ‘Lost’, your happiness elevates. I believe that as an actor, you wait for an opportunity to work in a film like ‘Lost’ and when you get that chance, you feel a sense of achievement. It was a dream-come-true to have been a part of ‘Lost’. I got to share screen space with actors like Pankaj Kapur and Yami Gautam. People are making memes on my scenes, critics have mentioned and appreciated my performance. I am just immensely grateful.
How was it working with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury? You will be collaborating with him in another project soon…
I have been a fan of Aniruddha sir ever since I saw his film, ‘Pink’. I wanted to work with him for the longest time. I feel like he is creating his own language of cinema in the industry. Actors who have worked with him have given exemplary performances and have grown exponentially in their careers, be it Vijay Varma, Tushar Pandey or Taapsee Pannu. He portrays silence in the strongest way possible in his films which I love the most about his movies.
So I was very excited when I came to know that I was playing a part in his film. He is the coolest director on the set. Actors never feel pressured on his sets. He creates a healthy atmosphere on the sets of his films.
Yes, I am very happy that I have worked with him again in an upcoming untitled film. I will be seen with Pankaj Tripathi sir in that film. When I auditioned for the movie, Aniruddha sir said I did a good job in ‘Lost’ so he wants me in this film also. I felt very happy that I got another film based on the good work I did in my previous film.
The film starred actors like Pankaj Kapur. How was your experience shooting with the ace actor?
It is always a dream to work with the people you have always looked up to. During my days in film institute, we had a class on actor study where we had to select an actor from the world cinema and one from Indian cinema. Pankaj Kapur was a part of our syllabus at Film Institute and I was immensely inspired by his work. The way he does the characterization of his roles, I don’t know if any actor in India is capable of doing that. His works in ‘Maqbool’, ‘Blue Umbrella’, ‘Halla Bol’ and ‘Office Office’ are just remarkable.
Aniruddha sir introduced us on the set. At first he just smiled at me and went away. However, he returned after a few minutes and asked if we could rehearse our lines together once. It made me feel relaxed immediately. Looking at his process and the way he approached his character made me confident that even I was on the right track with my character.
You will next be seen in ‘Lady Killer’ with Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar. Tell us something about the film and your role in it?
I am a part of ‘Lady Killer’. However, there is some issue with the production, so the dates are just getting pushed ahead. The shooting will most probably start in May. I am looking forward to working with Bhumi Pednekar and Arjun Kapoor. The story line of the film is very interesting. I can’t talk much about my character now. All I can tell you is all my scenes are with Arjun in the film.
What kind of role attracts you and why?
I love to portray all sorts of characters. However, I personally like to play roles that are the opposite of my real personality. I like to play the roles for which I get to study and prepare and the ones that don’t come easy to me. My dream role is to essay the character of an athlete who has had an emotional journey.
