Pulkit Samrat on Fukrey Returns: 'There's no bigger hero than the story of the film'
It's been five years since Pulkit Samrat made his debut as an actor but the number of misses his career has witnessed exceeds the number of hits. With flops like Sanam Re, Bangistan and O Teri in the past, he now has his hands full with Fukrey Returns, which is a chance to salvage his unstable career.
But more than being under confident or nervous, when we catch up with him, he can't stop smiling. The only reason one can infer could be the success that the original Fukrey had enjoyed. “It's truly one of my favourite films. I stay on the 40th floor and got so excited after the narration of Fukrey Returns that I wanted to jump out of the building,” says an elated Pulkit.
Pulkit Samrat in Fukrey Returns
The first Fukrey could also be dubbed as an exceptional film, as it defied the predictions of trade pundits. The sleeper hit of 2013 was written off after its first three days but later when collections picked up, the cast simply could not believe their eyes. Pulkit still remembers the day when Fukrey was thrown open for public consumption.
“The slow start of the film was definitely not something we were looking for. More than the reviews and collections, the reactions were reflective of the slow start of the film. It was almost like a shock to us that we had made such an amazing film with a great script and nobody is coming to watch the film," he says.
Pulkit believes that the first Fukrey also changed equations in terms of how comedies are perceived in this country. “With Fukrey, I think the nature of comedy started tilting more towards slice of life elements as opposed to gags and their slapstick nature. When people tried making similar films they realised that it’s not an easy thing to do. Fukrey was the first film to do that and thankfully we have translated the same thing in Fukrey Returns with much more fun and bizarre situations," says Pulkit.
Fukrey Returns is one of those films which is remembered for its characters; Pulkit nods his head in agreement. “That’s how its supposed to be and you see such things often in world cinema. Out here, we start putting more emphasis on the star power of the film over its content and characters. If the content and the characters fail to work then nothing will work. There is no bigger hero than the story of the film," he says.
Pulkit is candid enough to admit that his mannerism in the films is a result of keen observations around him: “I picked up my swag and my walking style from this small time jeans seller who has his shop at Janpath, Delhi. Similarly, the way Honey talks in the film was lifted from the way Mrigdeep (the director) communicates with people in daily life.”
Ask him about the streak of duds that his past films experienced at the not-so-forgiving box office and he very cleverly meanders his way out. “Not every article that you write will be read by everybody but it does not mean that you have failed as a writer, right? You continue to write your next piece with the same enthusiasm, and this happens only because of your passion. If I were to take my failure seriously, it will only take away my confidence so I prefer concentrating only on what I am working at that point of time," clarfies Pulkit.
Pulkit has often be accused of copying Salman Khan’s mannerism in his films. So how does he react when such comparisons are made and does he feel pressurised? “I don’t deal with them and I just do my job as an actor. I don’t deal with any sort of pressure; rather I don’t take pressure, I only given them back,” says Pulkit, tongue firmly in cheek.
