After indulging in bromance in Fukrey Returns, Pulkit Samrat is back to romantic comedy with Veerey ki Wedding, a film which, he says, allows him to play a typical Bollywood hero. Someone who is very fond of Kamal Haasan’s body of work, Pulkit wants to play a range of characters.
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How was the experience of working in Veerey Ki Wedding?
One incident that I cannot forget is when Kriti (Kharbanda) fainted on the sets in Delhi and I jumped in as a hero to rescue her. It was a heat stroke as we were shooting in June. I had the typical Hindi cinema hero timing when I took her in my arms and it was a weight lifting experience (laughs). So the shoot was definitely a fun experience.
You have been part of many ensemble films like the Fukre franchise. What makes it work?
I am glad that Fukre became a franchise as that is an achievement in itself. That shows the film is beyond the stars and it is the characters in the film that matter. It is really close to my heart as I like to watch it as a viewer as well.
The entire cast and crew have become like a family and every time we reunite, not only on the sets but outside as well, there is madness. The more honest you are with each other in real life, the more natural it comes across on screen. The director sets the ball rolling and we just reciprocate to each other's actions. That makes any ensemble different and moving.
Is there a danger of one actor overshadowing the other?
I do not think this can happen as we all know what we are doing. I think the story is the real hero. Just like Zoya Akhtar’s films where there is no hero and the ensemble cast plays all important characters, the story is the only central character in an ensemble film.
Does the process change when you are a solo lead actor?
I have always maintained that I will not think of things like how many actors are there in the industry or am I getting a chance to play the lead. This does not matter until and unless the script demands it. When everybody believes in the story and works towards achieving it, nothing else matters.
Last year, only a few films worked at the box office and that included Fukrey Returns...
I think the festive season at the end of the year brought some luck. The business of films like Tiger Zinda Hai and Baahubali 2 reflects that the audience is waiting for the spectacles. There will be a mix of both high budget Khan films and content-based smaller films. The big films have nothing to fear but the smaller films can survive only if they actually relate to people. Though audience are actually accepting new films, the industry needs to support fresh ideas that are coming and the new breed of actors who are giving life to them.