Sanjay Kapoor's The Gone Game will stream on Voot Select from August 20.Bollywood actor Sanjay Kapoor has shot for Voot Select’s latest offering The Gone Game entirely at his home during the lockdown, and it has been a “thrilling experience” for the actor. He believes the digital medium has given him a chance to play lead roles, and it is his “passion and spirit” that makes him deliver great work even after spending 25 years in showbiz.
The Gone Game revolves around Sahil Gujral, played by Arjun Mathur, who dies under mysterious circumstances. While he is declared dead after suffering from coronavirus, his family believes there is more to his death than what meets the eyes. Sanjay essays the role of Sahil’s father Rajiv Gujral.
In a recent interaction with indianexpress.com, Sanjay Kapoor opened up about the challenges of shooting at home, how he bribed his son to be the cameraperson and the digital medium. He also looked back at his 25-year long journey in the entertainment industry.
What made you take up The Gone Game?
The first thing that excited me was we were going to shoot in extraordinary circumstances at home. That was something very unique, and obviously, the script was exciting. And, I was thrilled to know how it is going to come out. Before shooting the episodes, we shot for a pilot for the whole team to understand how is it going to be done. It came out so well that we just jumped into it and made the web show.
The web series is shot entirely at home. What challenges did you face technically?
Technically, there were a lot of challenges in the sense that there was no director on set. We were on a Zoom call and I didn’t meet any of the actors. As an actor, you need another actor to perform. Instead of looking at an actor, I was looking at a blue screen. So, it was quite challenging. It is not an easy thing to look at yourself on camera. However, whatever I have seen of it until now, I guess we all have aced the challenge and have done a great job. I have to credit the editors who have edited this whole thing, the writers who have written it and Nikhil Nagesh Bhat (director) for being a guiding force. When people will watch it, they will think we are lying about not meeting. It has come out that well.
How did you shoot? Did you take help from your wife or daughter Shanaya Kapoor who is now an assistant director?
I had to bribe my son to do some shots. When we shot for it, his holidays were on, and I had to drag him out from his games and request him to be my cameraperson. It was only towards the end when I could not manage some shots that I called two cameramen, and they did the shots. It was a time consuming and tiring process because they were only shooting with me. There were no breaks as such. Even between two shots, there was no rest. If you need coffee, you are preparing it yourself. Even if the furniture needs to be moved, you are doing it yourself. There was no production designer. By the end of it, I had to ask the director to give me five minutes to get back into that zone of an actor.
What do you feel about the digital medium which has seen growth during the lockdown?
The digital platform was already there before the lockdown. I have been doing so much work for the web. It’s just that during the lockdown, it got underlined and those who were not watching content on web platforms, started watching it. The films shifting to digital platforms is a temporary phase. We don’t know when the vaccine for coronavirus will be available and when theaters will start operating again. So, keeping aside the fact that moviemaking is a passionate business, it is also the bread and butter of people, and everyone has to survive including the producer, actors and every person involved in the process.
Do you find any difference in the way web series and films function?
As an actor, there’s not much of a difference. When you are an actor, it doesn’t matter if you are shooting for a movie or a web show. So, if I am playing Rajiv Gujral in The Gone Game, I would have played it similarly for a movie or a TV show. The only difference maybe is the depth of your character. You have to finish a film in 1 hour 45 minutes. But in a web show, you have the scope to give a backstory to your character.
You have completed 25 years in the entertainment industry. How do you look back at your journey?
It has been quite exciting. There have been a lot of highs and lows, but I’ve fought all and have survived. I always admit that my glass is half full. Thanks to my spirit and passion, after 25 years also, I am doing some great work and giving interviews. I am a fortunate that even in the lockdown, I have worked. We all know, in this industry, it’s difficult to survive for five years, forget twenty-five years, so I guess I’ve done something right that I’m still around and I am playing main roles in web series if not in the movies. With the web, I again feel like a newcomer.