Saiyami Kher has been a sportsman all his life, which is the fuel of energy he believes in. Aware of the trials and tribulations that come with the film industry, he has broken the code to shoot everything as fast as he can. His last release, Ghoomer garnered tremendous appreciation for playing the role of a paraplegic bowler. In an exclusive interview with Filmfare, he thanked R.Balki for having faith in him and all his colleagues who only helped him become a better actor in every film. Quote…
Will Ghoomer still feel special to you, say five years from now?
I am very proud because I think this is a story of athletes that should be celebrated. I believe that what they did was pretty much impossible, and they made it possible. Second, sports have always been my first love. Before acting, I used to do sports, so sports never died in my body, and it was always a dream for me to draw sportsmen. And there were some films that were made, but the producers and directors didn’t believe in me, and Balki showed that faith in me and made this film, which has taken everything from me physically and emotionally, and it’s rare. did you get this kind of feeling early in your career. Six years into my career, getting a role like that would be special because I found one of my closest friends in the film. I want to work with Shabana Azmi, who is a legend in her own right. I want to work again with Adi, whom I like and who was my first friend. I shared the screen with Amitabh Bachchan sir, so there are so many tick marks in this film.
Since you love sports so much, are there any new lessons you’ve learned from Ghoomer?
I’m not left-handed, so my learning is just to learn – to learn to play and live with one hand, with my left hand, and as a cricketer. Great learning because I was never trained. This is my first time training. I always learned to play cricket by watching television. This is the first time I got a cricket coach from Murali Karthik and a local coach in Mumbai. Then I got to interact with some of the best cricketing minds and talk about the game with them. Ravichandran Ashwin, Harsha Bhogle, Rashid Khan, and Virender Sehwag all saw the film and discussed it with me, so I learned a lot from the film.
Next you are with Rahul Dholakia; tell us a little about your experience so far.
Oh, my next film, Agni, directed by Rahul Dholakia, is a film about firemen, and again I learned a lot of new skills. I got to spend a lot of time with the firemen. I don’t know, living in this city, about the people who protect us. The film was smooth to shoot. Also, working with Rahul is extremely cool, and he is very clear about what he wants and easy to work with. There are no hang-ups, and the whole cast is good because you have Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu. Most of my work is on Pratik, and he is a very good actor. I hope we can work together again in the future.
Pratik Gandhi is now the man of the hour, with his films doing very well. What do you enjoy most about being a co-actor?
Involvement in everything. He is a theater actor who also directs things, and he has thought about everything, so there is involvement on every stage. He’s just one of the nicest people around. I think his struggles have made him a solid actor, and he’s a solid human being. I love spending time with him.
What is the most important factor for you when collaborating with other actors?
I think the most important thing is comfort, and if a person is good, the actor I feel is automatically good. I have been very lucky; be it Abhishek Bachchan, Pratik, or Gulshan Devaiah, I have worked with some great people. For me, I always feel that whenever I work with someone, I think they are all better actors than me, so I’m always better as an actor if I work with these great people. I just feel like there’s a lot of give and take because you can’t be selfish. If a person is selfish, it is very difficult to have a selfish co-actor give a signal and participate in it. And I’ve received that kind of selflessness from all the actors I’ve worked with. I have been very lucky.
You will appear in Special Ops Season 3. Do you feel any pressure because the audience has such high expectations?
Oh, no pressure. Whenever I take on a job, I do it because I love it. In this one, of course, you’re contracted for two seasons, and returning to the franchise is always fun when the crew is having fun. It’s just a lot of fun to go back to something you’ve done well.
You are really into fitness; give us an idea of ​​it.
My idea of ​​fitness is consistency. I feel that if something is consistent, then anyone can match. I do a lot of exercise and fitness, not only for my physical health but also for my mental health, because being an actor is a very tough job. I think the film industry is a very difficult place, and every time I go down and out, I exercise to pull me out of the down. Also, I like to keep goals. I’m not someone who just goes and says, Oh, I have to work today. I would like to register for the race and can go. Every year I’ll try and do it like I’ve been running marathons for the last five or six years. If your mind agrees, your body follows.
You’re participating in the Iron Man Marathon; what made you take on the challenge?
Iron Man, marathon, and Iron Man are two different things. Iron Man, a marathon, just running; Iron Man three sports. I will swim, bike, then run a marathon. There are three things I will do. What made me do it was just a list of goals I wanted to achieve in life. I think the only other actor in the country who has done it is Milind Soman. And I have a lot of respect for him. I have run a marathon, which is 42 kilometers. I have completed several full marathons and several half marathons, but the next goal for me is to do Iron Man, and that’s just something I want to do.
Would you say you’ve reached a stage as an actor where you get the role you want?
Oh, no. I feel that the struggle is always ongoing, and I am very grateful for the work that has been done. I have had people like Anurag Kashyap who trusted me with Choked and Balki who trusted me with Ghoomer and Metro, which ended up on his girl’s shoulders. I am very happy that the makers have trusted me with this powerful role. But at the same time, it’s not easy at all because it’s not an easy industry to live in, and I knew when I entered it wouldn’t be easy. It’s not that I wasn’t ready for it. As for enjoying the content as an actor, I will never be satisfied because I don’t want to improve and become better. The goal is always to improve, work with me, and hopefully get more interesting projects.
