December 24, 2023 • 48 mins
"I don't want to conquer the world, I want to make a world for myself." Uncover the intriguing layers of Suraj Rikame's acting journey. From the rationale behind his career choice to navigating life in mumbai. And lastly don't miss the musical magic as he shows off his cajon skills on the iconic "Rangabati." 00:00 Intro 0:57 Suraj's journey as an actor 4:41 About Suraj's dating life and heartbreaks 9:06 Life in Mumbai 12:08 Life of Suraj before Bollywood 15:02 How does Suraj manage his money? 16:29 Suraj's view on the Animal controversy and thoughts behind filmmaking 30:02 Favourite podcasts of Suraj 31:18 Real-life paranormal experience 35:32 Top book recommendations 36:31 Suraj's spiritual side 39:26 Future goals 46:28 A surprise 46:51 Feedback for The Astrix Show 47:36 Outro Supported by #redbull (The Astrix Show - Season 2, Episode 24) Episode hosted by: Shruti Sinha Idea and creative by: Shruti Sinha, Siddhant Tripathi Edited by: Siddhant Tripathi, Nilesh Patnaik Graphics by: Arindam Panigrahi Show Notes by: Nidhi Bhat Crew: Anirudh Das, Amritansu Sahoo Location Courtesy: The Space, Patia Produced by: Siddhant Tripathi
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Yeah, professional goals too, definitely.
I want to, you know, spread my wings as far as possible.
It's a real thing. Yeah, so how many girlfriends
you had, if you don't mind answering that?
Doso beast together. I'm not a miss.
What do you think about this recent animal controversy?
(00:22):
What are your thoughts? Would you like to sign a movie
like Animal and Kabir Singh? Yeah, I see.
It's a tricky question now and Iwatch Bo biceps a lot.
Same. Yeah, right.
Anything else you want me to ask, We'll cut this one.
Hello everyone. Welcome and welcome back to the
(00:42):
Aztek Show. I'm your very own host Shruti
Sinha. And today we have actor Sooraj
Shekame with us. Hi, Sooraj.
Hello. So since you're an actor,
(01:03):
choreographer, and you do a lot of stuff, but you want to be
called as an actor, like that isyour main stuff what you do.
I want to be called as an artist.
I mean, I am called as an artist.
It includes everything. Yeah, Actor, writer.
It also means artist like. Is a part of an artist.
There are many artists, you know, there are musical artists,
(01:27):
many, many type of artists. So yeah.
So like, why did you choose acting as a career?
Like don't you feel that there is a little bit of risk in it?
Risk in what sense? If you don't make it to the
industry, you made it to the industry.
But some people who don't make it to the.
Industry, of course. Definitely there is, but this is
(01:52):
what. You have to do research about
your character. Yeah, a lot.
I mean, we have to practice our craft.
We have to read a lot. We have to be observant every
time. But this, it's again about
liking, you know, Genco scientist banna hota hai.
And there are many, you know, obvious things about this field.
(02:15):
Just a glamour. Ogia, Leisure, Leisure one.
Of the reasons why you chose to.It was a very important driving
reason for me when I decided I was 15 or 16 years old.
Yeah. So for me it was of course,
glamour to Tahita Ki. I want to be known.
I want to be, you know, loved bypeople the way other actors are.
(02:38):
Jenny De Kima, Baraoa. So that was one of the important
reasons. But eventually, as I started
doing it, as I started working in, you know, the theatres,
shows, stage shows and films, web series, so I discovered
acting what it actually is. So it acting in itself is a very
fun process. So I fell in love with that
(02:59):
eventually. But.
When you chose, I'll do this. Then my every plan was inclined
towards Plan A. So MATLAB I used to even after
extraction. You know after that big break, I
(03:22):
used to work in nightclubs I I worked in call centers.
But I did that just for my sustainance.
Ki Mujabataki. I'm going to be working on sets
soon. Shoot Karuna member Jelly JAB
Tak Nihora Tak for my financial sustain.
That was like optimism, sort of.Yeah, definitely.
It was optimism and Matlab. I'd never thought of it as a
(03:44):
career. If not this, then this survival
I can do about anything. I have good command over my
language. There are many things which I
can do without a degree also andI can excel in it eventually.
But acting. So there was no Plan B.
(04:06):
What I feel is Plan B, who you take a back seat.
You take that plan A very. Lightly, Lightly.
Not exactly lightly. But you also have that Plan B in
your mind When you don't have that, so that you know, pushes
you, drives you and gets most out of you, you're going to go
(04:29):
back in Pune. And that's, that's what I had in
my mind. So luckily it worked out.
So yeah. One question that that is like I
think everybody wants to know OK, Bollywood may like how a
(04:50):
girl stuff like did you like like someone Dharani kebab.
In the film industry, are you asking?
No, but like you had something. Of course.
I mean, yeah. So how many girlfriends you had,
(05:10):
if you don't mind answering that?
Doso beast together. I'm not a misogynist, OK?
I was just yeah, so I don't remember as such.
Or I don't want to number and objectify them.
But yeah, I've had my. Experience even girls have had
may have lot of boyfriends in their past.
(05:33):
Yeah. Number, number that it'll be.
Again, I won't like that, but I've had my fair share of.
I will also be having be coffee young.
Yeah, obviously. Of course, not having having
incense. I mean, I have been, you know,
I've known people. I've gotten to know lovely
people in my life, in my past. And yeah, I'm happy with that.
(05:56):
And I will continue to do so until I found Find My.
The one, The one. Were there times when you felt
key? Like when you were not happy.
Like heart breaks. Hi, it's Pat.
I have been heartbroken once once, which I remember of maybe
(06:23):
twice. I'm not sure of the second one.
So I had one recently, some 5-6 months ago, and then I guess I
was 1718. I'm not sure exactly.
I'm not sure Ki wo heartbreak Thayani because I mean, I'm not
(06:48):
sure. Feelings.
Can be confusing. Yeah, yeah, they can be
confusing, right? Yeah, there's a lot of you had
your. First heartbreak, You said 1718.
I'm not sure if it was my heartbreak or not.
That's what I'm saying. It might be then it might be my
first heartbreak. But yeah, I think I consider
(07:08):
this recent one my first. But again, sometimes I go, you
know, track back and think that maybe it was that.
So I'm not really sure actually,heartbreak.
I think this was the one. But yeah, your heart gets broken
when you are in love, right? So I'm just confused with that,
that how many times I've been inlove.
(07:30):
I've been in love once, definitely.
That I know for sure, but just before that I have a blurred
vision of it. So Tanakuch, so Chani Minoski.
But yeah, so I understand the case.
Open to like dating people outside volleyball like normal
girls. Yeah, definitely.
I mean, it doesn't matter to me that she should be from the film
(07:53):
industry. But you are from the film
industry, right? So you might have like certain
expectations. She should be able to do this,
this, this. That doesn't need, you know,
there's no need for her to be from the film industry.
Like what? The boxes I have to take in my
girl, you know, if I want to be with someone, she doesn't have
(08:15):
to be from film industry to fulfill those boxes.
She can be working in a corporate, she can be doing
something else. She can be part of the industry.
It it doesn't have to be. It is not related to her
profession at all. She can be from the industry.
Like, yeah, if she will be from the industry, she will
understand. You know my side of the world
(08:35):
better. That is what?
I'm saying yeah, but even if shedoes not, I think it's my not
job. But I would like to, you know, I
feel that it's it should be me who should be, you know, letting
her know about my world, explaining my world to her,
getting her into my world. And I expect the same from her.
(08:55):
You know, we should understand each other's words and then we
should try to live together. That can be done.
I mean, it's not that difficult.I don't see it.
Like you live in Mumbai, right? So.
How is Mumbai life like recentlyour not recently last year our
(09:15):
CEO went to some function in Mumbai, I guess Tedex and he was
very fascinated by the lifestylethere.
So since you live there, so Akili to Dal chawal sort of
hair. Hi Anne.
I mean, I prefer Bhubaneshwar, honestly.
(09:36):
Like I love Bhubaneshwar becauseyeah, it gives the city vibes as
well, which I like, and it has at peace as well.
So I'm originally from Pune. So in Pune, if you ask me, it
has best of the both worlds. It has good atmosphere, climate,
not that much of A pollution, not that much of, you know,
(09:57):
people population. It can be, you know, it can be
as fast and PC as Mumbai also and it can be as relaxed as any
other town of India. It gives that wives and it's
cool, very cool at this time point of time.
So yeah, it's like that. So Mumbai, for me it's a bit
(10:18):
challenging to be in Mumbai because A traffic then B
pollution then C the atmosphere.But again that place is feeding
me. So I have.
I don't have much complaints but.
Is it also because the life is so fast then?
It's very fast. It's you.
You can't even tell when the daypasses, the night comes.
(10:41):
You can't figure out because youget tired this easily that you
go to sleep by 10/10/30 at Mumbai 10. 30.
Yeah, it's a very good thing that you get to bed because you
don't have any energy left. You have to travel, You have to
be in the traffic, that ruckus. All the things going on.
You have to work. There are many things.
Mumbai gets you tired, Mumbai keeps you on your toes, which is
(11:04):
sometimes you need in life. Sometimes it can be thrilling as
well. Yeah, definitely.
It can be thrilled. MATLAB, it's not like thrilling,
exactly. It's tiring most of the times,
but when you have to get some kind of work done, Mumbai is the
best place for that because it keeps you on your toes there.
Every everyone around you is running and it makes you feel
like, what am I doing? I shouldn't be sitting around, I
(11:26):
should be doing some stuff I. Should be doing something.
Right, exactly. So you don't have that in other
cities, like I don't know about Bhubaneswar, but I don't see
much traffic around here. People seem more relaxed.
You might know better. The traffic is there, but I
don't think it it is. You can't compare it.
Annoying as exactly. No, they just, you know, pick me
(11:50):
up from airport to my hotel. Yeah, it was like 2025
kilometers. The distance was they covered it
in 30 minutes. It's nothing.
We take 30 minutes for five kilometer distance for in
Mumbai. So it's.
So that's how the difference is.So since Mumbai is such a
thrilling place and everything, have you done anything thrilling
(12:12):
or like adventurous sort of there?
What? What do you mean by adventurous
now? See my adventure.
I have a 17 year old. My adventure is keeping
tuitions, not telling my parentsand coming here to shoot a
podcast. OK, that is, I have done that.
But your thrilling must be something different, basically.
I mean, not much thrilling. Everyone in Mumbai pretty much
(12:36):
does the same thing. They meet at someone's place,
they party then or either they go out and party and work.
That's pretty much it. Like there's nothing thrilling.
Thrilling in like school. But Mumbai may, I don't remember
as such a coffee thrilling cheese have.
(12:58):
Done something which you can tell on camera.
Coffee. Cheese incidents Khana khana ke
baat meri kuch dost Ek BAE PE hum teen.
Look, we were just out there strolling.
We skipped the city. We went from Pune to Satara,
(13:22):
from Satara to somewhere else. We skipped an entire city and we
you know drove around for like 4or five hours.
So kilometre comes because we were young at that time also we
were young who but I was 19 or something like that back then
and I had time like lots of timeon my hand.
(13:44):
We were just like, so that was one of the things.
How did you come? Back then, no promotion again.
But. Bike bike.
And their parents. Bachelors.
(14:04):
Those merry parents are honestly, they're like to.
But I've been independent since 1516, so I like it's okay, I
told them. Independence since 1516.
Yeah. What do you?
I mean, not exactly independent,but I've been working when I was
(14:27):
1516 Taapsee the. Industrial.
Yeah, I used to dance. I used to do background dancing
in Marathi industry in state shows, hamari, ape, ganpati,
adayandi, kafi. But so shows me Sangeet's me.
I used to choreograph. I used to do many, many things.
I used to do theatre shows, so that's how I started earning and
(14:50):
that's how I financially, you can say not completely get paid
a lot, of course, yeah. But you could manage your own
finances. Yeah, yeah, I've I've been
managing my own finances since then.
Finances. Say I want to ask this question.
We don't exactly manage our finances that efficiently.
(15:10):
Take care. I'm a spendthrift.
He's a spendthrift. OK, so how you used to manage
your finance? I don't.
Never ask me about managing so you What I meant by managing
finances was I was taking care of my needs with.
My I'm asking how do you spend like you save some part or
nothing? I think of saving, I think I
(15:31):
will save. I try of saving, but I do all
that in my mind. Same.
I mean it's like when someone asks for money, I give it and I
don't ask it back. I can't, I can't, so I can't ask
for it back. I feel ashamed.
(15:53):
I don't know why, Mary, but I feel a because I can't ask.
You can't ask people. Most people will not.
Give that back. That's true.
That's true. But I mean movie.
So even you can't save money, soit's.
Not just. I'm sorry, I have to I'll have
(16:14):
to look. I mean my accountant does a
little bit but he manages most of my earnings from my you know
film division and all that feelsbut eventually mere pasi anir.
So we'll spend. OK, what do you think about this
(16:34):
recent animal controversy he bought recently?
Parliament maybe about kisi and pini kaitiki I she she's a
woman. So she said that my daughter and
her friends went to see the movie and they came out crying
because there is so much of violence and hatred, the way
he's treating Rashmika in the movie like his wife and in Kabhi
(16:58):
Singh as well. So like, what are your thoughts?
The daughter of that MP, was sheunderage or over age?
She said she was in college, so I guess.
I mean, yeah, so I don't know about Animal.
I did not like that film much because it was very, very, very
violent, which was not needed. The conflict wasn't that strong
(17:23):
for the reaction to be that strong.
So other film case of Sadiqi Jata, I did not like it much.
There were some scenes which were good.
I'm talking about the film aspect right now.
Cafe scenes, me, choreography, Achiti.
The song choices were really good.
Action was decent. Cinematography Cafe Achiti.
But yeah, I mean the treatment that was given to the women in
(17:48):
the film, it has been like that in Sandeep Reddy Wanga's film.
It's not a new thing. I mean in Kabhi Singh it was
still bearable. It was still OK.
And but in Animal, it was, yeah,it was taken to the next level.
And I don't think it was needed to, like he needed to do it that
(18:08):
much because every actress, likeeven if you watch the film,
every part of the film has a woman in it and she has been,
you know, treated as an object or maybe treated in a very ill
way or bad way. It happens.
It happens in societies. I'm not saying it does not
(18:29):
happen. It might be happening.
And if you're putting that out on screen, it's fine.
I mean, not exactly fine, but it's like it's part of the
society. Because the director was
justifying the same thing in an interview, saying if you can't
hit your woman that's wrong, cuss words, then you are not in
love. It's conditional then.
It might be from personal experience, we don't know that
(18:52):
and it might be OK like if it iswhat it is for you, if it works
for you and your partner, then we are no one to say have a say
in it. But I don't think that's true
and that should be the case. I mean violence, physical
violence is not at all acceptable in any relationship,
any at all. That's another thing.
(19:12):
Yeah, but no physical violence physically.
Violence, violence shouldn't be solution to anything.
If you talk about Kabir Singh now, Kabir Singh wasn't that
violent. Yeah, the character was
disturbed. The character was in too Gray to
blackish shade. And if you personally ask me, I
(19:34):
don't want to be Kabir Singh or I do not admire that character.
But yet again, you can't say that, you know, do not watch
this film because that film depicted a part of society which
prevails. There are people, there are
couples like that and things are, you know, that's how the
things are, even when I'm not justifying it.
But that's how they have been violent with each other and they
(19:56):
have been happy in that relationship.
It depends upon them now if it'sright or not, it's totally
another debate, but it happens. It happens.
And that's what he tried to depict in Kabir Singh or Arjun
Reddy. Don't you think a lot of youth
is getting influenced by this? Because when Kabir Singh came
out, we were in Class 8, I guess.
So a lot of my friends were doing the stuff that Kabir Singh
(20:20):
did in that movie that and made ice and all this, actually
trying those stuff. So I think it influences a lot
of young minds. Especially so again, it was an
adult film you shouldn't have watched.
That because we. All are underage.
So back in 80s and 90s, at that times you can say cinema was the
only medium to influence a largescale of population in India and
(20:42):
newspapers till a point. But cinema was, yeah, we could
have, you know, held cinema responsible at that time because
that's that was the most watchedthing at that time.
And people used to get influenced by that.
But right now that's not the case.
There's OTT, which is available to everyone.
There's YouTube. There's there are many, many
(21:03):
things right now which are influencing, you know, people
and is shaping every person right now.
So you can't just hold a film accountable for that.
I don't think so. But yeah, in some cases, like if
you say animal then that is a bit extreme is what I feel is
what my opinion is. I think that it's easily movies
(21:25):
are like easily accessible to people.
So for you going to the theaters, booking the tickets,
sitting in the film for continuously 3 hours, is that
easily accessible or just getting up from your bed rolling
over? Movies and Otts, right?
Yeah, so when it comes to televisions, I'm pretty sure
that they might be edited or cutdown.
The scenes might be cut down where it they're shown a harsh
(21:48):
violence or something which is misogynistic, which is not
accepted. I'm pretty sure they might be
trimmed down. If not, then that should That is
the wrong thing, definitely. But on OTT, again, it is already
written that the films are adulterated, then they should
be. There should be parental
control. And if you are adult enough to
watch that film, then you are adult enough to make your own
(22:09):
decisions, you know, think by your own self.
You are, you know, you know whatto be influenced by and what not
to be influenced by. But still, if we consider that
these are the mediums to be influenced by, it's not just the
one medium. I mean, if I stop you right now
from watching the film on the OTT, you'll hear it from someone
else that this happened in the film and it was so cool by his
(22:33):
view. We can't stop that entire thing.
No, it is a part of society and we are just depicting what the
part of society is. That is another debate that if
it is right or wrong for me personally, Kabhi Singh, I don't
want to be Kabhi Singh or I would would not like a Kabhi
Singh around me. I did not like that character.
People might have liked that character.
I did not like that character. If you asked me if I was to
(22:53):
suggest Preeti, I would have said leave him, move on.
He did. He did a wrong thing to you.
But depicting that and putting it out in front of the audience
is just letting people know thatthis is also a part of society.
This also happens in the film this, this is, you know, this
actually this is a part of society.
(23:13):
I mean you can't expect directorto make changes just to
influence or according to that. Now if you asked about Animal,
at the end, she leaves him, Rashmika leaves him and he's
shown in that space where he is left with very less people or
nobody too close to him. So then the consequences are
also shown in that film. Now again, I'm not justifying
(23:34):
it, but whatever was shown in that film, the misogyny, the
treatment to women, the violence, all those things, I
personally found it very, very over traumatic and too much is a
little bit, yeah, we are just showing it to the world.
(24:02):
That is how it happens consequence Kiwi would films
would influence to saw film IR which is saying quit smoking
awareness about rape awareness about you know women health
influence create good movies putout good world or I understand
(24:30):
key bad things are easily adaptable than good things log
Jali secret to be cool and all those things but as I told
cinema is not the only medium films Yeah animal Jessica
Bollywood influence over there right situation Cindy as we are
(25:00):
getting older and our parents are getting older so we are not
getting that culture with us no we are not hitting our wife or
girlfriends we are not doing that because we are adapting we
know what is right and what is wrong so that is also because of
all the films and social. Media bringing to be Of course
(25:21):
it does. It can like create a.
Lot of bringing the self-awareness be bots are easy
yeah but it's your choice what you do and definitely people
should be disciplined. People should be taught in
school and many you know institutions and everything
people they should always be taught that what is right and
what is wrong. I mean not it is not just about
the gender. You can't treat anyone like
(25:42):
that. Koi tumari Jagini.
Yeah, exactly. You can't read anyone like that.
That's not at all acceptable. I mean, even to your kids,
parents, or sometimes needed. But again, violence is never an
answer for anything, regardless of any gender.
(26:13):
He's facing the consequences. He slapped the girl.
Exactly. She left him and she came back.
It happens. I have seen it with my eyes and
people are still together. It is not healthy or what.
(26:35):
It's not my debate exactly. Whatever happens, it's it's fine
for them if it works for them. They both are OK.
It is fine for them, but again, if you ask me, I wouldn't want
to be part of such thing or I wouldn't do something like that.
So it depends on person to person.
But again, violence in any way is not acceptable.
In one of Aamir Khan's interview, he actually said that
(26:59):
violence and sex are like 2 mostvery the most vulnerable
emotions to evoke in the audience.
So directors are very prone to using such kind of storyline or
stuff. This is what he said.
What do you think about? That it's true.
(27:20):
It's definitely true. I mean there's nothing to say in
it. It's it's true.
It happens in the industry. I won't name any films, but
there have been films dismissiveviolence and then the other part
is just vulgarity or sex. Where it is not needed in the
script is Ke Binabi film Chalati.
(27:41):
But why did they put it? Just because they want to pull
an audience, pull in money and which is it is quite obvious why
it is so like I don't have to explain it India my audience
till the violence got the ticket.
It has some other effect on people, but sex and the feeling
of that, you know, getting to see it on the big screen, it is
(28:05):
a thing that in incites audience.
And yeah, that's why such films are made.
I mean there are OTT channels for that right now, an entire
app dedicated to that. So that I don't, I mean I don't
consider that as filmmaking. Wherever it is needed now there
is this. There are many shows this Game
(28:26):
of Thrones, there are other shows where it was needed.
It had its beauty, the vulgarity.
It was not vulgarity. It had its beauty.
So for that beauty, it had action and violence, both of it.
But it was shown in such a way that it was necessary to show
that, you know, the series wouldhave dropped.
(28:47):
You know, there would have been differences in it's what what
should I say? Like people wouldn't have felt
all the emotions properly, right?
Right. So Jahaja accept and we agree.
But OK, it's fine. It's fine.
Yeah, it's fine. But as as Aamir Khan said, it is
absolutely true. Like when the films are not
(29:10):
going to run, they insert these things, violence and vulgarity
and then people make money through that and good scripts
are also destroyed because of that because now the audience is
becoming, you know, more mature and accepting good scripts due
to OTT. But back then in 20/15/2012, at
that time audience did not accept good scripts.
(29:32):
There are many, many good scripts which did not work.
But commercial scripts, action films of actors who are just
same person in different clothes, who do not, you know,
yeah exactly who do not choose versatility as the virtue and
those things. So such films have worked
(29:53):
because of the mentality of the audience at that time.
So as we are exposed to the western cinema, we are accepting
good, good and good content, good story, good script, good
performances. We are demanding that.
Is there any podcast which is your favorite or you like
watching? And I watch Bo biceps a lot.
Same. Yeah, right, It's.
(30:14):
Awesome. His team is great.
I mean muske kafi dekha. There are many, So I'm into a
lot of sci-fi stuff and a lot ofhorror.
Stuff. Yeah, kind of horror stuff.
Yeah. Sarabjeet was there today.
Yeah, So I watched his videos aswell.
Anika Mams videos as well. She was also there.
(30:38):
Abhijeet, Choudas podcasts. I watch such podcasts and
podcasts based on Indian history, Indian mythology or
like many people don't like thatword mythology, but I don't
remember what else it is called.But yeah, Indian history and
everything that is related to spiritualism or something.
(31:04):
Something like extraterrestrial stuff, aliens, aliens and all
our universe. So all that stuff I like.
But yeah, I prefer, I prefer. I'm more lean towards history or
mythology stuff. Coming to horror, but you met
Sarbajit today, right? And is this something that you
(31:24):
have ever experienced, Like slightly paranormal?
If it's something abnormal, OK, OK, this is not supposed to
happen. It has happened, yeah.
Things have happened with me. But I always find, as Sarabjit
says, I question it, You should question it.
I question it and I and. Then.
Exactly, and I find a way out ofit and I justified by a logical
(31:47):
thing. So there have been instances.
Like so many adventures, Ratko, Jaga and.
Coffee are so. Have you ever experienced
something like the Kulagaoki? OK.
I've never experienced these things, Ratko firstly.
Didn't. I I mean coffee experience
Nikia. But I have a couple of
experiences. Afternoon memo.
(32:09):
But I again don't think that my friends around me, they were
saying that it is all paranormal, like there's there's
nothing explained there. There are some things which I
also couldn't explain, so I justleft it.
I did not think much about it. People say K ratko, everyone is
asleep and there is come bikes and vehicles Kashore so the the
(32:32):
Atmas are more active at that time.
I have no clue. And you should have asked this
to Sarabjit because I I don't believe in that.
I have no clue. It's a it's a good source of
entertainment. No disrespect to the paranormal
activists and everyone, but for me, I don't believe.
Do you? Paranormal stuff you don't
(32:53):
believe? No.
OK, what has happened like? So you want me to tell the
situation? Yeah, nothing Here with me and
my friend. We were just so we all of us
gathered at a place, at a friend's place.
We were chilling and as we were leaving the room, all of us, me
and my friend, so it was two of us.
I turned back to say something to her and when I turned back I
(33:16):
saw just a handkerchief flying like this and falling on another
place, going to another place but it was kept on an extension
box so I thought electric shock circuit however something like
that. But she did not hear the voice
and she felt something move. And I also saw something move,
(33:37):
but I did not stretch it out. I have no explanation to it
right now, but I don't know. I mean what?
Was that place like it was someone's house?
Yeah, it was a friend's house. It was a friend's room.
It was a proper people lived. People used to live there.
I. Don't know.
There are places where people live, but other things also live
there. So like, did the person who was
(34:01):
living there, he or she was withyou?
Yeah. Yeah, he was.
And he was also adding up to it.He was saying that.
I. Was like, no, I was not buying
into that. Do you believe in black magic?
I'm Bengali and many friends of mine accused me.
(34:23):
Stereotype, OK. No, but W Bengal does have a lot
of this stuff. It's just true.
And northeastern areas also. So I have no problem saying if
you say something like that, butdo you believe in those stuff?
I don't. I'm an agnostic in a way, not
(34:45):
completely atheist, but I actually don't believe so.
I believe people like if that person is close to me, he
believes in something for him. I'll believe in that for his
sake. I'll believe in that.
I'll I love the, you know, art that comes around both the
(35:07):
things, the black magic also andthe bhagwan Ki part puja and
everything art. I mean the the way the murtis
are made and the history behind it.
You know, the folklores, the culture or where the temples
are, the traditions and all those.
I love that. I love to watch that, but if you
ask me, I don't believe believe in anything strongly.
(35:32):
What are the kind of books that you like read?
Is it also around mythology or something like?
That I have, man, I have completed the Amish trilogy.
It is beautiful. So the models of Melua, again,
not a promotion, but yeah, I suggest those are very beautiful
books and the storytelling is lovely.
(35:52):
So I. The Ramachandra series.
No, I haven't. I have to, yeah.
I want to read that series, but I have read the Shiva trilogy.
It's beautiful, it's lovely. I love that.
Then I'm more into, so I'm a light reader.
I'm not an avid reader, so I just, I just want to read
something, which is feel good. I'm starting right now.
(36:13):
I might get into the deep stuff later on, but right now I'm just
focused on, you know, having an escape from this world.
Some kind of books, like a ROM, com, maybe fantasy, something
which is very well written, verywell told fiction mostly.
So yeah, I'm into such kind of books right now.
Since you don't believe in the paranormal stuff, do you believe
(36:35):
in spirituality and God? No, not really.
I mean, I told you I'm an agnostic, so agnosticism is
basically you're not sure you'reconfused.
Not exactly confused, but you kind of feel that there is
something superior. Are you open to like any
theories or something like that which can make you believe Q?
(36:58):
OK, this is yeah, this is all like.
Yeah, I mean, if it can be proven to me, then why not?
Why shouldn't I believe it? But again, my mind will start
questioning it and put 10 logical things around it.
And I know that it won't be proven, but if some miracle
happens in something or maybe, Idon't know, I might start.
(37:21):
So if you ask me if in future that will I be, you know, I do
visit temples, I'm going to go for one tomorrow and I'm very
excited. I'm excited to know Jagannath
Puri, I'm going to Konak Sun Temple.
So I'm excited about the place to know about its history, to
see the artifacts and all those things.
(37:43):
I'm. I'm excited.
I'm very much interested. I told you right Indian
mythology. I'm interested in Mahabharata,
Rama and I read about it. I know some things here and
there. I'm very much interested.
But I look at it as a folklore or something which was passed on
by basically. Mythology.
Mythology. Exactly.
Yeah. So I don't believe, believe in
it. It might have happened, you
(38:04):
know, But I that it doesn't lineup properly.
There's no scientific explanation for me to believe in
spiritualism or, you know, believing in God or demon or
something like that. You're thinking Nazar lagti, a
logo Ki like when you were doingsomething really gold.
Or you share stuff on Instagram,good stuff.
(38:26):
And then suddenly it all. From hell.
I did not believe in that, honestly.
But we also, I do not believe it, believe in it much coffee
problems. So I mean, I'm still not
believing in it. It's just a mere coincidence.
(38:48):
But I'm again. Have you taken some step key?
OK, I'll not tell this to a lot of people if something good is
happening. Have you done that?
Previously also I used to be thesame.
I used to tell people about what's up and what what am I
(39:09):
doing. Not everyone close my clothes
once and everything and it happened smoothly.
It just might be the coincidenceor just might be the current
situation. That's why things are not
working out. But I'm not going to link it
directly to Nazar or anything else.
Evila or something like that, no.
A class question which I want toask you.
(39:30):
What are your future goals like?Honestly, with.
Yes, Oscar. Yeah, professional goals to
definitely I want to, you know, spread my wings as far as
possible. I want to experience.
I want to work in many, many different regions of India.
(39:50):
I want to go down South. Would you like to sign a movie
like Animal and Kabir Singh? OK, Kabir Singh, I might.
OK, Animal. I'll have to think, depending on
how big the paycheck. Is given.
Yeah, see, it's a tricky question.
(40:11):
Now again, if it has to be, you know, if I have to choose it
completely on the artistic base,then I would not do animal
exactly, which can just set my life.
That is my interview, no. Movies commercial.
(40:33):
Aspect. But again, it depends how much
people look up. To me that's another thing, just
fresher. Then if I do such a film then
it's a different take. But if I'm someone like, Not
exactly, but people get influenced a lot by me.
So then there's other responsibility on me that it
will, you know decide or it willhelp me decide what to do and
(40:56):
what not to. But again money speaks again.
I got SC film hai, SC film baharAria coffee level problem,
right? But Aria bhar to jitney bhar
(41:18):
itni censor board has declared key.
This is watchable audience they accept here.
So then why shouldn't actors do it?
Right. So yeah, your goals.
What exactly have you like something set on your mind?
Ke Hamuji Yehi Kart Nahi. Set me go to Hoga.
I'm pretty sure professionally I'm going to do various kinds of
characters. I'm going to work in Malayalam
(41:39):
industry, Tamil industry, Telugu.
I love the South Indian industryand I watch a lot of films.
I want to work again in Bengali,Bengali films.
I want to win in Punjabi films. I want to work in Odia, Pan,
India. I just want to try out good
stuff and I want to work internationally again.
I just want to work and I just want to enjoy my craft.
(42:01):
Then whatever recognition awardscomes with it, it comes with it
and not just. You're not after like a lot of
awards or? Something not really.
Want to do the work? Yeah, I just want to learn.
I just want to work and I guess people will love it.
Even if they don't, I will learnfrom it and I just want to put
out my work professionally. I want that.
(42:22):
Personally, if you ask me, what is my goal in life, the main
goal of life, all of this I'm doing is to be happy in my life
and this is a major part, but itis not the main thing.
Even if Kalko Bot was Salma TeenChafil Mina Karo, I'm not a
superstar. I'll be fine.
(42:43):
I'm doing couple of shows, good characters, decent characters
and I'm taking time out for my family.
I'll be fine. But what I want to have is I
want to have my family with me. I want to have my wife, my kids.
That's my goal. I want to explore the world and
explore all sorts of ups and downs with my people around, my
(43:04):
friends around, and I want to live in my that small world
alongside doing these things. So it has to be a balance of
both. But it's not like no I don't.
Want to conquer the world. I don't want to conquer the
world. I want to make a world for
myself. So there's a difference in that.
I mean, I'll be happy if that happens.
(43:25):
If I reach to a certain level, Iam.
I can say that I am on top of the world right now.
But even if it does not happen, I'm I'm OK with.
It your main goal is yeah, I live a peaceful and.
Peaceful, happy life with my people and a good life of
course. And for you, you just can't be
(43:48):
around your family and people always 24/7.
So it has to be that balance. So acting and work also gives me
immense pleasure and immense happiness and so does by
spending time with my people to in is in Chisoka validation.
Yeah, in Chisoko. Appreciate, right?
(44:11):
So it should be balance. I'm doing this for them and
myself and they're appreciating it for me and that work which
I'm doing right now. So it should be a balance of it.
But eventually I just want to bearound my people and have fun,
you know, explore the world, do many, many things, explore
everything. That's that's more what I want.
(44:33):
So there is a shredded case Ki jabe tweet viral Gathapura there
is this woman she's 29 years oldon a matrimonial site.
She was talking to 14 guys. So her the prospect grooms she
(44:55):
was getting potential husbands unka qualification like salary
wise be they were much more rather than.
The. Girl, So what she did, she took
the company name, paranam salaryand she took that and she posted
(45:19):
on Twitter. It's a real thing, yeah.
And then she told people Ki AAP choose who is better for me.
Based on salary itself, that's. IT salary and this company where
they were working. And the position.
And city name. Bus, Yeah, if it's just based on
(45:44):
salary, salary. Salary care.
That that is the most important thing for her, which is not
good. How can we just know on salary?
(46:18):
But that's not how people shouldget.
That's how people get married, based on money.
And I know, I know. One last thing that we want to
do is play that is it called. Kahon.
Kahon bring Kahon Leia. Nice, very.
(47:05):
Good. OK.
So what are your feedbacks on this our?
Broadcast. I am very passed for that.
I have been a nice host, yeah. You've been a lovely host, of
(47:28):
course. Thank.
You so much. Questions we may do, answers we
may do. Thank you for watching.
See you next time. Bye, guys, just because he said
start. Out for the deliver, deliver
(47:51):
option and. I have.
Yeah, professional goals too, definitely.
I want to, you know, spread my wings as far as possible.
It's a real thing. Yeah, so how many girlfriends
you had, if you don't mind answering that?
Doso beast together. I'm not a miss.
What do you think about this recent animal controversy?
(00:22):
What are your thoughts? Would you like to sign a movie
like Animal and Kabir Singh? Yeah, I see.
It's a tricky question now and Iwatch Bo biceps a lot.
Same. Yeah, right.
Anything else you want me to ask, We'll cut this one.
Hello everyone. Welcome and welcome back to the
(00:42):
Aztek Show. I'm your very own host Shruti
Sinha. And today we have actor Sooraj
Shekame with us. Hi, Sooraj.
Hello. So since you're an actor,
(01:03):
choreographer, and you do a lot of stuff, but you want to be
called as an actor, like that isyour main stuff what you do.
I want to be called as an artist.
I mean, I am called as an artist.
It includes everything. Yeah, Actor, writer.
It also means artist like. Is a part of an artist.
There are many artists, you know, there are musical artists,
(01:27):
many, many type of artists. So yeah.
So like, why did you choose acting as a career?
Like don't you feel that there is a little bit of risk in it?
Risk in what sense? If you don't make it to the
industry, you made it to the industry.
But some people who don't make it to the.
Industry, of course. Definitely there is, but this is
(01:52):
what. You have to do research about
your character. Yeah, a lot.
I mean, we have to practice our craft.
We have to read a lot. We have to be observant every
time. But this, it's again about
liking, you know, Genco scientist banna hota hai.
And there are many, you know, obvious things about this field.
(02:15):
Just a glamour. Ogia, Leisure, Leisure one.
Of the reasons why you chose to.It was a very important driving
reason for me when I decided I was 15 or 16 years old.
Yeah. So for me it was of course,
glamour to Tahita Ki. I want to be known.
I want to be, you know, loved bypeople the way other actors are.
(02:38):
Jenny De Kima, Baraoa. So that was one of the important
reasons. But eventually, as I started
doing it, as I started working in, you know, the theatres,
shows, stage shows and films, web series, so I discovered
acting what it actually is. So it acting in itself is a very
fun process. So I fell in love with that
(02:59):
eventually. But.
When you chose, I'll do this. Then my every plan was inclined
towards Plan A. So MATLAB I used to even after
extraction. You know after that big break, I
(03:22):
used to work in nightclubs I I worked in call centers.
But I did that just for my sustainance.
Ki Mujabataki. I'm going to be working on sets
soon. Shoot Karuna member Jelly JAB
Tak Nihora Tak for my financial sustain.
That was like optimism, sort of.Yeah, definitely.
It was optimism and Matlab. I'd never thought of it as a
(03:44):
career. If not this, then this survival
I can do about anything. I have good command over my
language. There are many things which I
can do without a degree also andI can excel in it eventually.
But acting. So there was no Plan B.
(04:06):
What I feel is Plan B, who you take a back seat.
You take that plan A very. Lightly, Lightly.
Not exactly lightly. But you also have that Plan B in
your mind When you don't have that, so that you know, pushes
you, drives you and gets most out of you, you're going to go
(04:29):
back in Pune. And that's, that's what I had in
my mind. So luckily it worked out.
So yeah. One question that that is like I
think everybody wants to know OK, Bollywood may like how a
(04:50):
girl stuff like did you like like someone Dharani kebab.
In the film industry, are you asking?
No, but like you had something. Of course.
I mean, yeah. So how many girlfriends you had,
(05:10):
if you don't mind answering that?
Doso beast together. I'm not a misogynist, OK?
I was just yeah, so I don't remember as such.
Or I don't want to number and objectify them.
But yeah, I've had my. Experience even girls have had
may have lot of boyfriends in their past.
(05:33):
Yeah. Number, number that it'll be.
Again, I won't like that, but I've had my fair share of.
I will also be having be coffee young.
Yeah, obviously. Of course, not having having
incense. I mean, I have been, you know,
I've known people. I've gotten to know lovely
people in my life, in my past. And yeah, I'm happy with that.
(05:56):
And I will continue to do so until I found Find My.
The one, The one. Were there times when you felt
key? Like when you were not happy.
Like heart breaks. Hi, it's Pat.
I have been heartbroken once once, which I remember of maybe
(06:23):
twice. I'm not sure of the second one.
So I had one recently, some 5-6 months ago, and then I guess I
was 1718. I'm not sure exactly.
I'm not sure Ki wo heartbreak Thayani because I mean, I'm not
(06:48):
sure. Feelings.
Can be confusing. Yeah, yeah, they can be
confusing, right? Yeah, there's a lot of you had
your. First heartbreak, You said 1718.
I'm not sure if it was my heartbreak or not.
That's what I'm saying. It might be then it might be my
first heartbreak. But yeah, I think I consider
(07:08):
this recent one my first. But again, sometimes I go, you
know, track back and think that maybe it was that.
So I'm not really sure actually,heartbreak.
I think this was the one. But yeah, your heart gets broken
when you are in love, right? So I'm just confused with that,
that how many times I've been inlove.
(07:30):
I've been in love once, definitely.
That I know for sure, but just before that I have a blurred
vision of it. So Tanakuch, so Chani Minoski.
But yeah, so I understand the case.
Open to like dating people outside volleyball like normal
girls. Yeah, definitely.
I mean, it doesn't matter to me that she should be from the film
(07:53):
industry. But you are from the film
industry, right? So you might have like certain
expectations. She should be able to do this,
this, this. That doesn't need, you know,
there's no need for her to be from the film industry.
Like what? The boxes I have to take in my
girl, you know, if I want to be with someone, she doesn't have
(08:15):
to be from film industry to fulfill those boxes.
She can be working in a corporate, she can be doing
something else. She can be part of the industry.
It it doesn't have to be. It is not related to her
profession at all. She can be from the industry.
Like, yeah, if she will be from the industry, she will
understand. You know my side of the world
(08:35):
better. That is what?
I'm saying yeah, but even if shedoes not, I think it's my not
job. But I would like to, you know, I
feel that it's it should be me who should be, you know, letting
her know about my world, explaining my world to her,
getting her into my world. And I expect the same from her.
(08:55):
You know, we should understand each other's words and then we
should try to live together. That can be done.
I mean, it's not that difficult.I don't see it.
Like you live in Mumbai, right? So.
How is Mumbai life like recentlyour not recently last year our
(09:15):
CEO went to some function in Mumbai, I guess Tedex and he was
very fascinated by the lifestylethere.
So since you live there, so Akili to Dal chawal sort of
hair. Hi Anne.
I mean, I prefer Bhubaneshwar, honestly.
(09:36):
Like I love Bhubaneshwar becauseyeah, it gives the city vibes as
well, which I like, and it has at peace as well.
So I'm originally from Pune. So in Pune, if you ask me, it
has best of the both worlds. It has good atmosphere, climate,
not that much of A pollution, not that much of, you know,
(09:57):
people population. It can be, you know, it can be
as fast and PC as Mumbai also and it can be as relaxed as any
other town of India. It gives that wives and it's
cool, very cool at this time point of time.
So yeah, it's like that. So Mumbai, for me it's a bit
(10:18):
challenging to be in Mumbai because A traffic then B
pollution then C the atmosphere.But again that place is feeding
me. So I have.
I don't have much complaints but.
Is it also because the life is so fast then?
It's very fast. It's you.
You can't even tell when the daypasses, the night comes.
(10:41):
You can't figure out because youget tired this easily that you
go to sleep by 10/10/30 at Mumbai 10. 30.
Yeah, it's a very good thing that you get to bed because you
don't have any energy left. You have to travel, You have to
be in the traffic, that ruckus. All the things going on.
You have to work. There are many things.
Mumbai gets you tired, Mumbai keeps you on your toes, which is
(11:04):
sometimes you need in life. Sometimes it can be thrilling as
well. Yeah, definitely.
It can be thrilled. MATLAB, it's not like thrilling,
exactly. It's tiring most of the times,
but when you have to get some kind of work done, Mumbai is the
best place for that because it keeps you on your toes there.
Every everyone around you is running and it makes you feel
like, what am I doing? I shouldn't be sitting around, I
(11:26):
should be doing some stuff I. Should be doing something.
Right, exactly. So you don't have that in other
cities, like I don't know about Bhubaneswar, but I don't see
much traffic around here. People seem more relaxed.
You might know better. The traffic is there, but I
don't think it it is. You can't compare it.
Annoying as exactly. No, they just, you know, pick me
(11:50):
up from airport to my hotel. Yeah, it was like 2025
kilometers. The distance was they covered it
in 30 minutes. It's nothing.
We take 30 minutes for five kilometer distance for in
Mumbai. So it's.
So that's how the difference is.So since Mumbai is such a
thrilling place and everything, have you done anything thrilling
(12:12):
or like adventurous sort of there?
What? What do you mean by adventurous
now? See my adventure.
I have a 17 year old. My adventure is keeping
tuitions, not telling my parentsand coming here to shoot a
podcast. OK, that is, I have done that.
But your thrilling must be something different, basically.
I mean, not much thrilling. Everyone in Mumbai pretty much
(12:36):
does the same thing. They meet at someone's place,
they party then or either they go out and party and work.
That's pretty much it. Like there's nothing thrilling.
Thrilling in like school. But Mumbai may, I don't remember
as such a coffee thrilling cheese have.
(12:58):
Done something which you can tell on camera.
Coffee. Cheese incidents Khana khana ke
baat meri kuch dost Ek BAE PE hum teen.
Look, we were just out there strolling.
We skipped the city. We went from Pune to Satara,
(13:22):
from Satara to somewhere else. We skipped an entire city and we
you know drove around for like 4or five hours.
So kilometre comes because we were young at that time also we
were young who but I was 19 or something like that back then
and I had time like lots of timeon my hand.
(13:44):
We were just like, so that was one of the things.
How did you come? Back then, no promotion again.
But. Bike bike.
And their parents. Bachelors.
(14:04):
Those merry parents are honestly, they're like to.
But I've been independent since 1516, so I like it's okay, I
told them. Independence since 1516.
Yeah. What do you?
I mean, not exactly independent,but I've been working when I was
(14:27):
1516 Taapsee the. Industrial.
Yeah, I used to dance. I used to do background dancing
in Marathi industry in state shows, hamari, ape, ganpati,
adayandi, kafi. But so shows me Sangeet's me.
I used to choreograph. I used to do many, many things.
I used to do theatre shows, so that's how I started earning and
(14:50):
that's how I financially, you can say not completely get paid
a lot, of course, yeah. But you could manage your own
finances. Yeah, yeah, I've I've been
managing my own finances since then.
Finances. Say I want to ask this question.
We don't exactly manage our finances that efficiently.
(15:10):
Take care. I'm a spendthrift.
He's a spendthrift. OK, so how you used to manage
your finance? I don't.
Never ask me about managing so you What I meant by managing
finances was I was taking care of my needs with.
My I'm asking how do you spend like you save some part or
nothing? I think of saving, I think I
(15:31):
will save. I try of saving, but I do all
that in my mind. Same.
I mean it's like when someone asks for money, I give it and I
don't ask it back. I can't, I can't, so I can't ask
for it back. I feel ashamed.
(15:53):
I don't know why, Mary, but I feel a because I can't ask.
You can't ask people. Most people will not.
Give that back. That's true.
That's true. But I mean movie.
So even you can't save money, soit's.
Not just. I'm sorry, I have to I'll have
(16:14):
to look. I mean my accountant does a
little bit but he manages most of my earnings from my you know
film division and all that feelsbut eventually mere pasi anir.
So we'll spend. OK, what do you think about this
(16:34):
recent animal controversy he bought recently?
Parliament maybe about kisi and pini kaitiki I she she's a
woman. So she said that my daughter and
her friends went to see the movie and they came out crying
because there is so much of violence and hatred, the way
he's treating Rashmika in the movie like his wife and in Kabhi
(16:58):
Singh as well. So like, what are your thoughts?
The daughter of that MP, was sheunderage or over age?
She said she was in college, so I guess.
I mean, yeah, so I don't know about Animal.
I did not like that film much because it was very, very, very
violent, which was not needed. The conflict wasn't that strong
(17:23):
for the reaction to be that strong.
So other film case of Sadiqi Jata, I did not like it much.
There were some scenes which were good.
I'm talking about the film aspect right now.
Cafe scenes, me, choreography, Achiti.
The song choices were really good.
Action was decent. Cinematography Cafe Achiti.
But yeah, I mean the treatment that was given to the women in
(17:48):
the film, it has been like that in Sandeep Reddy Wanga's film.
It's not a new thing. I mean in Kabhi Singh it was
still bearable. It was still OK.
And but in Animal, it was, yeah,it was taken to the next level.
And I don't think it was needed to, like he needed to do it that
(18:08):
much because every actress, likeeven if you watch the film,
every part of the film has a woman in it and she has been,
you know, treated as an object or maybe treated in a very ill
way or bad way. It happens.
It happens in societies. I'm not saying it does not
(18:29):
happen. It might be happening.
And if you're putting that out on screen, it's fine.
I mean, not exactly fine, but it's like it's part of the
society. Because the director was
justifying the same thing in an interview, saying if you can't
hit your woman that's wrong, cuss words, then you are not in
love. It's conditional then.
It might be from personal experience, we don't know that
(18:52):
and it might be OK like if it iswhat it is for you, if it works
for you and your partner, then we are no one to say have a say
in it. But I don't think that's true
and that should be the case. I mean violence, physical
violence is not at all acceptable in any relationship,
any at all. That's another thing.
(19:12):
Yeah, but no physical violence physically.
Violence, violence shouldn't be solution to anything.
If you talk about Kabir Singh now, Kabir Singh wasn't that
violent. Yeah, the character was
disturbed. The character was in too Gray to
blackish shade. And if you personally ask me, I
(19:34):
don't want to be Kabir Singh or I do not admire that character.
But yet again, you can't say that, you know, do not watch
this film because that film depicted a part of society which
prevails. There are people, there are
couples like that and things are, you know, that's how the
things are, even when I'm not justifying it.
But that's how they have been violent with each other and they
(19:56):
have been happy in that relationship.
It depends upon them now if it'sright or not, it's totally
another debate, but it happens. It happens.
And that's what he tried to depict in Kabir Singh or Arjun
Reddy. Don't you think a lot of youth
is getting influenced by this? Because when Kabir Singh came
out, we were in Class 8, I guess.
So a lot of my friends were doing the stuff that Kabir Singh
(20:20):
did in that movie that and made ice and all this, actually
trying those stuff. So I think it influences a lot
of young minds. Especially so again, it was an
adult film you shouldn't have watched.
That because we. All are underage.
So back in 80s and 90s, at that times you can say cinema was the
only medium to influence a largescale of population in India and
(20:42):
newspapers till a point. But cinema was, yeah, we could
have, you know, held cinema responsible at that time because
that's that was the most watchedthing at that time.
And people used to get influenced by that.
But right now that's not the case.
There's OTT, which is available to everyone.
There's YouTube. There's there are many, many
(21:03):
things right now which are influencing, you know, people
and is shaping every person right now.
So you can't just hold a film accountable for that.
I don't think so. But yeah, in some cases, like if
you say animal then that is a bit extreme is what I feel is
what my opinion is. I think that it's easily movies
(21:25):
are like easily accessible to people.
So for you going to the theaters, booking the tickets,
sitting in the film for continuously 3 hours, is that
easily accessible or just getting up from your bed rolling
over? Movies and Otts, right?
Yeah, so when it comes to televisions, I'm pretty sure
that they might be edited or cutdown.
The scenes might be cut down where it they're shown a harsh
(21:48):
violence or something which is misogynistic, which is not
accepted. I'm pretty sure they might be
trimmed down. If not, then that should That is
the wrong thing, definitely. But on OTT, again, it is already
written that the films are adulterated, then they should
be. There should be parental
control. And if you are adult enough to
watch that film, then you are adult enough to make your own
(22:09):
decisions, you know, think by your own self.
You are, you know, you know whatto be influenced by and what not
to be influenced by. But still, if we consider that
these are the mediums to be influenced by, it's not just the
one medium. I mean, if I stop you right now
from watching the film on the OTT, you'll hear it from someone
else that this happened in the film and it was so cool by his
(22:33):
view. We can't stop that entire thing.
No, it is a part of society and we are just depicting what the
part of society is. That is another debate that if
it is right or wrong for me personally, Kabhi Singh, I don't
want to be Kabhi Singh or I would would not like a Kabhi
Singh around me. I did not like that character.
People might have liked that character.
I did not like that character. If you asked me if I was to
(22:53):
suggest Preeti, I would have said leave him, move on.
He did. He did a wrong thing to you.
But depicting that and putting it out in front of the audience
is just letting people know thatthis is also a part of society.
This also happens in the film this, this is, you know, this
actually this is a part of society.
(23:13):
I mean you can't expect directorto make changes just to
influence or according to that. Now if you asked about Animal,
at the end, she leaves him, Rashmika leaves him and he's
shown in that space where he is left with very less people or
nobody too close to him. So then the consequences are
also shown in that film. Now again, I'm not justifying
(23:34):
it, but whatever was shown in that film, the misogyny, the
treatment to women, the violence, all those things, I
personally found it very, very over traumatic and too much is a
little bit, yeah, we are just showing it to the world.
(24:02):
That is how it happens consequence Kiwi would films
would influence to saw film IR which is saying quit smoking
awareness about rape awareness about you know women health
influence create good movies putout good world or I understand
(24:30):
key bad things are easily adaptable than good things log
Jali secret to be cool and all those things but as I told
cinema is not the only medium films Yeah animal Jessica
Bollywood influence over there right situation Cindy as we are
(25:00):
getting older and our parents are getting older so we are not
getting that culture with us no we are not hitting our wife or
girlfriends we are not doing that because we are adapting we
know what is right and what is wrong so that is also because of
all the films and social. Media bringing to be Of course
(25:21):
it does. It can like create a.
Lot of bringing the self-awareness be bots are easy
yeah but it's your choice what you do and definitely people
should be disciplined. People should be taught in
school and many you know institutions and everything
people they should always be taught that what is right and
what is wrong. I mean not it is not just about
the gender. You can't treat anyone like
(25:42):
that. Koi tumari Jagini.
Yeah, exactly. You can't read anyone like that.
That's not at all acceptable. I mean, even to your kids,
parents, or sometimes needed. But again, violence is never an
answer for anything, regardless of any gender.
(26:13):
He's facing the consequences. He slapped the girl.
Exactly. She left him and she came back.
It happens. I have seen it with my eyes and
people are still together. It is not healthy or what.
(26:35):
It's not my debate exactly. Whatever happens, it's it's fine
for them if it works for them. They both are OK.
It is fine for them, but again, if you ask me, I wouldn't want
to be part of such thing or I wouldn't do something like that.
So it depends on person to person.
But again, violence in any way is not acceptable.
In one of Aamir Khan's interview, he actually said that
(26:59):
violence and sex are like 2 mostvery the most vulnerable
emotions to evoke in the audience.
So directors are very prone to using such kind of storyline or
stuff. This is what he said.
What do you think about? That it's true.
(27:20):
It's definitely true. I mean there's nothing to say in
it. It's it's true.
It happens in the industry. I won't name any films, but
there have been films dismissiveviolence and then the other part
is just vulgarity or sex. Where it is not needed in the
script is Ke Binabi film Chalati.
(27:41):
But why did they put it? Just because they want to pull
an audience, pull in money and which is it is quite obvious why
it is so like I don't have to explain it India my audience
till the violence got the ticket.
It has some other effect on people, but sex and the feeling
of that, you know, getting to see it on the big screen, it is
(28:05):
a thing that in incites audience.
And yeah, that's why such films are made.
I mean there are OTT channels for that right now, an entire
app dedicated to that. So that I don't, I mean I don't
consider that as filmmaking. Wherever it is needed now there
is this. There are many shows this Game
(28:26):
of Thrones, there are other shows where it was needed.
It had its beauty, the vulgarity.
It was not vulgarity. It had its beauty.
So for that beauty, it had action and violence, both of it.
But it was shown in such a way that it was necessary to show
that, you know, the series wouldhave dropped.
(28:47):
You know, there would have been differences in it's what what
should I say? Like people wouldn't have felt
all the emotions properly, right?
Right. So Jahaja accept and we agree.
But OK, it's fine. It's fine.
Yeah, it's fine. But as as Aamir Khan said, it is
absolutely true. Like when the films are not
(29:10):
going to run, they insert these things, violence and vulgarity
and then people make money through that and good scripts
are also destroyed because of that because now the audience is
becoming, you know, more mature and accepting good scripts due
to OTT. But back then in 20/15/2012, at
that time audience did not accept good scripts.
(29:32):
There are many, many good scripts which did not work.
But commercial scripts, action films of actors who are just
same person in different clothes, who do not, you know,
yeah exactly who do not choose versatility as the virtue and
those things. So such films have worked
(29:53):
because of the mentality of the audience at that time.
So as we are exposed to the western cinema, we are accepting
good, good and good content, good story, good script, good
performances. We are demanding that.
Is there any podcast which is your favorite or you like
watching? And I watch Bo biceps a lot.
Same. Yeah, right, It's.
(30:14):
Awesome. His team is great.
I mean muske kafi dekha. There are many, So I'm into a
lot of sci-fi stuff and a lot ofhorror.
Stuff. Yeah, kind of horror stuff.
Yeah. Sarabjeet was there today.
Yeah, So I watched his videos aswell.
Anika Mams videos as well. She was also there.
(30:38):
Abhijeet, Choudas podcasts. I watch such podcasts and
podcasts based on Indian history, Indian mythology or
like many people don't like thatword mythology, but I don't
remember what else it is called.But yeah, Indian history and
everything that is related to spiritualism or something.
(31:04):
Something like extraterrestrial stuff, aliens, aliens and all
our universe. So all that stuff I like.
But yeah, I prefer, I prefer. I'm more lean towards history or
mythology stuff. Coming to horror, but you met
Sarbajit today, right? And is this something that you
(31:24):
have ever experienced, Like slightly paranormal?
If it's something abnormal, OK, OK, this is not supposed to
happen. It has happened, yeah.
Things have happened with me. But I always find, as Sarabjit
says, I question it, You should question it.
I question it and I and. Then.
Exactly, and I find a way out ofit and I justified by a logical
(31:47):
thing. So there have been instances.
Like so many adventures, Ratko, Jaga and.
Coffee are so. Have you ever experienced
something like the Kulagaoki? OK.
I've never experienced these things, Ratko firstly.
Didn't. I I mean coffee experience
Nikia. But I have a couple of
experiences. Afternoon memo.
(32:09):
But I again don't think that my friends around me, they were
saying that it is all paranormal, like there's there's
nothing explained there. There are some things which I
also couldn't explain, so I justleft it.
I did not think much about it. People say K ratko, everyone is
asleep and there is come bikes and vehicles Kashore so the the
(32:32):
Atmas are more active at that time.
I have no clue. And you should have asked this
to Sarabjit because I I don't believe in that.
I have no clue. It's a it's a good source of
entertainment. No disrespect to the paranormal
activists and everyone, but for me, I don't believe.
Do you? Paranormal stuff you don't
(32:53):
believe? No.
OK, what has happened like? So you want me to tell the
situation? Yeah, nothing Here with me and
my friend. We were just so we all of us
gathered at a place, at a friend's place.
We were chilling and as we were leaving the room, all of us, me
and my friend, so it was two of us.
I turned back to say something to her and when I turned back I
(33:16):
saw just a handkerchief flying like this and falling on another
place, going to another place but it was kept on an extension
box so I thought electric shock circuit however something like
that. But she did not hear the voice
and she felt something move. And I also saw something move,
(33:37):
but I did not stretch it out. I have no explanation to it
right now, but I don't know. I mean what?
Was that place like it was someone's house?
Yeah, it was a friend's house. It was a friend's room.
It was a proper people lived. People used to live there.
I. Don't know.
There are places where people live, but other things also live
there. So like, did the person who was
(34:01):
living there, he or she was withyou?
Yeah. Yeah, he was.
And he was also adding up to it.He was saying that.
I. Was like, no, I was not buying
into that. Do you believe in black magic?
I'm Bengali and many friends of mine accused me.
(34:23):
Stereotype, OK. No, but W Bengal does have a lot
of this stuff. It's just true.
And northeastern areas also. So I have no problem saying if
you say something like that, butdo you believe in those stuff?
I don't. I'm an agnostic in a way, not
(34:45):
completely atheist, but I actually don't believe so.
I believe people like if that person is close to me, he
believes in something for him. I'll believe in that for his
sake. I'll believe in that.
I'll I love the, you know, art that comes around both the
(35:07):
things, the black magic also andthe bhagwan Ki part puja and
everything art. I mean the the way the murtis
are made and the history behind it.
You know, the folklores, the culture or where the temples
are, the traditions and all those.
I love that. I love to watch that, but if you
ask me, I don't believe believe in anything strongly.
(35:32):
What are the kind of books that you like read?
Is it also around mythology or something like?
That I have, man, I have completed the Amish trilogy.
It is beautiful. So the models of Melua, again,
not a promotion, but yeah, I suggest those are very beautiful
books and the storytelling is lovely.
(35:52):
So I. The Ramachandra series.
No, I haven't. I have to, yeah.
I want to read that series, but I have read the Shiva trilogy.
It's beautiful, it's lovely. I love that.
Then I'm more into, so I'm a light reader.
I'm not an avid reader, so I just, I just want to read
something, which is feel good. I'm starting right now.
(36:13):
I might get into the deep stuff later on, but right now I'm just
focused on, you know, having an escape from this world.
Some kind of books, like a ROM, com, maybe fantasy, something
which is very well written, verywell told fiction mostly.
So yeah, I'm into such kind of books right now.
Since you don't believe in the paranormal stuff, do you believe
(36:35):
in spirituality and God? No, not really.
I mean, I told you I'm an agnostic, so agnosticism is
basically you're not sure you'reconfused.
Not exactly confused, but you kind of feel that there is
something superior. Are you open to like any
theories or something like that which can make you believe Q?
(36:58):
OK, this is yeah, this is all like.
Yeah, I mean, if it can be proven to me, then why not?
Why shouldn't I believe it? But again, my mind will start
questioning it and put 10 logical things around it.
And I know that it won't be proven, but if some miracle
happens in something or maybe, Idon't know, I might start.
(37:21):
So if you ask me if in future that will I be, you know, I do
visit temples, I'm going to go for one tomorrow and I'm very
excited. I'm excited to know Jagannath
Puri, I'm going to Konak Sun Temple.
So I'm excited about the place to know about its history, to
see the artifacts and all those things.
(37:43):
I'm. I'm excited.
I'm very much interested. I told you right Indian
mythology. I'm interested in Mahabharata,
Rama and I read about it. I know some things here and
there. I'm very much interested.
But I look at it as a folklore or something which was passed on
by basically. Mythology.
Mythology. Exactly.
Yeah. So I don't believe, believe in
it. It might have happened, you
(38:04):
know, But I that it doesn't lineup properly.
There's no scientific explanation for me to believe in
spiritualism or, you know, believing in God or demon or
something like that. You're thinking Nazar lagti, a
logo Ki like when you were doingsomething really gold.
Or you share stuff on Instagram,good stuff.
(38:26):
And then suddenly it all. From hell.
I did not believe in that, honestly.
But we also, I do not believe it, believe in it much coffee
problems. So I mean, I'm still not
believing in it. It's just a mere coincidence.
(38:48):
But I'm again. Have you taken some step key?
OK, I'll not tell this to a lot of people if something good is
happening. Have you done that?
Previously also I used to be thesame.
I used to tell people about what's up and what what am I
(39:09):
doing. Not everyone close my clothes
once and everything and it happened smoothly.
It just might be the coincidenceor just might be the current
situation. That's why things are not
working out. But I'm not going to link it
directly to Nazar or anything else.
Evila or something like that, no.
A class question which I want toask you.
(39:30):
What are your future goals like?Honestly, with.
Yes, Oscar. Yeah, professional goals to
definitely I want to, you know, spread my wings as far as
possible. I want to experience.
I want to work in many, many different regions of India.
(39:50):
I want to go down South. Would you like to sign a movie
like Animal and Kabir Singh? OK, Kabir Singh, I might.
OK, Animal. I'll have to think, depending on
how big the paycheck. Is given.
Yeah, see, it's a tricky question.
(40:11):
Now again, if it has to be, you know, if I have to choose it
completely on the artistic base,then I would not do animal
exactly, which can just set my life.
That is my interview, no. Movies commercial.
(40:33):
Aspect. But again, it depends how much
people look up. To me that's another thing, just
fresher. Then if I do such a film then
it's a different take. But if I'm someone like, Not
exactly, but people get influenced a lot by me.
So then there's other responsibility on me that it
will, you know decide or it willhelp me decide what to do and
(40:56):
what not to. But again money speaks again.
I got SC film hai, SC film baharAria coffee level problem,
right? But Aria bhar to jitney bhar
(41:18):
itni censor board has declared key.
This is watchable audience they accept here.
So then why shouldn't actors do it?
Right. So yeah, your goals.
What exactly have you like something set on your mind?
Ke Hamuji Yehi Kart Nahi. Set me go to Hoga.
I'm pretty sure professionally I'm going to do various kinds of
characters. I'm going to work in Malayalam
(41:39):
industry, Tamil industry, Telugu.
I love the South Indian industryand I watch a lot of films.
I want to work again in Bengali,Bengali films.
I want to win in Punjabi films. I want to work in Odia, Pan,
India. I just want to try out good
stuff and I want to work internationally again.
I just want to work and I just want to enjoy my craft.
(42:01):
Then whatever recognition awardscomes with it, it comes with it
and not just. You're not after like a lot of
awards or? Something not really.
Want to do the work? Yeah, I just want to learn.
I just want to work and I guess people will love it.
Even if they don't, I will learnfrom it and I just want to put
out my work professionally. I want that.
(42:22):
Personally, if you ask me, what is my goal in life, the main
goal of life, all of this I'm doing is to be happy in my life
and this is a major part, but itis not the main thing.
Even if Kalko Bot was Salma TeenChafil Mina Karo, I'm not a
superstar. I'll be fine.
(42:43):
I'm doing couple of shows, good characters, decent characters
and I'm taking time out for my family.
I'll be fine. But what I want to have is I
want to have my family with me. I want to have my wife, my kids.
That's my goal. I want to explore the world and
explore all sorts of ups and downs with my people around, my
(43:04):
friends around, and I want to live in my that small world
alongside doing these things. So it has to be a balance of
both. But it's not like no I don't.
Want to conquer the world. I don't want to conquer the
world. I want to make a world for
myself. So there's a difference in that.
I mean, I'll be happy if that happens.
(43:25):
If I reach to a certain level, Iam.
I can say that I am on top of the world right now.
But even if it does not happen, I'm I'm OK with.
It your main goal is yeah, I live a peaceful and.
Peaceful, happy life with my people and a good life of
course. And for you, you just can't be
(43:48):
around your family and people always 24/7.
So it has to be that balance. So acting and work also gives me
immense pleasure and immense happiness and so does by
spending time with my people to in is in Chisoka validation.
Yeah, in Chisoko. Appreciate, right?
(44:11):
So it should be balance. I'm doing this for them and
myself and they're appreciating it for me and that work which
I'm doing right now. So it should be a balance of it.
But eventually I just want to bearound my people and have fun,
you know, explore the world, do many, many things, explore
everything. That's that's more what I want.
(44:33):
So there is a shredded case Ki jabe tweet viral Gathapura there
is this woman she's 29 years oldon a matrimonial site.
She was talking to 14 guys. So her the prospect grooms she
(44:55):
was getting potential husbands unka qualification like salary
wise be they were much more rather than.
The. Girl, So what she did, she took
the company name, paranam salaryand she took that and she posted
(45:19):
on Twitter. It's a real thing, yeah.
And then she told people Ki AAP choose who is better for me.
Based on salary itself, that's. IT salary and this company where
they were working. And the position.
And city name. Bus, Yeah, if it's just based on
(45:44):
salary, salary. Salary care.
That that is the most important thing for her, which is not
good. How can we just know on salary?
(46:18):
But that's not how people shouldget.
That's how people get married, based on money.
And I know, I know. One last thing that we want to
do is play that is it called. Kahon.
Kahon bring Kahon Leia. Nice, very.
(47:05):
Good. OK.
So what are your feedbacks on this our?
Broadcast. I am very passed for that.
I have been a nice host, yeah. You've been a lovely host, of
(47:28):
course. Thank.
You so much. Questions we may do, answers we
may do. Thank you for watching.
See you next time. Bye, guys, just because he said
start. Out for the deliver, deliver
(47:51):
option and. I have.
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