Post a successful debut in Divya Khosla Kumar’s Yaariyan (2004), actor Himansh Kohli went off the radar for three years.
Post this long hiatus, the actor starred in Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai earlier this year and will now be seen in Sweetiee Weds NRI which is directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala.
The romantic comedy stars Kohli as a youngster trying to woo the parents of his lady love Sweetiee (Zoya Afroz) and annul her father’s plans to get her married to an NRI. The film also stars Darshan Jariwala and Kiron Joneja in pivotal roles.
In a freewheeling chat with Bollywoodirect, Himansh spoke to us about his role, his experience of working on the film and the reason behind his long hiatus. Republished below are excerpts from the same.
I play Aakash Patel who is in love with Sweetiee played by Zoya Afroz. Aakash is a local resident staying in the same town as Sweetiee. The conflict begins when Sweetiee’s father begins looking for an NRI groom. Aakash is ambitious but he also is looking for a way to resolve Zoya’s dilemma as they are in love with each other. He is also trying his best to win over Sweetiee’s family and get their consent for marrying Sweetiee.
What made you give your nod to the film?
I liked the story. It has an innocence coupled with a generous dose of humor. It also dealt with a situation which could occur in anybody’s life. I felt this is a nice and light-hearted comedy which would surely be appreciated by audiences.
How did the role come your way?
I got a message on one of my social media handles requesting me for a script narration. Initially, I thought someone was robbing me. But when my team members intervened, I found out that the makers indeed wanted to approach me for the film. When I came on board, the script and the pre-production was in place. They were looking to cast actors and begin shooting at the earliest.
Tell us about your experience of working with the cast and crew of the film?
It was a great experience to work with Zoya and veteran actors like Darshan Jariwala, Kiran Joneja, Adi Irani and Shekhar Shukla among others. Darshan ji and my director Hasnain Hyderabadwala were very supportive and helped me a lot to get the nuances of my character right. We had also done a few workshops prior to the shooting which helped me immensely
Could you tell us about any funny or interesting incidents that occurred during the making of the film?
I play a drama student and I have sported various getups such as those of Raavan, Sugreeva and Bali. While I wore these costumes on location, it felt a bit awkward as people would look at me in amusement and want to click pictures with me sporting these getups.
In a chase sequence, I had to ride a horse. But I had a fear of it. One of my team members wrongly communicated that I can pull off it convincingly. Sadly that wasn’t the case (laughs). When I sat on the horse, it dropped me and I was injured. However, later I pulled off the scene convincingly.
Post a successful debut in Yaariyan, you weren’t seen much in movies barring Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai earlier this year and now Sweetiee Weds NRI. What explains this hiatus?
Post-Yaariyan, I spent three years honing my skills as an actor. A lot of people approached me with scripts. But all of them were very similar to what I had done in Yaariyan. And I was looking for better scripts. It took me a while to shed the school boy image which I had post acquired post my debut film. And I am making a conscious effort to not repeat myself.
Which are your upcoming projects?
Currently, there are two films in the pipeline. The first is Dil Jo Na Keh Saka directed by Naresh Lalwani. The other is Gunday And Gudiya which is produced by Anupam Kher and directed by Sattwik Mohanty. It also stars Satish Kaushik and Jimmy Shergill among others.
Interview By- Aditya Savnal