He is unlike other star kids. Paresh Rawal's son Aditya is talented and sorted -- he gained a certain amount of production experience before making his acting debut with Zee5's Original film – Bamfaad, which started streaming from April 10.
Usually, when a star kid is launched, there's a lot of buzz, promotions, and media activities around the project. But because of the current coronavirus lockdown situation, Bamfaad was released quietly. Aditya has taken it in his stride. "Considering the situation, we are in, we are lucky that we have got a platform where we can bring our movie out. Otherwise, we were planning to take it to the theatres and have the whole promotional run, but because of coronavirus, the plan did not work out. Who knows when the theatres will open and even when they do, there will a long list of films and our film might get lost in that. We wanted to bring our film to the maximum viewers and thought this is the best time," he says.
As far as promotions are concerned, he hopes that there will be projects in the future where they can have the whole run, but right now, he is just valuing the experience.
Bamfaad, which is a slang for explosion in Uttar Pradesh, has all the elements of a commercial film, feels Aditya. "It's got love, romance, passion, friendship, betrayal, action. The story has been written with honesty and told in an incredibly unique way. It's so original and real. In addition to that, it's got the wonderful visual palette and transforms you to Allahabad," he adds.
Bamfaad is not only Aditya's debut but director Ranjan Chandel and actress Shalini Pandey's debut too. The film is being presented by Anurag Kashyap and produced by JAR Pictures and Shaika Films.
ACTING AND MORE
Aditya plays Nasir Jamal in the film who, he says, is quite a contrast to his real self. "The most interesting thing about Nasir is that he acts first and thinks later. Whereas, I think several times before taking any decision or action. I rarely lose my temper, but here is a man who reacts instinctively and that, of course, gets him into difficult situations. There's a saying that bad decisions make great stories," he says.
For someone who is born and brought up in Mumbai and educated in New York, getting into the mindset of Nasir must have been quite a task. "But that is what attracted me to the project. His background, mannerism, physicality – everything is different. I just observed a lot of people around me to understand Nasir's character. I joined the team on their recce to get a sense of the world. I realised that there is a distinctive way in which people like Nasir carry themselves and Ranjan bhai was also there to guide me," he quips.
Before joining acting, Aditya was into sports, had co-written Ashutosh Gowariker's Panipat, assisted in OMG Oh My God, which starred his father. So, when did the acting bug actually bite him? He replies, "I was always in touch with the entertainment world since my parents are actors. I used to do theatre in school and college. I was always writing and acting, but I was playing football professionally, and that took a lot of my time and mind space."
Then came a phase in his life when he realised that he was enjoying writing and acting more. "I couldn't pursue both the sport and writing-acting as a profession and therefore decided to focus on the latter," he adds.
The fact that he has worked in the production has helped him understand the nuances of acting much better. "When I am writing a line or scene, I know if the actor will find it difficult or love to play. Likewise, when I read a script, I know what a writer is trying to achieve. It helps you understand a set work and make certain decisions as an actor," says the actor who has written a lot of content including a play which will be directed by Makrand Deshpande, and another play which will be staged in New York at the end of the year.
The youngster is all praise for Anurag Kashyap. "We met a few times before we shot the film and after the shooting. Every interaction with Anurag sir is supremely enlightening, and I used to make the most of those interactions. That guy is an institution in himself. I have grown up watching and loving his films," says Aditya.
THE LINEAGE
He brings with him a lot of responsibility for being Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat's son and knows that the audience is going to be over-critical of his because of his background. So, is he nervous?
"This is my first film, so I am going to be nervous, whether I am my father's son or somebody else's. There is no denying the guidance and access it provides me. If there's extra scrutiny, it's a fair bargain. Having said that, eventually, if your work is good, people will give you work, but if you are not talented after a point, it will not matter," Aditya says.
He does feel a sense of responsibility to do the best he can. "That is all I can do. I do not need to worry about matching up to Padma Shri Paresh Rawal because he has been working for more than 30 years and has done amazing work. So, I am worried about my second or third film. Why would I even bother to compare myself to a legend like him?" he says.
He adds that both his parents have always been there to guide and advise him. "One thing that he keeps reminding me is, 'Make sure you are having fun. You have done the prep and everything, so once you go on the set, have a good time'. That has helped me immensely," says Aditya who loves his father's performance in Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, Uri and Sanju.
