Friday, January 3, 2025

‘I couldn’t have taken the role of Squadron Leader lightly’

Must read

Actor Mahesh Shetty spoke exclusively to us about working with a powerful cast in
Siddharth Anand’s Fighter and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Fighter, an aerial-action thriller directed by Siddharth Anand, has grossed over Rs 200 crore in India and over Rs 300 crore worldwide. Apart from the lead cast, we have another main cast member from the project who had a great audience reception for the same role. Living up to his reputation as one of the main characters, Mahesh Shetty granted us an exclusive interview in which we had the pleasure of talking about working with a powerful cast and more.
Mahesh started by informing our readers about how he got ready for the part: “Obviously, my immediate reaction upon being offered the role of Squadron Leader Rajan Unninathan was that it’s not something you take lightly, especially when it comes to playing a man in a uniform. It carries a lot of responsibility, so to come across as credible, you must look the part, be in good shape, and act appropriately.”
Through his genuine grin, kind demeanour, and acting skills, he has skillfully carved out a special place for himself in the audience’s hearts with the movie Fighter. He continued, “In addition to participating in flight simulations, learning everything there is to know about fighter jets, and attending boot camps, I also personally interacted with many of my NSD friends and extended family members who are in the armed forces in order to gain a deeper understanding of their subtleties.”
Mahesh spoke candidly about his experience filming the film and went into detail about the challenges the cast experienced, such as having to live in Air Force quarters and shoot in subzero temperatures: “Since we were filming at an actual air base using actual aircraft, this was not your typical built-up set, which undoubtedly raised the bar for each performer’s performance. We truly felt like one of them when we were living with them. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Siddharth sir and Raymon sir for their unwavering guidance and preparation. They completed their research correctly, and it was very beneficial to all of us.”
It seems like they learned a lot every day while living there in close quarters with the Air Force officers. They were virtually cut off from the outside world, so it was a difficult experience! For security reasons, they were not allowed to bring their cell phones inside. Still, it was a memorable experience that Mahesh will always treasure. While he was there, the weather was pleasant; however, when they travelled to Kashmir, things were not the same. It had dropped to two degrees, and there was a lot of snow. They were all chilly as they filmed sequences of bike rides and snow fights. Shooting in snow is an extremely strenuous experience; it’s not like taking a snow vacation, felt Mahesh.
Once upon a time, a well-known television personality went on, “My first day of shooting stands out in my memory the most. I can’t quite put it into words, but I recall sitting in a real Sukhoi as Hrithik Roshan’s wingman, and that feeling was something more than just memorable. As someone who enjoys riding motorcycles and driving cars, just picture interacting with a massive Sukhoi. It seemed inconceivable. All I can say is that that day, a lot of items on my bucket list were checked off.”
“I think every medium has its own rhythm, whether it’s theatre, movies, or television, and as an actor, I love pushing myself into all the mediums,” he continued. “I like the difficulties that every character presents. There is unquestionably no preference for one over the other. I am just grateful that I have the chance to travel and experience so much love overall.”
He also recalled when he had to practice flying simulations for his part in the movie with Hrithik. Well, in advance of his filming commencement, Siddharth made arrangements for them to attend a gruelling boot camp! They engaged with officers to understand the intricacies of each jet during this period, and they were provided with copious reading materials to acquaint themselves with G Force, the manufacturer of the aircraft, and other pertinent information. They had Raymon, an actual police officer, on site who assisted them with body language and other subtleties to help make their performances more authentic. Mahesh also went to their boot camps and had meetings with a few NSG commanders to gain further insight into what it means to be a man in uniform.
“Throughout my lengthy career in television, I had the good fortune to work on some of the greatest shows, including Kesariya Balam, Pavitra Rishta, Bade Achche Lagte Hain, and many more. I have a hard time deciding on just one of these characters. They have all played a huge part in shaping who I am now. Without a doubt, Kan Khajura will be a great show. I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fantastic cast and crew on this show as well. I can’t say too much right now, but I can assure you that this character will be unlike any other I’ve played. So let’s hold off on talking about it until the miracle happens. In conclusion, I consider myself to be an extremely avaricious actor, and the list of roles I would love to portray only continues to grow every day. I enjoy experimenting and going with the flow, and my greatest goal is to consistently be given the opportunity to portray a variety of roles that allow me creative flexibility,” the actor ends the interview on a declarative note.
- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest article