Good TRPs give a kick to an actor: Gautam Rode

Talented and good looking actor Gautam Rode is all set with his upcoming and much talked about show Mahakumbh (Arvind Babbal) on Life OK, which will go on air from 15 December.

In the show Gautam is essaying the role of Rudra, a rough and tough guy, who possesses certain powers.

Gautam got all candid during the interaction session and talked about his new show.

How did you bag the role?

Well, initially Arvind ji (Babbal) approached me with this project one and a half year ago. But at that time I was busy with Saraswatichandra so could not take it up. As soon as I completed Saraswatichandra Arvind ji again asked me and I could not say no to him.

Tell us more about your character…

My character Rudra is not a superhero; he is a common man who stands out from the crowd. He parted from his father in Mahakumbh mela and has been brought up by Maii-Muii (Seema Biswas), his foster mother. Brought up in the cremation ground and ghats of Varanasi, he is very rough and rugged. He has spent his childhood in a rough circumstance for which he has developed an animal instinct.

How you prepared yourself for this role?

This role needed both physical and mental preparation. Just after I completed my previous show Saraswatichandra I went for a holiday for three days. That holiday was just for mental preparation that I needed to do this role. During that time I got tanned so that my skin tone compliments my look. Then during all the meetings with Arvind ji I use to take notes about my character. Then I had to lose weight for the role and also learnt swimming and I also worked on my body.

How was your experience shooting in Varanasi?

A major portion of the show was shot in Varanasi. It was very hectic and difficult. We use to wake up early around 4 in the morning and hit the shooting floors and used to come back around 8.30 in the night. Then I use to hit the gym. I had to be careful about my physique. Moreover the temperature during that time was around 44 degree centigrade. But due to this shooting I visited almost all the ghats of Varanasi and also went to BHU campus.

Do you think looks are important for a role?

For any role an actor’s look should compliment his character, but I believe performance is equally important. I believe that the intensity that was needed for my character can never be portrayed properly only with the looks. If physical aspect is about 20% of the role then remaining 80% is about performance.

How was your experience working with National Award winning actress Seema Biswas?

Working with her was definitely a wonderful experience. She was never satisfied with her performance. After every shot she used to feel that it was not up to the mark and used to ask us how her performance was. For the first few time we thought she was joking with us as we found her to be too good. Then gradually we realized that it was her natural craving to deliver a better performance.

How was your relation with Sidhharth Nigam?

Oh my god, he is simply excellent. The best part about him is that though he is a National level gymnast he is very much grounded and for this behavior of him I will credit his parents. I never realized what he can actually do until I saw his video and after watching that I was left speechless.

Does TRPs matter to you?

I am not very much concerned about TRPs to be honest. But, I will definitely admit that good TRPs give a kick to an actor. Once I see that my serial is doing well then I feel encouraged and try to do even better. For me TRPs are restricted to that only.

Lastly, how far your character Rudra is similar or different from you?

Rudra and Gautam are absolutely opposite in nature. Rudra is very much rough, rugged and quite, while I am very much fun loving and mastikhor in personal life. So, you can say that they are polar opposites.

We wish Gautam all the best for his upcoming show.