Actor Saurabh Sachdeva rose to fame after playing the role of Suleiman Isa in Sacred Games, is currently having the busiest year with back-to-back projects like Haadi, Kaala, and Bambai Meri Jaan. He was last seen in Sujoy Ghosh's Jaane Jaan where he played Kareena Kapoor Khan’s onscreen husband. In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, he expressed his excitement about his latest releases and more.
Apart from being an actor, Saurabh is also an acting coach. When asked what is more challenging, acting or teaching, he explains, “Now it is acting. Teaching comes naturally to me. Every time a new character is made there are new teams that are not in my control. Meeting them for the first time and connecting with them makes it quite difficult.”
In terms of Jaane Jaan, Saurabh says, the team comprising of director Sujoy Ghosh, Kareena, Jaideep Alhawat, and Vijay Varma was good. “The story was right for me, and I thought this was the character I should play. Initially, I was a little scared of the values of the character, but then I thought, 'Let me go ahead and do it’,” he avers.
Saurabh states that Kareena is very open and free. He elaborates, “She gave me space because there are scenes where I go close to her and I'm also dominating. I need to be that violent. She said that's the demand of the writing and the character, so we should play like that. We were very comfortable.”
Speaking about his role as Haji in Bambai Meri Jaan, the actor says, “The preparation was majorly the bodywork, which we all wanted; he should be very stoic, straight, and aristocratic. It was difficult for me because I'm fickle and I move a lot in my behaviour, but he (director Shujaat Saudagar) wanted me to be straight. And so it was his vision that I had to bring to the screen, and thank God he was there to support me.”
Saurabh reunited with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Haddi. Sharing his experience he says, “It is always fun. I just connect and vibrate with him immediately. Something about his craft, which I feel is mine, feels like we have been born in different places, but we live the same kind of life. I really love Nawaz.”
Saurabh will next be seen in Animal starring Ranbir Kapoor. On his observations about the latter’s acting skills, he says, “Ranbir learned to do acting on the playground. His observation power is very high, and he can immediately grasp and create things and create things. He is very impulsive, a very physical actor, and I really like that.”
“Ranbir doesn't overthink and just immediately does what he has to and brings life to the scene,” he concludes.