Gurmeet Choudhary: I Wouldn’t Mind Aging Or Putting On Weight For A Film

The ‘Wajah Tum Ho’ actor indulges in some candid talk with us about his female fan following, why he shied away from choosing a run-off-the-mill Bollywood debut and much more.

By Madhuri

As I entered the swanky cabin in the T-Series' office, several questions arose in my mind. I was here for a quick chat with one of TV's hottest stars, Gurmeet Choudhary. Considering how hectic film promotions turn out to be and my interview being lined up as the last one for that day, I wondered if he will be patient enough to lend me an ear.

However, all my doubts were put to rest when I was greeted with a smiling face followed by a holds no barred conversation. Mid-way I couldn't resist myself from telling him that my mother is a huge fan of his to which he sheepishly quipped, 'Aww...say hi to her'.

Yes, that's Gurmeet Choudhary for you who believes that he is what he is today because of his fans and how Yash Chopra advised him to dabble with TV when he wasn't keen to explore that medium.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Filmibeat...

Q. Tell us something about your role in Wajah Tum Ho.

A. It's a very interesting one since I am playing a lawyer for the first time. I love taking up challenges. In fact, when I started my career on television with a mythological show called Ramayan, everyone advised me against it. People were like you might get typecast if the show turns out to be a hit. But I was adamant that I would play Ram since I was in no mood to do those regular saas-bahu shows. I wasn't concerned about the success of the show but at least people would notice my role. Luckily, the show was a huge hit. So, I am never scared of experimenting new things.

I like to take up challenges and prove them with my hard work. I believe in doing hard work and giving it my best shot. Of course, luck has also worked in my favour. See, when you do a film, everyone from the producer to the director start judging you from the first day whereas on TV, you can bank upon many episodes to win over the audience. While, doing this film I got some time to prep up for my character which is not the case while doing TV shows.

Q. Speaking about challenges, it is also tough to be a part of an ensemble film to make sure that your role stands out from the rest and people pay attention to it...

A. I don't think about these things much. My job is to make sure that I do my work well. I have learnt in the initial stage of my career that a film is a team effort. If an actor starts thinking about himself on an individual basis then things will go wrong. I am still not at that stage where I can be a selfish actor.
We all have worked hard for Wajah Tum Ho. Vishal (Pandya) is a very talented director and has two hit films to his credit. Hate Story 2 and 3 might be labelled as erotic films but they had strong content. If you want to watch erotic stuff, you could just google it up. But, because these films were backed with good content, people watched it and made them work at the box office. So, this time too he was sure that Wajah Tum Ho would be a content-driven film.

For me, songs are also very important. It might sound a bit weird but anybody can easily tempt me into doing a film by saying, Gurmeet, you have just two scenes in a film but there will be five songs picturized on you. Trust me, I will end up doing that film. (laughs). See, songs have a huge impact in real life. It keeps an actor alive in people's memories for a long time. I have been very lucky that the songs from my last film Khamoshiyaan are still popular with the crowd even today.

Q. You played positive characters on television. But, when you ventured into Bollywood you chose to take up roles with grey shades to it. Was it a conscious move?

A. These days in every debutantes' launch pad you will see him ride bikes, romancing through songs...I was bored with these same things. Why should I do them then? I feel the best quality in me is that I fear nothing because I have struggled my way from down to where I am today.

I hail from an army background. After passing my 12th standard exams, I straight away landed in Mumbai to try my luck in acting. Over the years, I have seen enough fame and money during my television stint. I am not doing films for achieving these things so I want to do something different on the big screen.

Doing Khamoshiyaan was a very calculated step for me because I wanted to do something very hatke. Though the film didn't work well, I feel it was a huge hit for me as it gave me an entry in Bollywood and Vishal picked me up for doing Wajah Tum Ho after watching my work in that film and TV shows.

Q. Do you think that things would have been different today, if Khamoshiyaan had worked at the box office?

A. Well, I have a different take on that. Like I told you before, Khamoshiyaan did a lot for me. I wanted to do a film since a long time. Before, people used to tell me that you did hit TV shows, won a dance-based reality show, why ain't you doing films? Arey boss, nobody was offering me films until then. I couldn't sit idle so I continued doing television. Today, I do receive scripts and I have the option of saying no if I don't like them. I wouldn't have reached this stage without Khamoshiyaan. I have bagged Wajah Tum Ho only because of that film.

Of course, if Khamoshiyaan had worked then maybe my waiting period of doing a film might have reduced from eight to four months. But I am very happy with whatever I achieved.

Q. The television scenario is changing today with the arrival of Netflix and short episodic series. Would you return on the small screen if something excites you?

A. I always wanted to be a film actor and was one of those who never wanted to do television. Luckily, I got a chance to meet Yash Chopraji. He advised me that I should do TV shows and there will come a time where I will get a film of my choice. It turned out to be true. Mukesh Bhatt's wife saw my work on television and suggested him to launch me in Bollywood with Khamoshiyaan.

I was one of the highest paid TV actors. Even today, the makers approach me for roles of 'angry young man' in romantic shows. Touchwood. All of my three TV shows were highly popular. People consider me lucky in television industry. I have an unsaid connection with the audience there. So, it would be very wrong of me to say that I don't want to do TV shows.

I remember when I signed Khamoshiyaan, the very next day I was shooting for a television award function and then I was performing a dance act on another show. Of course, I wasn't doing daily soaps because then I would have to shoot for it throughout the year. But I don't mind doing TV series because I know that the medium has grown very big today.

Q. Since you were a popular name on the small screen, doesn't that add more pressure on you when it comes to films to live up to people's expectations?

A. In fact, it's the opposite. It gives the producer and director some kind of confidence that at least he isn't a total newcomer since things get very difficult when you have to launch a fresh face. These days, television is such a medium that it helps you in gaining instant recognition. So, when a director or producer decides to make a film with a TV actor, it becomes easier for him to bring in a known face within a limited budget. These days, the TV actors have a huge fan following.

Sushant Singh Rajput's success in Bollywood has boosted our confidence level today. I would like to thank him for that. So, there isn't any pressure of sorts when it comes to doing films. On the other hand, you know that you have your fans rooting for you.

Q. Gurmeet, post playing Lord Ram on the silver screen, were you ever sceptical about how the audience would perceive your upcoming work considering there is always a fear about getting stereotyped after taking up a mythological role?

A. I am very lucky yaar that I never got type casted. I think you should plan your work to succeed in the industry. I had planned my career. I did Ramayan, followed by a reality show to make sure that people get to know the 'real' and fun-loving side of Gurmeet Choudhary. Cut to I did 'Geet Hui Sabse Paraayi' which turned out to be a bigger hit than Ramayan and then 'Punar Vivaah' and one more reality show.

I still remember it was 12th October 2007 when I started making plans about getting into films and eventually bagged one in 2015. So, I have this entire plan in my phone where I have noted down about what I want to do next in life. It gives me confidence and motivates me. This is one of the reasons why I never feared of getting typecast. (laughs)

Q. You broke several hearts when you tied the knot with Debina...so how do you handle all this female attention now?

A. I will tell you one trick. You become even more desirable and attractive after marriage. Take for example Shahrukh Khan. Even after his marriage, he still continues to make the ladies go weak in their knees and gives them romantic goals. Of course, I didn't get married for that trick. (laughs) Many TV actors hide their marital status so that it doesn't affect their popularity but I never did that. My life begins and ends with Debina. She has stood with me in all my ups and downs and my fans love and respect that.

In fact, I keep telling many of my friends from television industry to take the plunge but they don't listen to me. (laughs)

Q. Which is your craziest fan moment that you remember?

A. A lot of them. Some have tattooed my character names, there were a few who expressed their desire to marry me. However, I remember this particular scary incident who shook me to the core after which I tend to be a little careful.

There was this 80-year-old lady from Punjab who saw her son in me after he perished in a bomb blast.She had my posters all over the walls in her house ala Darr style. She would keep a pooja on my birthday every year. When I got married, she even turned up at my building. Since I believe in respecting elders, I still remember she stayed with us at our place for a few days.

Later, I realized that she had even transferred her property i.e a bungalow in Chandigarh in my name which I refused to take and said that her blessings were enough for me. But, I was still in touch with her. Like you know that an actor has a quite busy schedule and there were times when I couldn't take up her calls.

One day, I received many calls from her number. I was in Goa at that time and couldn't answer the call. When I reached back in Mumbai, I received a call from one of her family members and learnt that she had passed away. I was shocked to discover that she had met with an accident and fallen into coma before succumbing to it. When they were admitting her in the hospital just after the accident, all she was doing was uttering 'Gurmeet, Gurmeet'. The doctor asked them to call up that person so that maybe she would get well. That's when I realized why they had been calling me up when I was in Goa.

Even today, that incident leaves me numb and somewhere I regret not taking up that call thinking that maybe she could have survived had I spoken to her.

I keep all my fans close to my heart and this incident completely shook me up. So, now I try to be a little careful.

Q. You are known to be a fitness freak. So how important is that in an actor's life in todays' times?

A. It's very important. Fitness is not about showing your eight packs and biceps. These may be an add-on. Being fit is important not just for an actor but for everyone. If you take out some time for exercise, you will notice changes in your life. You will start having a positive attitude towards life and start enjoying your work.

For me, diet and fitness is everything. It's like brushing your teeth. I make sure to hit the gym irrespective of my mood. I go to bed early and wake up at 5 am in the morning.

Q. What's next in the pipeline?

A. I had read two scripts and signed one of them on which I will start working soon.

Q. Lastly, what kind of roles are you eyeing for?

A. I would like to do something on the lines of Aamir Khan's Dangal. I like prepping up for roles. I don't mind if the film requires me to don an old look or put on weight. People feel that Gurmeet has a good physique, he will romance his leading ladies. But, I want to be more than just that.

Read more about: gurmeet choudhary wajah tum ho

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