From Blood Diamond To Bachchhan Paandey, Rana Naidu & Gadar 2: Gaurav Chopraa's Versatility Over The Years
Gaurav Chopraa is someone who's always had the ability and potential to win hearts effortlessly. The last few years have been simply phenomenal for Gaurav in every possible way and no wonder, anything and everything that he has attempted professionally has worked wonders for him. While talent and potential was never a matter of doubt for Gaurav, over the years, his ability to pick the right roles has helped him immensely and how.
Well, if we talk about versatility, he became the talk of the country in 2006 itself when he worked in Blood Diamond alongside Hollywood superstar Leonardo Di Caprio. Gaurav got an opportunity to be a part of this project at a time when even the legendary late Irrfan Khan and Priyanka Chopra weren't a part of Hollywood and that's true commendable. While everyone knows about his performance in Blood Diamond, not many perhaps know the story behind how he bagged the project. Gaurav says,
"It
was
around
2005-2006
when
I
had
just
become
a
star
in
Indian
TV.
After
3
successful
shows,
I
decided
to
be
in
Broadway
in
South
Africa.
I
remember
a
lot
of
people
told
me
that
I
have
become
a
star
here
now
and
why
am
I
doing
this.
Many
thought
it
was
a
bonkers
decision.
However,
I
wanted
to
experiment
and
take
gamble
in
order
to
realize
my
true
potential.
What
happened
next
was
beautiful
and
I
am
thankful
to
God.
I
got
Blood
Diamond
only
because
I
chose
to
go
to
South
Africa
for
Broadway
theatre.
Now
imagine,
if
I
wouldn't
have
gone
fearing
the
risk,
I
don't
think
I
would
have
got
the
opportunity
to
shoot
17
days
with
Leonardo
Di
Caprio
for
a
blockbuster
project
like
this.
So,
in
a
way,
I
have
never
shied
away
from
taking
risks
and
because
the
risks
have
paid
me
rich
dividends
and
success,
the
confidence
to
take
risks
and
gambles
only
increased
for
me
as
my
career
progressed.
After
I
returned
to
India,
many
people
criticized
my
decision
to
be
back
in
Indian
TV.
Many
felt
it
was
a
horrible
decision
to
be
back
on
Indian
TV
after
shooting
with
Leonardo
DiCaprio
for
an
International
project.
But
again,
I
decided
to
listen
to
my
gut
feeling
and
that's
when
I
decided
to
do
Nach
Baliye.
So,
like
I
said,
I
have
only
listened
to
my
gut
feeling
and
have
never
shied
away
from
experimentation."
If one takes a close look at his career trajectory post the Covid-19 pandemic, his versatility is genuinely inspiring in the true sense of the term. It can genuinely be referred to as a second innings for his career. It all started with Bachchhan Paandey where he played a small-town street thug from Rajasthan. Next, in Rana Naidu, his versatility touched many hearts and his character of Prince even fetched him two special awards. And, just when many thought Gaurav wouldn't surprise them anymore, he was back with a bang in Gadar 2 where he played the role of an army officer from 1971.
Regarding the versatile roles and performances as a performing artiste over the years, Gaurav comments,
"The biggest challenge as an actor is to constantly evolve yourself in order to play different characters. I don't think you are really acting if you get repetitive about the same kind of roles. As an actor, you want thrill and excitement and only playing different characters can give us that thrill. Like I said earlier, I have never been scared to experiment. A lot of people call me versatile for pulling off diverse roles. However, what not many realize is the gamble and risk that's involved in the process. Once you get accepted for something and get loud cheers for the same, it takes a lot of guts and courage to quit your comfort zone to start something totally fresh. It might be better or it might be worse. None the less, there's always a risk which is hard to take. Let's take a look at Rana Naidu for example. There were many 'uncomfortable' scenes which many actors refused to do. However, I was up for the challenge. Be it the sexual scenes or abuses, I knew it is going to be a big risk for me given the kind of image I have had onscreen over the years. However, it was a gamble worth taking again and guess what? It fetched me 2 special awards. I truly believe from my real-life experiences that 'Darr ke aage jeet hai'. I call the phase post Covid-19 pandemic as the second innings of my career. I was very clear about the fact that I wanted to do different kinds of roles that would challenge me. All my characters in the recent past have involved a tremendous amount of research and preparation which has eventually helped me do justice to the characters on-screen. For me, I have set no limits for myself and I want to go all guns blazing when it comes to doing more versatile roles going forward. I am motivated like never before. I want to do more quality films and I want to play impactful characters. I also want to be a part of more International films going forward and expand my audience and horizon as an actor. Thanks to my fans and the audience for keeping their faith in me. I truly feel blessed."
Well, right from Blood Diamond till Gadar 2, the variation that Gaurav has shown onscreen is phenomenal and truly inspiring for young gen-z actors who are sometimes scared to experiment. Yes, there's risk but if you work hard and take smart decisions, the risks are indeed rewarding, just as they have been in Gaurav's case. Speaking of risks, it will be interesting to see what will be Gaurav's next move as an actor and how he plans to surprise his audience and fans yet again in a new way. Till the time comes, all we can do is play the waiting game. Stay tuned for more updates.