The year was 2021, and the world started taking notice as Adarsh Gourav impressed everyone with his performance in The White Tiger. He shot to fame instantly. Then came his work in Guns & Gulaabs alongside Rajkummar Rao and Dulquer Salmaan; followed by the diametrically modern world of Kho Gaye Hum Kahan with Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi.
The latest buzz about him is all because of the love that Superboys Of Malegaon has been receiving. Directed by Reema Kagti, the film is inspired by the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon and narrates the life of Nasir Shaikh and other amateur filmmakers in the small town of Malegaon.
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In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Adarsh talks about his journey so far and the journey further that he seeks. He has a Telugu debut on the horizon that takes him back to his roots, and his next Hindi project is with Shanaya Kapoor titled Tu Yaa Main. The short teaser earlier this year made everyone sit up and take note.
What Sets Reema Kagti And Zoya Akhtar’s World Of Storytelling Apart
Superboys Of Malegaon marked Adarsh Gourav’s second collaboration with Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, after Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. Adarsh has most definitely been exposed to their innate world of crafting tales interlaced with the creators’ passion.
So, what makes Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti different?
Adarsh says, “They are both very sure of their vision and committed and passionate about what they do. Every single day, I see the same sense of excitement. The attitude is that we are lucky to be here and to be standing and making a film. Let’s then do this to the best of our abilities.”
Adarsh spearheaded Superboys Of Malegaon with the utmost conviction, and it is always the director who brings out the best that an actor has to offer.
Adarsh shares his observation and experience of working with Reema Kagti, “Reema, I can tell you, whenever she has to communicate anything, she’ll always walk up to the actor after a take and speak or whisper something. She would always reassure all of us, all of us actors, and individually come to us and individually give us feedback.”
Rewinding To Guns & Gulaabs And The White Tiger
The White Tiger was an adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s 2008 novel of the same name, and was led by Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao.
From writer-director Ramin Bahrani and executive producers @ava & @priyankachopra here’s your first look at Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummr Rao, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in THE WHITE TIGER coming soon to Netflix globally. pic.twitter.com/pXELzDuTcP
— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) October 15, 2020
Adarsh Gourav played the role of Balram Halwai, who comes from a poverty-stricken village and then uses his sharp wit to escape its throes. In many ways, The White Tiger put Adarsh on the map as he stole the limelight in the film, despite having stars like Rajkummar and Priyanka in it.
The actor agrees, “A film that I feel has set the ball rolling for me professionally was The White Tiger, because that helped more people find out about who I was in that sense, it had reached out and it did well.”
adarsh gourav in guns & gulaabs was one of my most favourite performances on ott this year pic.twitter.com/t0n50WqT76
— getfilmy (@get_filmy) December 12, 2023
Speaking of the impact Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra had on him, Adarsh says, “Raj bhai is incredibly kind and a great actor. I don’t like to talk about personal things publicly, but he’s also been there for my family during hard times and I will always owe that to both Raj bhai and Priyanka. They stood when times were hard.”
Adarsh On The Road To Success: “The Wait Did Not Anger Me, But It Tested My Patience”
Adarsh is refreshingly honest when we broach the topic of getting work and long periods of not having anything in hand.
The actor says, “It doesn’t anger me even when I was jobless for extended periods and there have been lots of different periods, and lots of different times in my life where I’ve not had a gig for months together.”
Adarsh adds, “Yes, it would test my patience; in the sense that I would question a lot of things, but I would still always remind myself that I’m very lucky to have done whatever I’ve done even till that point, even if from that day onwards, I would have never gotten work.”
Adarsh On Working With Shanaya Kapoor In Tu Yaa Main: “Very Chilled And Relaxed, Love The Vibe”
By now, Adarsh has played a fitness trainer in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, a struggling filmmaker in Superboys Of Maleagon, and is all set to essay the character of a small-town social media influencer in Bejoy Nambiar’s Tu Yaa Main.
The eerie first look was unveiled by the makers. Not only did it get fans excited for his next project, it also gave a peek into the surprise package: debutante Shanaya Kapoor.
Adarsh says, “Well, we haven’t started shooting yet. You know, that was just an announcement video that has garnered a lot of attention. I met Shanaya for the first time when we shot together. We’ve met at a couple of parties before that. This is different. But that was the first time that we spent time with each other on set.”
He adds, “We’ll start filming in June. But from whatever time I spent with her, she was very chilled out here. Very relaxed, I loved the vibe.”
Adarsh elaborates on yet another becoming a part of Bejoy Nambiar’s cinematic verse, “There are lots of things about this project and this film which is very alien to me in that sense. But I’m most excited to collaborate with Bejoy. Not only the stories he chooses to tell, but also how he chooses to tell them. I think he’s a very stylistic director.”
Adarsh On His Telugu Debut: “It Is A Full Circle Moment”
As film industries down South shine bright, Adarsh is all set to mark his Telugu debut. He calls it a full circle moment and recalls the richness of going back to his roots.
Adarsh’s Telugu debut, a psychological-horror film, is set for a 2025 release. He has shot 50% of the film in Hyderabad.
He says, “Telugu is my mother tongue. I was born in Jamshedpur, which is in Jharkhand. Then I grew up in Bombay. So, I wasn’t surrounded by a lot of Telugu people. I had a lot of extended family in Jamshedpur, but you know we would meet them once a month for picnics. But yet, on Day 1, on this set, it felt like I knew everybody. There was such a sense of familiarity. It’s been amazing.”
Having seen the highs and lows of stardom, Adarsh has a few non-negligible factors he abides by when choosing a project.
He says, “A good story and a good screenplay are non-negotiable. It has to be something that I am genuinely excited about. The next thing is a good director who can turn a story into something very fascinating and dynamic.”
Adarsh now has a choc-a-block schedule to adhere to. When we ask him about the long run, he merely chuckles and says, “For now, this is what’s bustling. Then let’s see where life takes me, and we’ll again mutter ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan‘ in this beautiful world of cinema.”