Edited by – Robin Bhuyan (Editor in Chief)
Interviewed by – Shashi Salwani
Written by – Aniket Bin
Harsh Singh is an actor who has acted in several well known movies and web series throughout his career such as Kabir Singh, Bandish Bandits and Special Ops 1.5. Most recently, he was seen in Jigra, alongside Alia Bhatt, where he played the role of a cunning and manipulative lawyer. Join us as we chat with Mr Singh, about his journey into the film industry, his journey as an author, and some of his insights regarding the world of entertainment. He also talks about Mehta Boys, his upcoming film with Boman Irani, which is the first movie of Boman Irani as a director and a writer. He also speaks about his experience working with Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who is arguably India’s most controversial film director, since the release of his film Animal.
Tell us about the movie Jigra, your most recent work.
Jigra is an action movie where I worked with Alia Bhatt; the story revolves around Alia Bhatt’s younger brother, played by Vedang Raina. He travels to a fictional country called Hanshi Dao, where his friend gets caught with drugs, but Vedang’s character is framed instead, and is sentenced to death by electrocution, even though he is innocent. The movie is all about how Alia Bhatt’s character fights to save her brother and bring him back. It’s an action-packed film, and Alia’s performance is fantastic!
How exactly did you get involved in this project?
I played a role of a lawyer with mixed intentions. My character is important to the story because I’m the reason Alia’s on-screen brother ends up being sentenced to death.
Looking at Vasan Bala’s previous work, like Marte Dam Tak and others, and Alia Bhatt’s, a very renowned actress, how was your experience working with them?
I didn’t have many moments with Alia Bhatt; I only had one scene throughout the movie. But she was also the producer of Jigra, and she made sure that everyone was taken care of and was really polite with the cast and crew. Talking about Vasan sir, he is very encouraging, and that’s why everyone likes him. Overall, it was a very good atmosphere; Vasan was open to improvisation, and the actors were really happy with him.
Many audiences and critics feel that the movie gets slow in the second half. What’s your opinion on that?
I don’t think the movie is slow as such. It has a Western action movie-like theme, and some characters are introduced emotionally. People usually like movies where the main character faces many obstacles to reach their goal, but I didn’t feel that the movie was slow. Many new actors have been given a chance in the movie, and there are no songs, which adds to the feeling. I do not see it as a fast action movie; too much action might also make the movie boring, so there’s an emotional depth to it because it was needed
Can you say something about your first novel, Ekaki?
I would love to talk about it! So, it’s a story about a 14-year-old girl; it’s a historical novel based in 1932. The story is about a girl named Reeva who starts having visions whenever someone close to her is about to die. So basically, she has some powers—that’s the first thing.
Since it’s based in 1932, there was a place called Chittagong where there was a British club with a sign that said, ‘Dogs and Indians are not allowed.’ On September 24, 1932, an Indian revolutionary group attacked that club, but the attack failed, and the Britishers were safe; one of the revolutionaries died in the process. The story starts with the girl having visions about one of the revolutionaries going to die. She had this vision seven days before the actual event happened, so within those seven days, she gets involved in it, learns about freedom struggles, and discovers what powers she has. Basically it is a historical action thriller.
Can we expect a movie or a web series based on this novel in the future?
I really hope that it comes true, and even one production house has approached me regarding a series based on the novel.
How did you get into acting? How did you start this journey?
I began my career as a Radio Jockey with Radio Mirchi (Mumbai), 98.3 FM. I met a famous director, Padam Singh, at the Thespo festival, where college actors and directors present their plays. The director asked me if I was willing to give an audition and start acting. I said yes, I would love to, as it’s a dream of many Indians. I had spent 13 years in radio, and doing the same thing had become very repetitive for me. I took a break and started learning acting. Then I began getting work, and that’s how things got going for me, and I’m still in the business.
What challenges do actors face in their careers at present?
It depends on the age group; there are a lot of mediums for this type of entertainment. Earlier, we had a few films and a few TV shows, but today there are so many movies and TV shows on various channels, plus OTT platforms with many shows and films too. The challenge for me is in which category I fit and how I can promote my work. As an actor due to my age, I face challenges because most movies are written for younger actors, and the older roles are often played by senior actors who have already made their mark. The more popular one is usually chosen for the role.
Another problem is that the Mumbai film industry is not in a good phase; films are not performing that well, and OTT series are also struggling, so roles are getting limited. After spending so much money, the return on investment is low. Recently, I read in an article that more or less 70 new projects in Bollywood, including films and web series, have been shelved because there’s no money. That’s the challenge for me, how to keep myself relevant in the industry while also getting good projects and earning money from my passion.
Have you ever faced nepotism in your career?
I believe complaining about nepotism is of no use. It’s like complaining about why I’m not six feet tall—if I’m not, I’m not, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If nepotism exists, we can’t do anything about it. Recently, in an interview, Karan Johar said, ‘It’s my own film; I can give a chance to whosoever I want,’ as it’s his decision, which is true as he is the one who is investing his own money. The best thing I can do is find groups that respect my talent or groups that are looking for actors whose paycheck isn’t so high. Then I will most likely get work. I also suggest improving one’s acting skills continuously.
Do you think that, just for the sake of getting a project, actors are not getting the roles they desire?
Except for the top actors, I don’t feel any actor is getting the kind of roles they desire. The problem is that the stories in films and web series these days are not satisfying for most actors. In every story, there’s violence and the use of slang; these things have become normal now. There’s no story about an ordinary people.
I did a web series—I won’t name it—in which I played a role of a person who makes fun of an army man in one scene. Many people started giving me negative feedback, asking why I did such an act. I said the script was like that- what could I do; I got the money, and I did it. Then I realized, was it necessary? Am I not in the position to reject such roles? This is something that is difficult in acting?
You’ve worked in so many films; which film is closest to your heart?
I would say it is an upcoming film named Mehta Boys, directed by Boman Irani, which is his first film as a director and writer. I am very honored and privileged; words cannot justify my feelings about the experience of working with him. I’ve been watching his work for years and have seen his plays like I Am Not Bajirao and Gandhi vs. My Father before he began working on cinema. He is such a talented actor, and this role is very important to me. Getting to work with him has been the best experience of my life.
So, will it be released on OTT or in theatres?
It’s a film that has won an award in Toronto in a film festival. I think it will be released on OTT, but I can’t confirm that. Right now, it’s circulating around many film festivals, and it also won an award in Chicago at a film festival. I’m very excited for people to check it out, and I’m also very happy for Boman.
You worked on Kabir Singh, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who has been involved in many controversies. How was your experience working with him?
I’ll be very honest with you: on the set, he was very kind, professional, and polite while we were working on Kabir Singh. Even though people talked very negatively about Kabir Singh, I feel the arguments were a bit manipulated. We watch so many violent movies, even from Hollywood, from directors like Quentin Tarantino. Take it that way. No one criticizes Tarantino’s movies for being misogynistic. Sandeep sir created a character, Kabir Singh; if you don’t like the character, that’s absolutely okay—it’s your point of view. I think Sandeep sir was kind, courteous, and professional; there was never any yelling or shouting on set.
I do feel that he sometimes says a bit too much when he’s angry, but I actually liked Kabir Singh and Animal. Though I was not in Animal, I really liked that movie; I enjoyed it to be honest. And talking about Ranbir Kapoor, what a performance! What an actor! The intensity he brings is incredible. The movie portrayed him as a crackhead, and playing such a character is not an easy task. He’s done a very good job as an actor. He is one of my favorite actors. I might not agree with his choices regarding his films, but I never feel like his performance he gives is below his 100% potential
If you had the chance to work with Sandeep Reddy Vanga, would you grab that opportunity?
Absolutely. I feel whoever is criticizing him, if he calls them for work, they will most likely jump at the opportunity. Who am I to reject him? There are very few directors whose first two films have become such big hits. These films have enabled so many people to kick-start their careers, like Tripti Dimri and many others. Why wouldn’t any actor want to work with him, as long as they like the role? Why not?
You have also worked with Kay Kay Menon sir in a series named Special Ops 1.5, can you tell us how you got involved in that role?
I gave an audition to get the role, and even though it wasn’t a big role, the scene where I acted went viral. Because of that, many people started recognizing me on the streets. Recently, when I was in Jaipur for a play, someone came up to me and asked, ‘Are you Chautala?’ In addition, it was a wonderful experience working with Neeraj Pandey.
I’ve also done another series with Kay Kay Menon, which will be released on Jio; I don’t know when, though. Kay Kay Menon is a very laid-back person. He always maintains his composure and does his part of the work flawlessly, even while coordinating with 50-60 crew members.
Do you have a favorite director you would like to work with?
I would love to work with Zoya Akhtar. I had some missed opportunities; I couldn’t work with her on Made in Heaven because of a date issue at the last minute. I would also love to work with Rima Kakati. In fact, there was a movie named Honeymoon Travels—have you watched that movie? In the whole movie, a radio jockey is talking in the background, and that was me. I worked with her in the studio for the voicing task, but I would also love to be directed by her. There are many more, like Vasan sir and Sandeep sir.
How do you see the future of A.I. impacting cinema? How do you think this will impact voice artists?
If you are a voice-over artist, then it is a thing to worry about, and those artists are being affected by this because it is an added expense, and any businessman will try to cut this cost. Also, when you’re dubbing an animated film, apart from the voice director and voice artist, there’s a whole team behind this work, and that is all added expense. So why would he not use AI? It is going to be tough for voice artists in the coming years, and their income might also fall. But some people want the human element and quality in your work, so if you can deliver it, you’re good.
Abroad, if you do a TV series or any other series, you will receive royalties, so wherever and whenever that series is being telecasted, you’ll get the royalty. For example, Friends is a show, so whenever an episode is telecasted, the actor gets paid 19-20 million dollars as royalty. They take good care of artists, which is missing in India. We should get together and fight against this. There are a few people in Mumbai who are fighting for this because it’s really not fair. The problem in India is that the industry is not organized. Suppose you’re willing to work as a voice-over artist for ₹10,000, but there’s someone who is more desperate who will work for ₹5,000. So people should be aware of this in the future.
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
Mehta Boys is something I am very proud of, and looking forward to. It should be out soon, in November, there is another web series coming named Freedom at Midnight, and its story is taken from a documentary based on Indian independence and how the Britishers were involved in it.
I’m doing a lot of theatre, and in the coming days, a new show is going to be launched in November named The Curious Incident. One Hindi-Punjabi show of mine called Baaghi Albele has become quite popular; we have done 40 shows and there’s one more show directed by Feroz Abbas Khan called Letters of Suresh, and the movie is very interesting as well. Also, one more web series should be out in November, but I can’t provide much information about that!
Thank you for your time!
You are welcome! Thank you for having me!
