Pratik Gandhi would often be told that no Gujarati has ever made it to Bollywood as a hero, so why should he be any different? But Pratik, in his own words, is taking "small steady steps because God hasn’t made an escalator for him".
Pratik, who plays Harshad Mehta in the SonyLIV OTT series Scam 1992, has something in common with the Bull of Dalal Street. Both attained meteoric rise - one by simply being Harshad Mehta, and the other by playing him on screen.
The actor, who began his journey from Gujarati theatre, says a lot of doors have opened up for him in Bollywood post his Dalal Street turn. "This year is going to be an exciting one. You will find me busy with both OTT and films," he says.
This Surat-born actor with a Chemical Engineering degree to boot is now all set to star in the romantic-comedy, Atithi Bhooto Bhava, co-starring yesteryear star Jackie Shroff.
Besides, Pratik will also be seen in Ravan Leela and a yet-to-be-titled web series starring Richa Chadha and to be helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. It is said to be an onscreen adaptation of Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup. "I think I am living a dream. I was meant to get here. I have an interesting array of roles now and I’m taking small steps towards my goal, learning all the way," says Gandhi.
Scam 1992 may have made Gandhi a sought-after actor in Bollywood, but he knows where his heart lies. After flooring all with his acting abilities, he was back to his old love - theatre - playing the role of Mahatma Gandhi, no less.
Theatre, he says, is something he cannot forgo. "I will continue theatre as and when I get time. I started acting on stage when I was just nine. The initial encouragement I owe completely to my school. My family is also into performing arts, for us art is spirituality," says the actor who grew up listening to haveli sangeet and kirtans and is quite adept at playing the tabla.
It was his parents' support that encouraged him to explore acting. "They have been very supportive of our creative pursuits. When my brother wanted to learn Bharatnatyam, they did not hesitate to look for a teacher for him," he says, remembering how his father would advise him to chase his dreams, and not money.
Gandhi believes that his perception of life changed after he played Harshad Mehta. "I realised that chasing your dreams is good but when you go overboard it does you no good," he says wisely. All the same, he had to humanise the deeply flawed character and also learn the stock market language in order to appear more authentic. "It was like going to school all over," smiles Gandhi, who has been acting in theatre for over a decade.
During a recent TEDx talk, he candidly admitted that he has a 'multiple passion disorder' - he is deeply passionate about everything that he sees and comes across. So much so that his passion always makes him want to invest fully in what is happening, according to the actor who also worked as a salesman for a year.
For someone who has not really been a film-going person, Pratik says he enjoys the community watching experience of theatre. And the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown made him miss it even more. "Fortunately theatres are slowly opening now. I performed one of my plays at Prithvi Theatre and at the NCPA recently. Another project I am very excited about is Saat Tari Akvees. I have seven different monologues in it," he says.
In fact, he believes that because of his theatre practice, it is easier for him to get into the skin of a character, and easier to step out of it the moment the director says ‘cut’. Right now, it’s all ‘action’.