After his well appreciated Bollywood debut as an introverted hot-tempered lawyer in Sanam Teri Kasam earlier this year, Harshvardhan Rane is back again.
He is playing a small town boy in Satrah Ko Shadi Hai, which is produced by John Abraham’s JA Entertainment. The 32-year-old actor, who has also landed himself a role in Bejoy Nambiar’s upcoming film, still remembers his time of struggle, when he ran away from his home in Gwalior at the age of 16 to make a living in Delhi. “As a kid, the only thing I understood was to be honest to myself and not pander to social expectations,” Rane shares. It is only when he joined Barry John’s acting classes in Mumbai (2007) that his life got a sense of direction. His career took off with a role in the tele-serial, Left Right Left (2008), and then he went on to do a Telugu film, Thakita Thakita, two years later.
Character sketching
Rane totally believes in his directors but has a unique way of getting into his character. He writes a backstory for each scene or role that he plays.
“I even wrote a backstory for a scene from Sanam Teri Kasam where I feed a cat. For Satrah Ko Shadi Hai, I have tried to imitate a school friend of mine, Umesh, a sweet and helpful guy,” Rane explains.
The actor who practises martial arts like Tai Chi and kickboxing, refused a negative role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, though he clarifies that he might still consider dark roles in the future.“I don’t have a list of what I would like to do. I want to play roles that people want me to do,” Rane says.
Off screen
Though ripped and fit in Sanam Teri Kasam, he says, “I am not a very big fan of gym. I just go there to follow diets because of my profession. Otherwise you will find me eating all the time.” Talking about his recent favourite movie, Udta Punjab, he says, “Every character in that movie stood out; it portrayed the young generation in the truest way possible.”
Deeply attached to his jeep, named Jango, Rane likes to travel and camp to unwind. “The vehicle is my only family member, and I take her everywhere,” concludes the actor, who hopes to work with directors like Anurag Kashyap and Sanjay Leela Bhansali soon.
Satrah Ko Shadi Hai will release later this year.