A new love story- Amit and Tapsee on Running Shaadi

Amit Sadh and Tapsee Pannu will be seen in Running Shaadi where they exploring a new love story. Both actors have created quite an impact for their previous performances. Directed by debutant Amit Roy, the movie explores the relationships in today’s time.

The movie has hit the cinemas worldwide and as audiences walk-in the theatres for the romantic movie, we caught up with the lead cast to know more about Running Shaadi. The duo talks about their characters and what connected them with characters among other things.

Amit Sadh

Could you identify with the character, how different was he from you?

Everything is different; we are not similar at all.

The world that he comes from is different than mine, but it was that challenge that pushes me to be able to do a part which I don’t connect to. But you always have to find some common ground and for me; it was that I connected with the soul of the character. I think on a soul level we are similar. I don’t want to blow my horn, but I think I am a very dependable, honest and intensely supportive person to my friends, like I can even take a bullet them.

So I think I connected with Ram Bharose on that front. Rest of course, the writers who have written such a good part and my director and then there was Tapsee (Pannu). With the help of everyone and even as you are in the process of making the film you find your character, you make it come alive and that is the challenge for any actor.

I am very proud of my television days; I am here because of that.

How would you describe Ram Bharose, what was about the character that appealed to you?

Ram is a guy who lacks confidence, goes from Patna to Punjab almost like a minority. I think his survival with the limited resources in the limited personality that he has makes him very heroic. I have grown up watching Tom Hanks’ films, if you see; most of his films were about surviving who he was.

Therefore, I have dedicated my characterizations to my fondness to Tom Hanks; I am a huge fan of his.

What aspects or emotion of the film attracted you?

More than anything what attracted me to the film is the truth in these characters. I also like the way our director Amit Roy has shot this film. He has not tried to make this film glamorous; or tried to shoot it with extremely great lighting.

If you see the film, it has a rather under produced tone to it which keeps the movie real. For me I think that is one of the USPs of the film.

Will the audience be able to identify with the film?

I hope they do, it is a very sweet film and this film has a bunch of sweet characters coming together. We have made this film with a certain sur, I just hope the audience catches it and enjoys that sur.

You have worked in television as well, so is there a difference in the way characters are approached?

There is a huge difference, in television you shoot to lighting and the location. In films you don’t do that.

Characters are better fleshed out and there are a great deal of differences. But I am very proud of my television days; I am here because of that.

Tapsee Pannu

How would define your character Nimmi, what was about the character that instantly struck with you?

I was cast for this film because I had to play myself, so it is Tapsee un-plugged on screen.

I think it is the only film where I have portrayed myself therefore; it is as real as it can get. Nimmi is someone who is naïve about lot of things in life, she will do and say things before thinking, she’ll probably be the trouble maker, but very innocently & won’t realise it.

I met the director Amit Roy and 10 minutes into the meeting he handed me the script saying that he would want me to do the part. When I read it, I realised why he was so quick about it. I think it is a blessing when an actor gets to portray a character which is as real as his/her own self.

Is it a challenge to portray yourself on screen?

Not challenging but it’s kind of exploring yourself.

I realised my potential as an actor while doing this film. If I am really uninhibited how much I can do in front of the camera. This film made me fall in love with my job because I truly felt how much fun it is to act. I used to enjoy acting before as well, but this film made me fall in love with my job.

What kind of dynamics do Ram Bharose and Nimmi share?

The biggest dynamic is that the characters are nothing like each other, they are poles apart.

Whatever Nimmi is, Ram is totally opposite. Where Nimmi is super confidence about everything and anything, there Ram is under-confidence. It is the perfect example of how opposite attracts and how sparks fly when these two opposite characters fall in love.

It is quite interesting because it is not the typical ‘you meet and fall in love’ story, it’s a very immature love story, unlike most love stories you have seen till now.

You have played intense as well light characters, how is your approach different for the characters?

I am a director’s actor so I prepare for a film according to what the director wants.

When we are doing reading sessions before we go on the floor I wholly submit myself to the director and go with the mood of the director. I can tell you what I did in workshops and preparation, but I don’t want to take the credit of strategising my approach towards the characters because I just go with what my directors tell me.

I realised my potential as an actor while doing this film.

Was there any aspect of the film that you found extremely challenging?

It’s based on myself so it wasn’t very difficult to do this role, but I would like to say that it is strange that we don’t believe that a person is performing or acting well until and unless that person either does some high-octave drama or sheds tears or gives some heavy dialogues.

People don’t realise how difficult it is to just be normal in front of the camera.

When you get good big dialogues then the dialogues are doing their job, half the job is done there and if you want to get people emotional it just takes a glycerin. With not doing much and making the audience feel connected to you that is difficult.

It is difficult to act in these kinds of films which are just a slice of life where you don’t have the support of big dialogues or glycerin to cry, you just have to be normal and connect to the audience.