Taking into consideration his seven-year acting journey with stints in both theatre and cinema, actor Rohan Verma gives a rather insightful answer when asked if his being regarded as a good performer is what drives him forward. "More than just a performer, I want to do everything that comes under the wide umbrella of storytelling. Being a storyteller is all that matters," says the actor.
Rohan's recent testimony to his unwavering and ascending passion for storytelling was seen in Jio Cinemas' latest series, Kaalkoot, headlined by Vijay Verma. The series is as much about Vijay's Ravi Shankar Tripathi as it is about Rohan's Maanav Gupta. And like the parables, which dwell into moral lessons at the end, Rohan believes playing Manaav was an eye-opener to the personal, professional, artistic, and, more precisely, the human in him.
Marking Kaalkoot as a milestone in his career, in this conversation with CE, Rohan Verma speaks about his journey in the series, aspirations and much more.
Excerpts:
Kaalkoot has you play a rather interesting and layered character. How did it all fall into place?
I remember I was shooting for Bhaukaal 2 when I got the audition script for Kaalkoot. I could make sense that it's a beautifully written show. The dialogue and screenplay are multi-faceted, creating an authentic world for the viewer. I could also sense that the writers are striving to tell a meaningful story stemming from a place of honesty. And when I went for the audition, I got a picture of a mysterious guy. Whoever portrays him will have an outer layer of what he presents and a deeper layer of what he conceals. And that dichotomy fascinated me, and I was eager to explore it further. I am glad that the audience has received the series and my exploration well. It is assuring to see them pinpoint and appreciate each aspect of not just my portrayal but also the series as a whole.
How was the process of getting into the character's skin, particularly since you described them as having many layers?
I was intrigued to explore the duality of the character. I worked with an acting coach called Daminee Benny Basu, who works with the Eric Morris system. And through that process, it was very uncomfortable, in a sense, to stay with that kind of complexity and duality. This is something we do as actors. However, the process will make you realise that being human is itself very layered. It is easy to blame others for toxic masculinity. But none of us are devoid of these traits. Are we? I wanted to find that part of me. And to explore that part within myself and accept that it is uncomfortable. But in doing that, you don't see every other person as a villain. You see them as a problem that we all are collectively facing. And you find a solution through your own self, which for me was a very healing experience. This character was like an exploration of my own shadow.
So the process resulted in intertwining the reel and real personas and the exploration of a new self. How much of it was you, and how much of it was the writing?
Profoundness of the writing, yes. Sumith Saxena's writing forced us to reflect on ourselves. So an obviousness is that this character has opened up a new me in me both artistically and personally. When you're working on a script like this, where you don't have to show emotion, you don't have to really perform. It's about allowing something that really happened at that moment. I always wished to get a character with many shades, allowing me to explore what it is to be human and what all human complexities are. In theatre, we get to do that as part of scripts penned by great masters. But it is scarce to come across such a strong script in this medium, especially when you're just setting out as an actor.
Since you mentioned your background in theatre, do you spot any intersection between the grammar of that medium and films?
In fact, this has also been my investigation for the last seven-eight years. There is definitely an optimisation of performance that is needed as both are two different mediums. But I think the intersecting point is both are looking for the truth. That happens with any art form. We are all striving to uncover the truth in our own unique ways.
You worked with Vijay Verma, one of the striking actors of this generation, who has been carving a niche for himself...
When you work with an actor like Vijay sir, he listens with so much intent. He listens as if this moment is sacred. When you get to work with an actor like that, you really get to explore yourself as an actor much better. So it definitely affected my performance. These are the kind of stories I want to work with. These are the kind of actors I want to work with. And such occurrences give me hope, resilience and dreams.
Where do you wish that your hope, resilience, and dreams take you in your career?
When I first began my career as an actor, I had a narrow view of what made a hero - someone who could dance and be adored by others. However, as I've gained more life experience and acting experience, I've come to realise that the stories that truly resonate with people are the ones that have a deeper meaning and can shift their perspectives. I don't want people to simply admire me and strive to be like me. Instead, I aspire to be an actor who can touch people's hearts and remind them of our shared humanity.
My aspiration and aim is to be a global storyteller. I want to be able to do projects from around the world. I think it is very much possible with the OTT boom. And when the name is viable enough for it to be sold and I can bag projects, I hope to serve better stories and collaborate with more talented people.
