It's not just TV anymore. Gaurav Chopra is on the move. The actor Indian households know as the Aisa Desh Hai Mera hero is all set to move beyond the small screen, and how! The actor makes an appearance in forthcoming Hollywood film Blood Diamond opposite big-ticket stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. Patcy N caught up with the actor, who relives his memorable Hollywood experience. Here are some excerpts:
How did you get into Blood Diamond?
I was in South Africa doing a musical stage play, Bombay Crush. It got lots of rave reviews and media coverage. Director Bruce Lee told one of the production people she was very impressed with my play and that she wanted to meet me. People had told me she was very choosy and selected one actor a year, and sometimes not even that. When I met her, she asked me how I would work with her while being in India. I told her, 'Give me an excuse and I will be back.'
So when did you get a call from them confirming your role?
Blood Diamond was the excuse. Ten days after I returned to India, I received a call from Lee. She was sitting with (the film's director) Edward Zwick, who wanted me on the project to play the role of a French journalist. When I asked her how I would play a French journalist, Lee said she'd shown him an interview of mine, which he liked so much that he was going to change the role to that of an Indian journalist.
This was a big thing for me. For them, everything, including the script, is planned, and to change something like this is a big thing for an actor. I don't really know what he saw in the interview that impressed him.
What was the interview about?
Predominantly about Bollywood, and Indian television. I was very animatedly trying to sell India to the whole world, saying how good Bollywood was, the kind of work that happened in television and other things. I feel that when you go to another country, you have to be your country's brand ambassador. I must have done something good in the interview.
But then Lee pointed out a problem. She said Edward felt that I was too good looking for the role. I told her I liked that problem and wanted it to be there for the rest of my life.
How was the comfort level in working on a film of that size?
After that conversation, I went to Mozambique. All through the conversation I knew I was just doing a ten-minute role. The attractive bit was that Edward was calling me. Edward is a really warm and friendly kind of a person. He is brilliant at his work. He is very spontaneous and very easy. I would forget sometimes that I am somebody from India doing a small role. I would actually be comfortable enough to say 'can we do this like this' or 'do you think that this scene should be like this.'
He would listen and sometimes even agree and change the whole structure, which was fantastic. The other exciting bit was that my role was directly with the protagonist, which is always a big thing. If you are doing a small role and it is in some other part of the film, it gets lost but if it is with the main story and that too with the protagonist, then it's great.
How is the ambience and work atmosphere on the sets?
Blood Diamond is a multi-million dollar film. Yet on the sets there is no small or new actor. Everyone is treated equally. Everyone is a big and experienced actor, because they believe that in a big film you cannot have bad actors.
They select actors only when they suit a role, when you fit that part. Even for a small role, they pay you well. They put you up in the best production facility. The cast comprised of those from stage, theatre, advertising, film and television backgrounds.
Here in India, we have a different mindset. We start to equate the length of the role to how important or big a star you are. Often in Hollywood, you wonder why big stars did small roles in films. But that is because those roles suit them and they like to be part of big movies and directors. They must be getting paid the same.
I was paid well and apart from that I had a trailer van not different from what others had. It's not bad to have your van with your name and label next to Leonardo DiCaprio's van.
What is Blood Diamond about?
Blood Diamond is set around the Sierra Leone civil war. There are three protagonists in the film -- Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. Leonardo plays a South African, Djimon plays a local, and Jennifer plays an American journalist. The movie is about a diamond, but is still a human film. And it deals more with the emotional and social aspects.
What is your role in the film?
I am on a bus with a few other journalists, and I'm the only one who realises that the protagonists have entered the bus and are pretending to be journalists. After knowing the fact my character ignores it, thinking they are probably trying to save their skin. There is a sequence of conversation between me and the protoganist. But I'm not too sure if most of the things are there in the final cut or not because the conversations were about an attack on the bus in which we were travelling. But that attack has been cut from the movie now. That is why I am not sure whether they will keep the conversation. They thought of editing the attack scene because the film probably got too violent. And now I am actually not sure how much of my part is in the film.
How was it working with Edward Zwick?
When I saw Edward Zwick on the sets for the first time, he left his chair and walked up to me to greet me. Edward told me many times that he was apologetic to have called me for a small role like this, and that I deserved a lot better. After my role was over we had a two-hour meeting, where he continuously maintained that he was grateful that I came all the way from India just to do a small role for him. He doesn't have to do that, at least for an Indian actor who does television in India. And just because of such human personal moments, if anyone would say that even most of my role has been cut whether I would do it again if I had another chance, my answer would be yes.
What was the shooting schedule like?
I shot for this movie in May and June 2006. I went thrice for about 15-17 days. It is just that some of the stuff did not make it to the final cut. So people will not understand -- they will think I am harping about my role. We shot mostly in Mozambique. But I personally feel that because I went there, I have some other offers coming up as well.
What were your interactions like with Leonardo and Jennifer?
How can I not interact with them? I was shooting with them. They were very curious to know about me; they were very down to earth and very friendly. You forget that that person standing in front of you is Leonardo DiCaprio. Post-Titanic, I don't think there will be anyone in any country who doesn't know him. These guys don't have the same kind of starry airs we have in Bollywood.
Jennifer was extremely curious about astrology, horoscope, gemstones, India, Bollywood. Leonardo was keener to learn about how our films work and why they had songs in them. I explained to him and got him quite enticed.
Do you have any other overseas offers?
There is something being worked out. I had certain meetings while I was going back to shoot Blood Diamond. So that shoot will start in June and final signings should happen in March.
What are the serials you are doing right now?
I have just finished Aisa Desh Hai Mera in December and before I jump into anything, I have taken a New Year break. There are a couple of things that came my way that are very interesting, but I have not decided on any.
Any offers in Bollywood or Regional movies?
In Bollywood, it takes a bit of an effort for you to get classified as a television actor. I am ready to take a jump now. I did diverse kind of work in 2006 like stage musicals, Hollywood and a small role in a bad spoof called Ghoom. I have an offer in a Telegu film, which will finalise in a week's time.
How was the Nach Baliye experience?
In Nach Baliye 2, we were eliminated in the third round. We came back as a wildcard entry. We got a lot of attention, plus controversy. We again came back for the finale performance. People did say that we deserved to be in finals. Through Nach Baliye people got to know the real Gaurav and the real Narayani (Shastri, his partner) because in serials, people know you as the character that you play. Something like this raises your personal TRP with the audience. I have no regrets about the show.
