Dhruv's got the talent

"Steadily things fell into place"


How did acting happen?

It's a funny story. My dad is an ad film-maker. A long time back he was making an ad film that had a strong social message. I had gone for the shoot where I was supposed to enact a cross-passer. There Kaushik uncle had seen me for the first time.

My name probably stayed on in his mind. At that time I had my Class X board exams. Before my exams, he called up my dad and asked whether I could audition for a film that he was planning to make. It wasn't possible to appear for the same at that time. After my exams, when I was in Dehradun for a basketball tournament, I got a call back. I couldn't leave my team half-way through the match and was a little sad. But touchwood, the day I returned, the audition was still on. It went well and I was called for a second audition. After that I was shortlisted for a third one. Slowly but steadily things fell into place.

Cinematographer of Apna Asmaan, Barun Mukherjee had shot you earlier as well...

Yes, when I was all of three, my dad needed one clipping of mine to use in an ad. At that time Barun uncle had shot me. It felt great working with him. He has taught me so much!

Were you curious about acting?

I was exposed to acting, thanks to my dad. But I never thought that I would be a hero someday!

And you got to work with veterans like Irrfan Khan and Shobana in your first film...

Never in my dreams I thought of working with such great actors. It was a whole new experience. They are such down-to-earth people and made me feel at home, always. They would give me suggestion on how to better my act and I've grasped as much as I could from them.

Do you have a matinee idol?

There's no one person whom I adore. I like SRK's style of acting and Amitabh Bachchan's personality.

So, are you all set to become a full-time actor?

Not really. I'm studying in Singapore right now and am in Class XII. I need to concentrate on my studies. I'm not too sure what I want to do at this point of time. Let's see what's in store for me.

What if the film turns out to be a damp squib?

I hope it's a commercial success. I live in Singapore and don't have a fair idea of what the Indian audience wants. But the subject is different and it's not a typical Bollywood film. The film is about how parental aspirations can ruin a child's life. It's an eye-opener of sorts, I would say.

Wasn't it difficult playing the 'differently abled'?

Playing the autistic child was difficult. I was turned into jelly when I came to know what my role was like. But the workshop that we had was a saving grace. I was put into a lot of training. Interacting with Kaushik uncle's son, Arko was also a great help. I had to grab his characteristics, how he talks, what sort of questions he asks. I also watched a couple of films where actors had emoted such characters. Watching Leonardo DiCaprio's What's Eating Gilbert Grape ? helped me understand what I was expected to do. Though I was nervous intially, during the shoot it became a second nature to me.

So, loving all the attention?

My friends in Singapore haven't seen the movie yet. But my parents are very happy. They've been truly supportive. So many people have told me that even great actors long for such roles. Hope I haven't disappointed anyone.

How are girls reacting to your new-found star status?

My friends keep telling me jokingly, Kya tu hero ban gaya ? But girls are being normal to me so far.

What's your definition of 'normal'?

I don't know (laughs).
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