Sushant Singh, a film and television actor and also TV presenter, was in the Capital recently. Famous for his roles in films like “Satya”, “Jungle” and “Sehar”, he also played the supporting role in “Dum” and “Legend of Bhagat Singh”. In an interview with Friday Review he talks about his new release “Hate Story 2” and shares his experience on how he moulded himself for the character he plays in the film.
Excerpts:
You have portrayed characters of varied shades. Do you think this has limited you from acting in the one genre you are best at?
No, not at all. In fact I feel that it’s quite liberating. Because I play characters of all shades, I have never got bored.
In recent years, films have drawn villains with a background back story and greater character depth. What is your take on this change in sketching such roles?dynamics?
I find this shift very interesting. I myself have played such a villain in “Sehar”. See, what makes a film impactful is when all its characters are well rounded. It works differently, for different kind of films. But usually, for a good story to be balanced you need an equally bad villain.
Tell us something about your role in “Hate Story 2”.
I play a villain in the movie. What I love about this villain is that he doesn’t have a background story.
He is dark and devilish. He enjoys both power and violence.
Given the mood of the film, how did you as a theatre artist get under into the skin of the character?
Once you decide to be the character, it’s not very difficult. You just need to understand the texture and the premise of the character. “Hate Story 2” is a romantic thriller, a complete entertainer. So, it demanded a larger than life villain. For this, I had to leave behind the conventional method acting, and yet ensure it didn’t look stereotyped or clichéd.
You have made a mark in both films and television. Which media do you prefer and why?
I definitely prefer films over television. My temperament is such that I cannot live with a character for more than a year. The Indian soaps run for a pretty long time, with the story line fluctuating up and down. Whereas, in movies you play a character for a short span, which keeps you charged. So, I feel that I am better suited for movies.
