With two nominations for the Screen Awards already, Indian-American actor Omi Vaidya reminisces the chamatkar experience in India…
Working in the first Bollywood film...
The crew was welcoming. In Hollywood, it is just so different. Very impersonal – here’s your contract, sign it; that’s your vanity van, stay in it; here's your scene, shoot it. There is complete separation between the big stars and the small actors. But here it felt like a family. Now I’m just worried about how I will go back to my old work setting.
Working with the stars of Bollywood…
Directors can be so tense and get so worked up, but Raju is an absolute delight – relaxed and open to suggestions. He encouraged the crew to stay together to feel comfortable and confident at work.
I have seen Aamir’s “Dil” and “Lagaan”. I knew he is a big star but being born and brought up in the USA, I was not a part of the frenzy. This also helped me in my acting where I was just Chatur and he was just Rancho.
Getting into the character’s skin...
I was told to immediately stop learning Hindi, to stop watching Hindi movies and to start gaining weight. To be like Chatur, I had to constantly keep reminding myself about what the character was – one who desired success and was brash about it.
Working in the first Bollywood film...
The crew was welcoming. In Hollywood, it is just so different. Very impersonal – here’s your contract, sign it; that’s your vanity van, stay in it; here's your scene, shoot it. There is complete separation between the big stars and the small actors. But here it felt like a family. Now I’m just worried about how I will go back to my old work setting.
Working with the stars of Bollywood…
Directors can be so tense and get so worked up, but Raju is an absolute delight – relaxed and open to suggestions. He encouraged the crew to stay together to feel comfortable and confident at work.
I have seen Aamir’s “Dil” and “Lagaan”. I knew he is a big star but being born and brought up in the USA, I was not a part of the frenzy. This also helped me in my acting where I was just Chatur and he was just Rancho.
Getting into the character’s skin...
I was told to immediately stop learning Hindi, to stop watching Hindi movies and to start gaining weight. To be like Chatur, I had to constantly keep reminding myself about what the character was – one who desired success and was brash about it.
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