‘It’s the team that makes a project successful’

Dangal actor Aparshakti Khurana believes that it is the team behind any project — actors and the entire crew — that makes it successful.

“Dangal was what it was because the environment on Aamir sir’s (actor-producer Amir Khan) set was so equal. Everyone was on one page and we were able to collectively make a film. No one was trying to outperform the others,” says the actor at HT Office in Lucknow.

He is shooting for ‘Jabariya Jodi’ in the state capital with Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra.

Recalling an incident from his theatre days, he says, “During a fest, this actor won the best actor award, while the play stood second. The director said that it was the actor’s “extra effort” that won him the award, but the play lost out because of that. That was my first lesson -- that it’s the entire team who makes a film stand out. We can do our best, but no one should try to overdo the others.”

Talking about his recent release ‘Stree’, which is getting a good response from the audience, he says, “With Rajkummar Rao and everyone else in the team, we were all equal. We were staying together, eating together and working as a unit, and it is that which is reflecting on the screen. I don’t think there is any other way to success. Personally, I don’t believe in the ‘ye actor sabko kha gaya’ (this actor trumped everyone else) thing. If that happens, he/ she gains but the movie is gone.”

Without revealing much about his current project ‘Jabaria Jodi’, he says, “It’s about forced marriage -- based on some true incidents that happened in Bihar. Siddharth and I play Parineeti’s love interests. Rest I can’t reveal right now. All I can say is that it is an interesting script and I am enjoying my stay here.”

Talking about his encounter with Lakhnavi food, Aparshakti says, “I am a big foodie. My approach to diet is taking care of the daily calorie count. You can eat anything if you balance it out. If I overdo during the day, then I skip my dinner but I eat everything. For instance, before coming here, I savoured a full plate of ‘basket chat’. So, far I have tried food at ‘Dastarkhwan’, ‘Jain chaat’, ‘Royal Café’, ‘Cappuccino Blast’ and lassi at two places. ‘Tundey kebabs’ I have reserved as a parting shot.”

“I believe, if you don’t eat your full diet, your happy vibes don’t come out. In fact, once or twice a month, I give my domestic help an off and we both, husband and wife, cook at home.

She says that I make good ‘besan ki barfi’ and ‘chicken curry’,” says the ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’ actor.

With back-to-back releases, ‘Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi’ and ‘Stree’, his next film, ‘Rajma Chawal’, is lined up for release later this year. “It will be followed by ‘Lukka Chhuppi’ and ‘Jabariya Jodi’,” he says.

Like his brother Ayushmann (Khurana), an established singer who has his own band, Aparshakti too is looking forward to dabbling in singing. He penned and composed the song ‘Ik Vaari Aa’ sung by Ayushmann.

“I also sing, writer and compose, but I am not in a hurry. I may have a song in some movie or may soon come up with a single that will be sung by my brother or me,” he says.

I also sing, writer and compose, but I am not in a hurry. I may have a song in some movie or may soon come up with a single that will be sung by my brother or me APARSHAKTI KHURANA, ACTOR

HT PHOTO Actor Aparshakti Khurana at HT Office in Lucknow