‘Playing young Sanjay Dutt on screen was a huge challenge’

It was a real treat to work with Baba but Sanju huge it was challenge also a younger to play Though self on his many screen. in the have tried past, only it a few succeeded. NAVNEET MALIK,

Actor

Actor Navneet Malik, who will be seen next in actor Sanjay Dutt starrer The Virgin Tree later this year, says playing Dutt’s younger self in the film taught him a lot.

“It was a real treat to work with Sanju baba but it was also a huge challenge to play his younger self on screen. Though many have tried it in the past, only a few succeeded. That’s when my director stepped in, asked me to watch films like Rocky (1981), in which I got to observe the right nuances of the actor. It’s a huge learning experience to work with a star of his stature because no acting institute could teach you such details,” says the Heropanti 2 (2022) actor.

Malik agrees that cinema is a strong medium for learning. The 29-year-old says, “Films are the real playground. You get time to prepare and also understand your growth as a performer. The results are instant and it makes you an artiste in the real sense. You will always find an actor who is doing well on some other medium but dreams of seeing himself on the silver screen.” Malik, who started out as a model, couldn’t make it to Mumbai after the final round of a modelling pageant in China where he represented India. “Due to some issues, I went back home and didn’t think of going to Mumbai. In between, I also missed an offer from a big banner. Later, at my friend’s behest, I sent my audition tape and got selected for the Love

Hostel. Eventually, what I lost then, I got later,” Malik wraps up.