“I FEEL I HAVE A BALANCE WHEN ENTERING A ROLE, LIVING IT AND GETTING OUT OF IT”

Amit Sadh, whose turn as Major Deependra Singh Sengar in the recently-released Zee5 show JeetKiZid, is being applauded by the critics as well as the audience, talks about his method and reveals how he is reinventing himself

Amit Sadh has come a long way since being the television heartthrob. He had first truly charmed the audiences with his turn as Parshuram Bardez in the hit Star One show, Guns & Roses (2004). His first major break in the movies was with Kai Po Che!, where he along with Rajkkumar Rao and Sushant Singh Rajput played the three leads. However, post that, although the actor has given impressive performances in movies like Sultan, Gold, Yaara and Shakuntala Devi, it is the web shows that seem to be finally getting him the spotlight he always deserved.

His turn as Kabir Sawant, the alcoholic cop battling his inner demons, in Breathe: Into the Shadows (Amazon Prime) and his portrayal of Major Videep Singh in Avrodh: The Siege Within (Sony Liv) both got much critical acclaim. And now, Amit has followed it up with Jeet Ki Zid. He plays the protagonist in the recently-released Zee5 series. The story is based on the true story of Major Deependra Singh Sengar, who was drafted to Kargil War as part of Special Task Force of the Indian Army. Directed by Vishal Mangalorkar and also starring Amrita Puri and Sushant Singh, the web series traces how this courageous officer becomes wheelchair-bound but instead of giving up, he overcomes every physical and emotional roadblock and gets back to normal life through sheer grit and determination.

Excerpts from an interview with the actor:

Your character of Major Deependra Singh Sengar in JeetKi Zid has created quite a buzz. What were your reference points? Zid is an ode to Kargil war hero’s real-life story, Major Deependra Singh Sengar, who fought against all odds in various walks of life, be it war or personal life. Playing him on screen has been a humbling and challenging experience. I had to push myself and reinvent my craft, even if it meant that I had to go on a creative quest. I had to do justice to the character, which is a huge responsibility; so physical transformation was very important. Even though the story is for a cinematic experience, staying true to the character is essential. It is an honour for me to represent such a notable personality from our great Indian Army. Major Deep’s story has a great life lesson, and that is ‘never giving up’. This spirit should inspire us all.

Did you ever feel short-changed in this industry? How did you keep the faith in yourself to move on?

All of that is in the past. My destiny changed with the right kind of people coming into my life, who added value in my life. I realised you can always take inspiration from people around you, but you must take action. I honed my skills and put serious efforts in creating a better version of me. I put myself completely out there to learn and be better, which got me where I am today. It helped me get recognised in the eyes of my fans and people I worked with. My experience taught me to be curious and learn and appreciate little things in life. I am grateful for this industry for recognising my work and giving me the roles that challenge me and motivate me to work more.

Luck favours the strong and the courageous. I always say this because I experienced it. Luck is a function of intent. For me, it is the way I function, my approach to my craft, my hard work, and I ensure it betters with time. Would you call yourself a Method actor? How far would you go to bring a character to life?

There is madness to a method and a method to the madness! To get into the character’s skin, the artist must realise that the journey will be long and will take a lot of patience. You need to get every aspect of the character right, be it mannerism, dialect, body movement, looks, behaviours etc.

I feel I have a balance when entering a role, living it and getting out of it. Life is a teacher; we are surrounded by people, family, pets, friends, great artists, and well-wishers as anchors. We always go back to them, find inspiration in them. Currently, I am concentrating on bettering my storytelling and acting skills... I still have a long way to go. How was 2020 for you?

2020 will be memorable as my fans showered their immense love on me. They connected with me, my craft, which is very important for me. Call it whatever you like, timing, luck, but the releases in 2020 result from what I did in the past few years. I consider it as a blessing which pushed everything to fall in its place. I am fortunate that I could entertain and engage with people during lockdown days. God has been kind, and I am grateful for making it possible. Having said that, I cannot turn a blind eye to so much despair and struggles around.

The pandemic has impacted many at different levels. I’ve seen very challenging and far worse times in life. In a way, it helped me to cope mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially. I was in the Himalayas. Those days, it was all about being present physically at a place, reflecting on life and learning the beauty of slowing down.

Any life lessons?

Nature is indispensable, survival instinct will equip us much better in uncertain times, and never give up; we need to march forward – these are important life lessons for me in 2020.

What is your 2021 resolution?

More than resolution, 2021 for me is finding the solution to the problems. It is about time we start identifying sustainable solutions for every person around us. We need an approach that will help us deal with daily situations better and educate people on how to equip themselves to cope and deal with life in uncertain times.

What are the top things on your to-do list this year?

I am looking forward to travelling and exploring more. I want to learn a new language. Professionally, I am gearing up to refine my craft because I firmly believe that the artist needs to always experiment with his instrument. I want to do more engaging and immersive roles, especially comedy roles because I want people to see the quirky side of me. I am not this intense.

In terms of fitness, I want to be the fittest version of myself.