Actor Vaibhav Tatvavadi, who came into limelight by playing the role of Titan’s co-founder Akash in ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’, said that this project changed the direction of his career. The biggest achievement for him was working with Naseeruddin Shah. By watching them he learned to feel the acting. In conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, he talked about leaving engineering to become an actor, struggle in Mumbai, rejection, nepotism, recognition from ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Article 370’ and ‘Titan’. Question: What was your first reaction when you got the offer of ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’? Answer: Got a call from the producer and told that a series is being made on Titan. As soon as I came to know that I have to play the role of Akash, the co-founder of the company, I immediately agreed. After meeting director Robbie Grewal, I was convinced that I had to do this project. This was a fateful project for me. Question: How was the experience of working with Naseeruddin Shah for the first time? Answer: The very first scene was with him. I was quite nervous. Learned to feel acting by watching them. Earlier I had heard from Vijaya Mehta ji that the real rhythm of acting lies in pause. Seeing Naseer sir working, I understood its real meaning. He didn’t teach me anything, but watching him work was the biggest class. Question: What was the biggest lesson you learned from Naseeruddin Shah? Answer: I shot with him for a few days, but after that my acting changed. The way he delivered dialogues, his poses, his body language and his presence in the scene impressed me. After the release, when he praised my performance, I felt that my ten years of hard work had paid off. That praise was no less than an award for me. Question: Why did the audience connect with Akash’s character so much? Answer: Akash is not only a businessman but also a common man. There is a conflict between his dreams, responsibilities and relationships. Many people go through a phase where they want to do something else, but responsibilities stop them. Perhaps this is why people saw themselves in this character. Question: How did you decide to leave engineering and enter acting? Answer: I am a metallurgical engineer. Parents had said that first complete engineering and then give two years for acting. I kept my promise. If I had not got work in those two years, I would have done M.Tech and become a professor. But during that time, I started getting work in acting and never looked back. Question: Since when were you interested in acting? Answer: Used to do theater since second class. I had decided in eighth grade itself that I wanted to become an actor. Studied theater along with studies at College of Engineering, Pune. That’s where my real grooming as an artist took place. Worked in short films of FTII students, which gave experience in front of the camera. Question: How did your Hindi become so good? Answer: The biggest credit for this goes to Amin Sayani Saheb. He sent me to Ibrahim Darvesh Sahib. He taught correct pronunciation, Hindi-Urdu writing and nuances of the language. Only then did I understand how important language is for an actor. I believe that common people should not be ashamed of their accent. The accent of every state is its beauty. Question: How difficult was your beginning in Mumbai without any godfather? Answer: I came to Mumbai from Nagpur and Pune. The pace here was different. Initially, he lived in a small house in Jogeshwari with three friends. During the rains, there would be water around the house and sometimes rats would also come. Many times he used to miss three or three trains due to crowd in local trains. Gradually this city started feeling like ours. Even today I believe that Mumbai never disappoints those who work hard. Question: Which was the most difficult phase of the initial struggle? Answer: The biggest pain was not from rejection but from the behavior of people. Many times I would travel four hours by bus from Pune to give auditions and would hear, ‘You are not fit.’ At that time I started doubting myself. Later I understood that rejection is a part of the journey for those who enter the industry without any identity. If we give up on these, we will not be able to move forward. Question: How did you handle yourself during that period? Answer: I decided that I would never judge myself by someone else’s opinion. People can think anything about you, but it doesn’t have to be the truth. Yoga made me mentally strong. It was from there that I learned to take both success and failure in a balanced manner. Question: How was the journey to reach Bajirao Mastani decided? Answer: Was working in Marathi films and theatre. During that time, Mahesh Manjrekar and Atul Kulkarni took my name to Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I got the role of Chimaji Appa. Worked on such a big set for the first time. There he learned how to remain calm under pressure along with acting. Question: What was the biggest compliment you received from Sanjay Leela Bhansali? Answer: After watching a scene, he hugged me and said, “You have done a phenomenal job.” He later said, “When you show up at the edit table, that’s when the magic happens.” There can’t be a bigger compliment than this for an actor. Question: What kind of preparation had to be done for Article 370? Answer: We trained with former commandos. Worked on everything from holding weapons to walking and standing. The effort was to show real soldiers, not actors, on screen. After the release of the film, some Army officers said that the character felt completely realistic. That was the biggest compliment for me. Question: When did you feel that you had become a separate identity in the Hindi industry? Answer: ‘Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi’ was the turning point of my career. After that ‘Article 370’ came and ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’ gave such a connect with the audience which was never felt before. People not only praised the character but also shared their personal memories. Question: What is your opinion on nepotism? Answer: Everything has two sides. If my son wants to become an actor, I would also like him to get a good launch. There is nothing wrong in this. But if you take away someone else’s rights and advance your child, then that is wrong. It is more important for an outsider to continuously pay attention to his work rather than complaining. Question: Is it more difficult to handle success or failure? Answer: According to me, success is more difficult. Failure teaches a person, but success sometimes changes him. Therefore it is important to always remain connected to the ground. Question: Who gave the most memorable compliment to your work? Answer: The biggest praise came from Naseeruddin Shah sir. Once in Dubai, Nana Patekar sir said, “Vaibhav, you do very beautiful work.” If the artists from whom you learned acting praise you, then there can be no greater honor than that. Bhansali sir’s praise is also one of the most special moments of my life. Question: What did the success of ‘Titan’ give you? Answer: This project gave me such love from the audience which I never got before. People not only praised the character but also developed a relationship with him. Someone told the story of his first Titan watch, while someone shared memories of his father. Then I realized that this is not just a web series, it has become people’s own story. Question: How important is dance in your life? Answer: I was very naughty in childhood, so my mother sent me to dance class. Gradually dance became a part of my life. Even today, when I feel stressed, I play a song for five minutes and dance freely. For me dance is meditation. Question: How important was the support of your parents? Answer: If I had not had the support of my family, perhaps I would not have been able to become an actor. He not only gave us the freedom to dream, but also gave us the time and confidence to fulfill them. For this reason, I was able to refuse even such projects which I did not like. The biggest contribution to my every success is from my parents. Question: Do you regret leaving any film? Answer: Yes, I have regrets about a film. I had refused to do a small role in Super 30. Later the film became a big hit. My role was not big, but I think it would have been a good experience. Still, I believe that every decision teaches something. Question: What advice would you give to the youth coming into the industry? Answer: It is most important that you have a strong support system. Having millions of followers on social media is of no use. If even two of our own people are not with us in times of need, then the person becomes lonely. Yoga, books, music or travel, whatever gives you mental balance, make it a part of your life. To survive in this industry, it is most important to be mentally strong. Question: Is staying in the industry for a long time the biggest achievement? Answer: Absolutely. It is difficult to get a break here, but even more difficult is to maintain yourself. If an artist is doing good work continuously for 20-25 years, then it is a big achievement in itself. Question: What kind of characters do you want to do next? Answer: I want to play good characters in all three languages, Hindi, Marathi and Telugu. I don’t have any fixed dream role. I am trying to play such a character, which will later become the dream role of other actors.
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वैभव तत्ववादी बोले- नसीरुद्दीन शाह से सीखी असली एक्टिंग: संजय लीला भंसाली ने गले लगाकर कहा- ‘यू हैव डन अ फिनॉमिनल जॉब’
