Sanjay Gandhi: Actors have to make their characters relatable in a supernatural drama

MUMBAI: Actor Sanjay Gandhi recently shot for the show Haiwaan and had an amazing experience. The actor says that the team was absolutely wonderful to work with. “It was a wonderful experience and the best part was that all the actors in the whole team, including Param Singh, Ridhima Pandit, and Ankit Mohan, were so supportive. This is clearly the best team I have ever met, including the production. No one had any attitude, there were no tantrums. I had a wonderful experience and we also had a wrap-up party,” he says.

The actor played the role of Dharam Pal and loved it. “Dharam Pal is a father. In real life also, I have a daughter. So actually, it was easy to play the role of a daughter's father especially when your co-actor is as good as Ridhima Pandit. She is a brilliant actress and it became easy to connect with her. We have shot lots of wonderful scenes together and have the best rapport, between the father-daughter,” he says.

Talking about being part of supernatural shows and costume dramas, he says that it’s all the same and it’s your role that matters. “This was my first supernatural show and I never felt like it was not very different from other fictional drama shows. It just depends upon the actors and how much he or she relates to the character and how he or she feels while doing the show. The only thing is that required is special effects, which I was not part of. But there was one scene where somebody is attacking me, which had some of these.  Acting is acting and our work is to fulfill the dramatic mood of the characters. It becomes a little tough for the actors to perform in a costume drama because you have to read and study history. This is the only difference I see,” he says.

Sanjay says that it’s important for actors to make a supernatural show relatable. “It can be relatable if we, as actors, help the audience relate to our characters. For that, it’s important for an actor to connect to his character. If I will not be able to relate to my role, I won't be able to perform. I have to relate to the character which I am performing,” he says.

Talking about working with Ekta Kapoor, he says, “It is simply wonderful. You feel very secure while working with her. Working with Balaji telefilms is like a homecoming for me because my last show Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi was made by the same production house. After that, I joined Haiwaan and now I am doing Naagin 4, which is also by the same production house.”