Sanchita
Pratik Gandhi became a household star overnight after his phenomenal performance as Harshad Mehta in ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’.
He has now bagged the lead roles in Bollywood movies like Ravan Leela and Atithi Bhooto Bhava.
In conversation with Humans of Bombay, Pratik opened up on his struggle story and how life suddenly changed because he took a ‘risk’… coz as he says in the show…Risk hai toh ishq hai!
About His Middle-class Upbringing & 1st Job
“I was in the 4th grade when I first performed on stage. It was just a 5 minute skit, but the thundering claps I received stayed with me. That’s when my tryst with acting began–soon, my teachers cast me in more plays.
But we were middle class; Papa was supportive but he’d say, ‘Pehle degree lo, phir jo karna hai karo.’ So I opted for engineering. Still, I’d do small plays–ishq toh acting se hi tha.”
Months With No Income & Doing Odd Jobs
“After graduating, I moved to Bombay–for 4 years I worked on a project basis so that I could act. But there’d be months with no income. So, I did odd jobs like installing TV towers & anchoring.
But then the 2006 Surat floods took our home. My family came to Bombay & the 4 of us stayed in a 1RK; after I got married, 5 of us were in that tiny space. So I took up a full-time job. Still, I’d rehearse for 2 hours before work & after, I’d do plays. I did this for 6 years.”
When He Became Mainstream Gujarati Actor!
“Then finally, I got a role in a Gujarati film! So, I took a 22-day leave from work for the shoot. At times, right after my shot, I’d get on a work call. After the shoot, I went back to work. I wasn’t even there for the promotions. Fortunately, ‘Bey Yaar’ was a hit; overnight, I became a mainstream Gujarati actor. So the next time I got a film offer, I took the risk & at 36, I quit my job! Although I had a house loan, & a toddler, it felt right.”
Pratik’s Big Break!
“I did some Hindi films & web series, but I got my big break when I got a call from Hansal Mehta’s team. I was shortlisted for Harshad Mehta’s role in SonyLIV’s Scam 1992!
I jumped in feet first–from watching older news clippings of him to studying the stock market, I did it all. And then, the show released…
But at the time, I didn’t realize it’d become this huge! It was so overwhelming. And when Shabana Azmi Ma’am told me it was the best performance she’d seen in 20 years, I was in tears. My wife was ecstatic! And when my parents saw me win an IIFA, they were so moved.
It’s been 5 months since Scam’s release & my life has taken a 180° turn! People see me as a ‘lead actor’ now. Zindagi ne jaise ek dum se raftar pakad li hai. But all of this happened because at 36, instead of getting comfortable, I decided to take a risk kyun ki… risk hai toh ishq hai!”
