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'Kevin gave us tips on making the funniest laughter'
He's training to be a medical doctor, but for now, acting with Kevin Kline in The Emperor's Club has Rishi Mehta well bitten by the acting bug
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Som Chivukula
Everyone has something they do for fun. And acting has always been my hobby," Rishi Mehta says with a chuckle.
However, it is likely the 18-year-old will find acting to be more than just a hobby after his debut in The Emperor's Club. Mehta plays one of half a dozen students who learn about life and values from their teacher, played by Oscar-winner Kevin Kline.
The film, made for about $30 million, will be released by Universal Pictures in the US November 22. It has been screened at various film festivals across America. It was well received by critics and audiences alike, drawing comparisons to the likes of Dead Poets Society.
The Emperor's Club is based on a best-selling collection of stories by Ethan Canin called The Palace Thief. Mehta has a principal role in the new film, in which he has about 15 minutes of screen time. He says he was happy about not playing a stereotypical Indian, adding that the paycheck would help pay for school.
With a substantial amount of screen time that does not perpetuate stereotypes, Mehta may find himself to be in more demand as an actor hereafter.
"Deepak Mehta [the name of his character] is one of the students who affects the balance of power in the school," the New York University freshman says about his character. "The thing I love is that Deepak is not the butt of the jokes. There [also] was no accent required for this role."
Mehta received the script from his manager after appearing in the stage production of East Is East four years ago. Mehta played an eccentric son of an abusive immigrant father and English mother on stage, which gave him the confidence to audition for the film.
Though Mehta was just a beginner, the script was special and it was an opportunity he just could not pass up. Plus it was a chance to work with an Oscar-winner, he felt. Mehta's character Deepak has several key scenes with Kline's William Hundert.
"Each kid spoke with Kevin before filming where he asked us questions about the importance of history and other abstract questions. He was asserting himself into the role of a teacher," Mehta says. "He wanted to have the same aura when filming. He's down to earth and fun to work with."
Mehta also received valuable tips from Kline during key scenes shot in New York and upstate New York over three months last year. "He gave me tips on laughing and making the funniest laughter possible," Mehta, who wants to be a medical doctor, says.
Kline also helped Mehta and the other boys feel at ease on the set. "In one scene, we are caught sneaking to the girls' school," Mehta recalls. "Then comes a scene with Kevin and he is very upset with us. For many takes, we could not do the serious role. We were giggling and laughing thinking of the funny episode. Kevin burst out laughing, too.
"And because he made us relax, it made us feel he understood why we were behaving that way. And we were able to do a very good job," he laughs.
Perhaps the most memorable aspect of filming was meeting other actors in his age group. Joining Mehta are Emile Hirsch, Paul Franklin, Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Millman, Chris Morales and Luca Bigini. Not exactly names that immediately ring a bell, which is exactly what made the experience fun.
"The whole atmosphere was amazing," Mehta sighs. "We hung out after shooting and bonding, in general. We did not discuss our roles and I think our bonding added to the movie. Instead of actors showing up to make a movie, it was like friends coming together."
Also spurring him on was director Michael Hoffman, a Rhodes scholar who calmed Mehta by talking about India and its culture. During the shooting, Hoffman also encouraged him to relax and act naturally. "He would tell me how to do certain scenes. There was always a pressure to get stuff done correctly, but he allowed for improvisation and he was never forceful," Mehta observes.
His journey into making movies is, in many ways, a natural progression. When Mehta was growing up in New Jersey's Bergen County, his mother encouraged him to perform at community events and cultural programmes. It was a good way to learn about the Indian culture growing up in America, his mother Charu felt. Charu also has a brief non-speaking role as Mehta's mother in The Emperor's Club.
As Mehta became more comfortable in front of an audience, he ventured into theatre and had a small role on the television show Late Night that also featured Indian actor Ajay Naidu.
When he is not performing or in school, Mehta is a deejay for Infinite Entertainment and Crown Productions in New York.