'Shooting for Not A Love Story affected me mentally'

It's Deepak Dobriyal's time in the spotlight and the talented actor has earned it. The actor rose to fame by playing non-descript roles with such influence that we still talk about the guilless Rajju from Omkara or Bhati from Gulaal.

Thanks to Ram Gopal Varma's Not A Love Story that released today, the actor stars in his first leading role. Sonil Dedhia catches up with the actor to know more about the film.

The promos of Not A Love Story look violent.

It is not a violent film. The treatment of the film makes it look violent. The technical aspects and camera angle is such that it looks scary, but there isn't so much blood or anything.

There are no scenes that are actually violent or gruesome but Ramu's (Ram Gopal Varma) treatment of the film is such that anyone will get scared and in some shots, terrified.

Had you followed the Neeraj Grover murder case?

No, I did not. I was busy with my work but I was aware of the case, as a lot of people around me would talk about it. When Ramu came and offered me the script I started reading about the case online.

In recent years, we have seen a lot of movies based on true incidents. Do you think these kinds of films appeal to the audience?

Yes. No One Killed Jessica is an obvious example. People want to know what happened. Films are a good medium to educate or inform the audience. Everyone has an opinion about the murder and Ramu has used his own imagination to tell the story about the case.

Would you call it a film inspired by true events?

Yes. People have a misconception that Not A Love Story is based on murder; it is actually a film inspired by some incidents. A lot of incidents happen around you and you tend to use aspects of them in a film. But it's not based on that incident; there are a lot of changes.

There were no big names associated with the film, so what excited you about it?

The subject of the film is very daring and different and I always wanted to work with Ramu. A director needs to be bold to make such a unique film. We had no prior workshops and everything was impromptu.

For example, just an hour before the shoot, Ramu would explain the scenes to the actors, but that was the most exciting part of the film.

How different is this film from others you have acted in?

The film was shot in 20 days. Ramu would just give us a few references and would not reveal everything. He wanted us to be natural and spontaneous so 24/7 we had to be in the character because he would shoot anything at any time. It was not difficult, but it was mentally tiring playing this character.

Was the role challenging?

Yes, it was. As an actor I had to increase my boundaries to act in the film. The most challenging thing was to shoot in the actual real location. As I said it scared us all. Also, it was challenging to get the right appearance. There is this image in the minds of the audience that a killer will be a huge guy with muscles and a very shady look. I, on the other hand, had to look thin and had to change my look completely from my previous movies.

Is it true that you were psyched out during the shooting of the film?

Yes, I got psyched out for three days. During the initial days, I couldn't sleep at night because I used to get those images in my mind. I started drinking a lot. We were shooting in the same building where the incident took place.

The way Ramu would narrate the scene to us, it would really shake us up. It really affected me mentally. But that was important also because I had to be completely in my character to act it in front of the camera.

How was the experience of working with Ram Gopal Varma?

This is my first film with him and it was a dream to work with Ram Gopal Varma. I remember in my initial days, I had this messy look and grew a beard because I had seen that his films had such kinds of characters. He is an institution in himself when it comes to cinema.

He is so clear about his work and I feel every newcomer should work with him at least once. He is one director I would say yes to without even reading the script.

You started as a sidekick in films and now you are doing the lead role

I can only thank Vishal Bhardwaj and Omkara. When I started off in 2004, I would say yes to everything. I didn't have a single line of dialogue in Maqbool.

I come from a theatre background and it felt bad to do petty roles. There was a time when I decided not to do television, but as they say, everything is written in one's destiny and here I am today in the most exciting phase of my career.

Would you like to be remembered for Omkara?

Yes, I would love to be remembered for Omkara. People still know me as Rajju. Omkara changed my life. It is a milestone in my career and it got me recognition. My struggling period was over after Omkara.