Ishaan Khatter is Bollywood’s new wonderkid. Which is a young person whose excellence in his discipline is appropriate to someone older. At 22, he bagged an international Best Actor award for his first Hindi film – the Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds. This was in November at the 5th International Bosphorous Film Festival in Istanbul. Our critics gave the film mixed reviews. They all praised Majidi. But not Ishaan. It was left to The Hollywood Reporter to write that “Ishaan’s noteworthy screen charisma promises well for his future career.” I don’t know what made Majidi cast Ishaan for Beyond The Clouds. But Shashank Khaitan, who simultaneously picked Ishaan for his first mainstream Hindi film, reportedly went by his instincts after seeing the young actor’s posts and videos on Instagram.
Now that film, the eagerly awaited Dhadak for Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, is ready for release. And Ishaan and his cute co-star Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi’s daughter and Bollywood’s biggest debutante, are separately giving interviews to the press at the Dharma Productions office in Andheri. I met her first. And Janhvi told me she had seen Beyond The Clouds thrice. She also thought Ishaan was one of the most gifted actors in today’s times and that his talent was unparalleled. That I will let our film critics say. I found him entertaining. And honest. Ishaan does not have classic Bollywood star looks. But he has a page in Wikipedia already. I found him charmingly roguish. He sprang to his feet to greet me with a wide grin, dressed in black jeans and t-shirt, a grey jacket over this, his mop of unruly black curls bouncing, the signs of a faint stubble on his clean face. When we got down to talking, Ishaan noticed it was 11.11 am. Quickly he told me, “It’s 11.11 – make a wish!” and closed his eyes and joined his hands fervently. Eleven is a master number which signifies intuition, insight and enlightenment. When you see this number you are said to be spiritually awakening and ought to pay attention to guidance coming from the Universe. I followed Ishaan’s lead and made a wish. For Dhadak, for Janhvi and for him.
Excerpts from the interview:
"The first thing Majid Majidi told me was that to be a good artiste, the most important thing is that you develop yourself as a human being"
Q. Your first film. And you get an international Best Actor award forBeyond The Clouds. A surreal experience?
A. It felt great. I was excited enough just to be there in Istanbul. This was my first time in Turkey. And more than anything else, I was happy to be traveling with Beyond The Clouds, to be representing an Indian film among films from all over the world. I didn’t expect the award. And though one or two members of the team did predict I’d get an award, I absolutely didn’t expect it. It was pretty surreal for that moment. I felt good. It felt like family. My Mom was there. And it was a very special moment. My first film, first role, and first award at an international film festival. There were more than ten actors in that category and among them people working for years and years. It was very humbling.
Q. Not a high?
A. Well I am no one to get excited by such things. I’m grateful that I got the recognition. But that doesn’t mean I set a high opinion of myself. I was lucky to be at the right time and right place and lucky to be doing a Majid Majidi film also.
Q. You came in for high praise from The Hollywood Reporter…
A. It feels wonderful to be recognized that way and for people to attach their hopes and lay their bets on me at such an early stage in my career. It feels great.
"I don’t believe that I now have to live the rest of my life in a tower and I don’t intend doing that either"
Q. Dhadak is your first mainstream Hindi film. A remake or adaptation of the Marathi super hit Sairat. Would you have been happier if it was an original?
A. No, I’m very happy I got to be a part of this film. I do understand that comes with a lot of responsibility. It comes with a lot of added pressure. A lot of people already have preconceived notions about the film. A lot of people will be defensive about Sairat and judgmental about Dhadak because a lot of people have a strong attachment to that film. I understand that completely. Dhadak was not made to compete with Sairat or be a better film. It was made because Shashank felt this was a story that resonated with the entire country and it was important to take it to as many people as possible and he wanted to do that his way. I understood that. Understanding the intention behind making a film is very important. And as soon as that was ironed out for me, I was very happy to be a part of it. It’s a wonderful story, there are very nice people attached to it, so I was very happy.
Q. You have trained in contemporary dancing with Shiamak Davar. For the song Zingat in Dhadak were you allowed to do your own steps?
A. Actually only the chorus, the hook step was choreographed and defined. The rest of it was completely impromptu. Farah Khan Ma’am was kind enough to let me just do it… as I felt right. She just let me loose. Zingat by nature is a very fast paced song and a lot of fun. Everybody has their own reaction to it. But still it was important even within that to do it like the character would and not start dancing in too westernized a manner. So I cut loose and had fun in Zingat.
Q. At 22, even before the release of Dhadak, you already are a big star. People mob you in public and want to take selfies with you. Does this rob you of being able to do the things a person your age would normally do?
A. I don’t know if there are things I won’t be able to do. I don’t believe in imposing such restrictions on myself. For me it’s very important to live life. That is where I get the juice with which I am able to fuel performances if I may say so. I know I’m at a very nascent stage. I’ve only done two films. But cinema is inspired from life. And I believe if I stop living life like a normal person – I’d run into a wall. I’d be in a rut. I understand that sometimes it is impractical in certain situations to do certain things that are common. Perhaps you have to make sacrifices sometimes. But that comes with the job and I understand that. But I don’t believe that I now have to live the rest of my life in a tower and I don’t intend doing that either.
"Dhadak was not made to compete with Sairat or be a better film"
Q. What did making Beyond The Clouds with Majid Majidi teach you about cinema?
A. It taught me about life more than cinema and as a direct result I learned about cinema as well. I’d like to say this here that the first thing Majid Majidi told me was that to be a good artiste (and I know you want to be a good artiste) the most important thing is that you develop yourself as a human being and be a well-rounded and good human being and everything you want will come from that. That’s the note on which we startedBeyond The Clouds and I hold that very closely to my heart. What I realized was that the intention with which you go to work every day, the energy you maintain, retaining yourself in innocence, working yourself hard – these things are very important. Whether you’re an actor or filmmaker or hold any other job related to cinema, keeping that energy is very important because it shows on screen. Especially for an actor. What I learned is that it’s important to maintain that a film set is almost like a sacred space and you remember the value of that but never let it haunt you, never let it pressurize you or come into your work.
Q. Dhadak’strailer got 30 million views in 48 hours. The film is ready for release this week. What are your emotions right now?
A. I’m very excited for the day. There is a little bit of nervous energy because there are a lot of eyes on this film, lot of people are anticipating a lot of things from Dhadak, there are high hopes, and I really hope that we are able to match them.
