Nikitin Dheer who is popularly known for his portrayal of ‘Thangaballi’ in Chennai Express, is presently seen playing two contrastingly opposite characters. While he plays Lord Raavan in Sony TV’s mythological presentation, Shrimad Ramayan produced by Swastik Productions, he is seen in the avatar of a cop in the Rohit Shetty series on Amazon Prime, Indian Police Force. Nikitin awaits the release of his Kannada debut film Martin.
IWMBuzz.com had an exclusive talk with Nikitin where he talked about the challenges behind playing different characters, on his home ground when it comes to genres, the motivational factor he looks forward to while picking up a role etc.
Read here.
Indian Police Force has been a great series. How was it to collaborate with Rohit Shetty again?
Working with Rohit Shetty Sir was like going back home. It is the production house where I am most comfortable. It has always been an absolute joy to be part of his storytelling. The fact that he allows me to approach different characters, gives me a new high. He is the same person who gave me Thangaballi and now, has envisioned me in the role of a cop in the Indian Police Force. He is by far the most influential person in my career.
What were the challenges faced in your transformation to play Raavan in Shrimad Ramayan?
Raavan needed far more preparation. It is a role that I am extremely honoured to have a chance to portray. Once again, someone like Siddharth Kumar Tewary saw that in me. I can say now that Swastik Productions is home for me. It is an extremely collaborative effort here. I had heard a lot of good things about Swastik and their approach towards work, and their tendency to repeat their actors. It is an absolute joy being with them. I cannot imagine a better space for a character like Raavan. Swastik and Sony have portrayed him immensely well. We had a chunk in the show where Raavan was missing for a few days, as Ram and Sita’s wedding track was happening. Fans were messaging Sony TV and the Producer that they were missing Raavan. That was a major victory for me as an actor.
Tell us about Martin.
My character in Martin is suave and clean. I have not done such a character before. He is quite interesting to play. This will be my debut work in Kannada films, and I look forward to it. Dhruva Sarja is a damn good guy to work with.
What is your home ground when it comes to the genres and roles you take up?
For me, with the little analysis that I have done, it is important that the character I pick up needs to have intensity of some form. Over the years, unknowingly, I have realized that I look for this intensity in the characters I pick up.
What is the motivational factor you look for in the roles?
My biggest go-to is to know who my Director is if it is a film. If it is a TV show, you need a strong Producer to make sure the character gets its due. I need to know what I will be doing in the role. I want to bring something to the table myself; I don’t want to be a fish in a big pond.
Why did you opt to play Raavan on TV?
I chose to play Raavan knowing that television is the only way to play such a character. It has got both the length and breadth which a lot of mediums do not provide. These are stories of ancient India, which are woven within the fabric of our country. There has to be a great responsibility while playing it. TV allows you to present it in the best light.
Tell us about the impact that Cinema creates by being pan-India-centric.
The fact that people are watching Cinema in the way they are, is a happy situation to be in. After Covid, there was a time when the charm of going to the theaters was lost. Cinema is the most integral part of our lifestyle. It is woven into our social fabric. When people work hard to create a film that all of India can watch, it is great. Wholesome cinema is always the need of the hour. It can be in any language. We are one country, and entertainment/music has no language. If it has an all-India appeal it is very good.
What are the upcoming line-ups like?
I have one schedule for Martin left. I am extremely consumed by Raavan. It has become more of a responsibility to play this larger-than-life character in the right way. Apart from that, I never speak of things until they happen.
