Barun Sobti’s claim to fame was the Star Plus cult show Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?. Ever since then, the actor has entertained the audience with his roles in films like Main Aur Mr Right(2014), Tu Hai Mera Sunday(2017), Halahal(2020) to name a few. On top of that, Barun Sobti’s association with Asur, an out-of-the-box psychological crime thriller that was first released just ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic earned him praise for all the right reasons.
After a long wait, the second season of the Arshad Warsi starrer has finally come out and the audience has taken to the first few episodes quite enthusiastically. In an exclusive interaction with News18 Showsha, Barun Sobti opened up about the show, his character, his process of adapting to the changing mediums and much more.
Here are the excerpts:
People have this perception of TV actors that they are very limited in their craft. Do you believe that with your performance in Asur, you were able to break that stereotype?
I am not representing a community or anything else. I think I’ve worked and broken the barriers of humanity. And if someone’s not been tested in any way in life, that doesn’t mean that person won’t pass the test very well when the time comes. So based on something that someone has not done or tested, I think people have very small minds when they put actors in certain boxes.
How you were roped in for the show? What were your thoughts before venturing into the OTT space?
I was also like why were they casting me for Asur 2? But I think that platform believed that I could do it. I was very surprised. But that’s what I was looking for honestly at that time. I remember a couple of years prior to Asur, Hollywood was gripped with the OTT wave and phenomenal shows were coming out at that time like Homeland and Mindhunter. At that time I was hoping that India also goes through that same wave and I can become a part of it. So I really, really wanted to be a part of it.
Your character of Nikhil Nair is well-written, nuanced, layered. But it could come alive because of your solid preparation. So for Season 1, what was your approach towards him and in what way does your character evolve in the new season?
Initially what happened was when I read it, it was phenomenally well-written, well-layered. It was a complex portrayal. So I remember meeting the director Oni Sen and usually I am very unkempt. I don’t like to shave or cut my hair and that’s what they required. I just met him like that and it prompted the idea that this guy is a very different kind of a person. He looks like a very ADHD person and he cares about nothing but the intellect and science of dead people. He won’t be much into vanity and stuff like that. The prep that went in, I spent a lot of time with Oni and Gaurav trying to create a roadmap of what the portrayal would be. I discussed some of the things, other I didn’t which came out naturally and was surprising on the sets. And in respect to where the character goes in the second season, there was a lot of emotional turmoil in the first one, there was a feeding thought into an intellectual thriller this season. Now, Nikhil had obviously lost his daughter and has a strained relationship with his wife but the chaos is a huge national issue instead of localised. So this is a much more intellectual portrayal.
Your on-screen equation with Arshad Warsi was another highlight of the show. Considering you guys were working for the first time together, how were you able to establish that rapport with him that made everything so natural and easy?
The best thing about Arshad Warsi is that he doesn’t take himself seriously. And at the same time, he is a very talented actor. So we would discuss things, you can talk about anything, you can take suggestions, you can give suggestions. He takes suggestions from everyone also. He is an easy going person and so am I. Apart from that, both of us might be looking for a similar kind of things from the show. Arshad can be a very good serious actor. I was establishing myself as a serious actor. I think we had common goals and that made things easy.
How would you unwind after a long day of shoot?
I remember when the ensemble was shooting, it was live, it was fun. But for the long portion of the show, I was shooting alone because I was in captivity. Those were very intense days. So unwinding for me was when I was working and after that, when I am done for the day, I won’t even think about it.
We’ve so many psychological thriller web series now and Asur kind of started this trend. And yet people have latched on to Asur till now. What makes Asur unique and different from all the other psychological thrillers that it enjoys such a massive loyal fan base?
Writing is what makes Asur stand apart. Gaurav wrote the screenplay a long time back. I remember he was looking at the novelty of it. There was no mythological crime thriller at that time so it was a unique idea. The writing was amazing. I used to watch a lot of crime thrillers. I had a weird kind of fascination with serial killers so I had consumed pretty much all the documentaries, all shows about serial killers and crime. So whatever stuff that was coming out in India, it was of surface level like ‘Tune mera safe chura lia, Maine tumhara murder kar diya’. And Asur was very unique. It delved into psychology. When I read it, I was like ‘this is how it should be’. I was totally blown away by the magnitude of it.
Every actor has a project that they are fondly associated with. For you, it’s Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Du. What place does that show and that character hold in your life?
Like I said, I am a big fan of writing so my brain always goes back to writing. The first one was brilliantly written according to those times and coming to what place it holds in my heart, it was the show that put me on the map to be very honest. Apart from that, it was a great time and I had a great time shooting for that show. It was like 14 kids going into work and making money and having fun. So I am friends with all the people that worked on the show. It holds a very special place in my life.
You’ve been praised and validated a lot for your looks. And you’ve achieved all these different milestones in that realm. But at any given point of time, did you ever feel that people were giving more importance to my looks than my acting. How did you or how do you deal with this dilemma?
Itna nahi sochta yaar mein apne baare mein(laughs). But the point is, I don’t think about what people think. I don’t even care about it. Mujhe Jo karna hai woh karunga. Chaahe Bina looks ke saath karna hai ya looks ke saath, that’s what matters to me personally.
You recently embraced fatherhood for the second time. Congratulations for that. Moving forward, how do plan to navigate and juggle between your acting career as well as being a father?
Actually, I have been pretty busy. Including Asur, I have five finished shows that are gonna come out back to back now. So I want to keep working since I am not an inherited prince who can afford to stop working in a city like Mumbai. I have to keep working and with respect to how I want my life to go forward, I want to present wherever I am. I spend a lot of time with my family and kids and that’s all I do actually. When I am working, I am working. When I am with my family, I am with my family.
Over the years, you discovered and rediscovered yourself through various projects and mediums. How were you able to navigate through it all?
I let myself flow for most of the part. I only make major decisions when I am required to in my head when I think it’s major. I wouldn’t say that I am struggling now. I am pretty sorted the way I am. Desperation sometimes creeps in because I have a larger family now. I tend to navigate with the respect of the flow while I am flowing and I make the decision to pivot when my mind tells me that it is a statement that I think.Honestly, I’ve done everything on my terms so far and there’s absolutely been no favours. Adapting and readapting is a really challenging thing and I am someone who really like challenges. I am a complex person and I get bored very easily. So these challenges always keeps me going.
Something you like to say to all those eagerly waiting for Asur 2?
It’s going to be worth the wait. I know it took a very long time but everyone will have a lot to talk about after watching the entire thing.
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