Ishaan Khatter is all set to make his acting debut in noted Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds. Here's why he's a talent to watch out for
Published: Fri 13 Apr 2018, 6:06 PM
Last updated: Fri 20 Apr 2018, 9:16 AM
At a time when nepotism is the buzzword in Bollywood, it's no fun to be a 'star kid' foraying into cinema. For one, you need to have a detailed, step-by-step account ready of how you got the big break - ideally, without wielding the clout of the influential family. Second, as the tradition goes, your newly-discovered-and-harnessed talent is almost always likely to be pitted against that of the 'star' in the family.
Ishaan Khatter is well-aware of the perks and the perils, and has thus opted for a road less travelled. The 22-year-old - son of actress Neelima Azeem and brother of actor Shahid Kapoor - is all set to make his acting debut in Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Beyond The Clouds. The trailers have been out for a while, and one sees Ishaan sporting an unkempt look with a typical Mumbai streetside tongue - a departure from the run-of-the-mill invulnerable hero act. From the looks of it, the film seems to have a strong Slumdog Millionaire vibe to it, which is not necessarily a compliment given how Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film was accused of glorifying poverty. Majidi refutes the suppositions outrightly saying that the film only seeks to tell a human story rather realistically and that explains the setting - the streets of Mumbai. Despite being aware of the unconventional nature of his debut (he plays a young hustler), Ishaan maintains that it is an absolutely uncalculated risk that he had to take. "You know, he (Majid Majidi) has such a strong aura about him. And this was a beautiful story and my desire to be a part of it overwhelmed all calculations," he says.
His faith in the project has clearly paid off. The film has had several outings at international film festivals (last December, it premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival) and the reviews that have come out sing the young actor's praises. For instance, in its assessment of the film, Hollywood Reporter noted, "Keeping a step ahead of melodrama is a convincing act, energetically led by the tousle-haired Khatter, whose noteworthy screen charisma promises well for his future career." Variety, the American entertainment trade magazine, however, has been relatively less generous and has observed that the film's "young leads lack finesse, but not emotive conviction, which suits the film's purposes just fine." Clearly, the "un-calculated" move has helped.
Acting is not a job, it is a calling. The romance associated with being an actor often calls for a compulsive inquiry into the origins of the ambition, the moment of epiphany that led to the moment of realisation of the dream. Ishaan talks about this journey nonchalantly, as though this was something he was destined to do. And why not? When you're exposed to film sets and the lights-camera-action routine from as early as eight years of age, the idea of being in front of the camera does not sound all that far-fetched, after all. "I used to accompany my mother to film sets all the time. But I remember I was eight years old when I visited my brother (Shahid Kapoor) on the sets of his first film, Ishq Vishk (2003). I was so proud of him, and also so curious. I would run to technicians and observe how they operated." With great ambitions come great burdens, often in the guise of academics. Fascinated by both glittery and non-glittery aspects of cinema, Ishaan admits he began to lose interest in studies, dropped out after finishing twelfth grade and began his training as a dancer ("It comes naturally to us because of our mother, who is a trained classical dancer," he says).
Having assisted in two films - Udta Punjab (2016) and another film shot in Kashmir that never saw light of day, Karan Johar approached him for a role in Dhadak, a remake of the acclaimed Marathi film, Sairat. It was during this time that Honey Trehan, who was the casting director of Beyond The Clouds and with whom Ishaan had already worked in Udta Punjab, approached him for a role in Beyond the Clouds.
Majidi is no fan of Bollywood glitter. In fact, he tells us that no one can truly understand the essence of being an Indian by watching Bollywood films that are often far removed from reality. To prove his mettle, Ishaan went through a rather elaborate process of auditioning where he shot on all the live locations and submitted the tape to the casting director. There was also a prospect of losing enormous weight, 8 kgs to be precise, in just 12 days. "I needed to look malnourished. I stopped working out the way I usually do and began to do high intensity cardio exercises like sprinting. The physical exhaustion was enormous. The first day of the shoot itself was rigorous and I ended up losing 1.8 kilos."
While the physical labour might seem more challenging, it is evident that it is this process - the act of being out and about promoting a film - that is proving to be a whole new lesson for him. For most part of our conversation, his words are measured. There is obvious discomfort with the conversation inching towards his next big ticket release Dhadak or other inconvenient topics "I am very passionate about my work to a point where it doesn't feel like work. But I find the external aspects, like promoting the film, to be more challenging. You're fundamentally representing the film, but many times, it becomes about other things. And this is a part of the job you're not necessarily prepared for."
There is also a wariness about being compared to elder brother Shahid. So, even when you quiz him on which of his iconic characters - and there are quite a few, from Kaminey and Haider to Jab We Met and Padmaavat - he would like to recreate on the screen, the response is almost instantaneous: "None". The reason? "I regard his work very highly. I'd rather do work that stems from me," he says, realising both the inevitability and illegitimacy of the comparisons that are being drawn between him and Shahid. "It's invalid to pit me opposite him. We are 15 years apart - he has a whole body of work that people are familiar with. I am just starting out and presenting something of my own."
There is also a discomfort with the N word, read nepotism, floating around, though his own performance has largely been lauded in the screenings of the film. "A lot of people generalise and put others in this bracket of nepotism without having seen their work or even possessing any information about their life or where they come from. In some cases, it's fairly baseless. In my case, I had to audition for the part and Majidi Sir was unaware of my background. If anything, it would've hurt my chances because he didn't want anybody bringing in the baggage of glamour into this role." There is considerable truth in that claim. In an earlier interview with Khaleej Times during the film's screening at DIFF, Majidi had admitted that he could not cast Deepika Padukone, who had auditioned for the role of Tara (sister of the character essayed by Ishaan), because her starry presence would prevent the crew from shooting in real locations.
An unassuming demeanor, a hunger to prove himself and a talent people are already vouching for - looks like in Ishaan Khatter, Bollywood might have a promising new hero for the millennials.
anamika@khaleejtimes.com
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