Exclusive! Pratik Gandhi: I have done small stand-up comedy sets on stage

Pratik Gandhi. Pic- Prabhat Shetty

Pratik Gandhi is basking in the success of his recently released film ‘Atithi Bhooto Bhava'. The romantic comedy film also stars Jackie Shroff and Sharmin Segal in the lead roles and Divinaa Thackur, Simran Sharma, and, Prabhjyot Singh in prominent roles as well. Directed by Hardik Gajjar, the movie is currently streaming on ZEE5.

Speaking about his character in the film, Pratik Gandhi told mid-day.com in an exclusive interview, "My character's name is Shrikant Shirodkar and he is a stand-up comedian. He is witty. He is in a relationship with Netra Banerjee (Sharmin Sehgal) and they are live-in partners. Netra is an air hostess and a sweet girl. And like any other girl, she is expressive and she needs to be loved. She wants Shrikant also to express the same, but Shrikant is commitment-phobic. He takes relationships for granted. There is a tiff between these guys. It is a love-hate relationship between the two."

Pratik says the film focuses on the issues in their relationship and how the ghost of Makhan Singh (Jackie Shroff) changes his life for the better. "The ghost, Makhan Singh comes into Shrikant's life with his problem, his love life issue. Shrikant finds out that he is the one who is responsible for that. It is revealed to him that, he was Makhan Singh's grandfather in his previous birth and that he had promised his grandson that he will fulfill his love life. But before he could do that he passed away. Makhan Singh could never complete his love life and that is the reason, even after his death, he is still around waiting for that love."

Pratik essays a stand-up comedian in the film and reveals that he has had some experience in the art form in the past during his theatre days. Elaborating on the same, he said, "I have done quite a few stand-up sets also earlier. I come from a theatre background and so I have performed a lot of monologues and all that. So that way there is a little comfort with this format."

Also Read: Working with Jackie dada was like my soul was satisfied: Sharmin Segal on working with Jackie Shroff in Atithi Bhooto Bhava

"Also, I have a lot of friends who are stand-up comedians and with them, I did quite a few sessions and I have done a lot of improv rounds on stage. I have done small stand-up (comedy) sets also on stage. So all those experiences worked for me," he added.

Further talking about the challenges of doing a comedy genre, Pratik said, "The most difficult thing about the genre is that it is a very delicate genre. A little more and you can kill it. A little less and it will never land so it has to be a perfect blend of timing, content, and performance. I feel that in comedy, less is more. So you need to know when to stop and how to construct your joke to land it right."

This is the second time that Pratik Gandhi is sharing screen space with Jackie Shroff. While Shroff is known for his cool and fun-loving personality off screen, he is also a tremendous actor who has aced different kinds of roles. Talking about how Shroff is on set, Gandhi shared, "He is chill and cool on set as well. He is super fun. He immediately switches when the camera is on. He will be humming, singing, and then suddenly he is told the shot is ready and he is ready."

"A lot to learn from him- patience, warmth, how to hold yourself when there is chaos around. He is a superstar. The moment he comes, he is always surrounded by a crowd. He keeps his calm, he talks to people. He is super cool," he added.

Also Read: Pratik Gandhi on similarity between him and his character in 'Atithi Bhooto Bhava'