Mona or Pratik Gandhi, Scam 1992 can’t really be considered beginner’s luck because, in Gujarati theatre and cinema, this actor is already an established star. But he turned the tale of the notorious Harshad Mehta exactly as his creator Hansal Mehta dreamed with his first popular act, neither that of a villain nor of a hero.
However, the process left making an important changed man. He gained and lost among other weight along with a couple of things. Pratik laughs, enjoying the benefits of the reviews, and speaks that somehow the unit was never satisfied with my weight gain, they barely acknowledged it even after 18 kilos. The feat was named ‘Á star is born’ by Shabana Azmi. Gratified and grateful, Pratik says, he knew that was going to be one venture, he would be extremely proud of when they operated on the series. But his way would come with so much affection that it was also beyond his expectations from the mainstays of the industry, the viewers all over India as well as from abroad. It is just surprising.
For Pratik, collaborating with Mehta was like a dream coming true. He says that he auditioned for the show, but he discovered later that Mehta sir had never even looked at the tapes of the audition. He’d seen two of his Gujarati movies and a play and the coveted project bagged him with that.
The days that followed earlier were all about working hard on the sets. He states when he was in school at that time that is in 1992, he had heard of the Harshad Mehta scam and one of his cousins lost some stock market funds but he didn’t know anything about it. Though to get the real picture and understand the financial jargon, he spent time with staff from the 80s and 90s. The 550-page script was just like a study to him.
Pratik lost 12 kilos out of the 18 kilos he had earned for the role after completing the shooting on March 5. Now, the actor inside him realizes it wouldn’t be easy to shed the badge. The first step towards having a new look is shredding the extra weight and hopefully creating euphoria for a new character that he plays, says Pratik, who is flooded with offers.
His first Hindi movie is almost close to completion as the lead. He says, “Bhavai is a social satire and is really compelling.” This actor from Surat, who is an engineer and has collaborated with multinational corporations as he plays with a few start-up ideas aims to bring out the Gujarati businessman in him as well. “Pratik also has theatre experience with Gujarati films like Bey Yaar, Wrong Side Raju, and Mohan’s Masala to his credit,” the two mediums are vastly different. While the viewer is part of the production in the theatre with its enthusiasm and immediate reaction, cinema is a one-way medium. Often, the character stays for 2-3 hours in the theatre. Scam 1992 is his first web series and there was a new feel to the shoot that lasted months. The cycle of acting for him remains the same, whether it’s stage or screen.