With his role as Harshad Mehta in the online series Scam 1992, he created a name for himself as an actor. Pratik Gandhi was soon enlisted by Hindi filmmakers for a number of film projects. “Atithi Bhooto Bhava”, “Dedh Bigha Zameen”, “Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan?” and a rom-com drama with Vidya Balan are among the next features for the actor.
Interestingly, his web show prompted directors to take him seriously as an actor; otherwise, Pratik’s Hindi cinema career consisted of modest, supporting roles in films such as “68 Pages” (2007), “LoveYatri” (2018), and “Mitron” (2018). According to the actor, who began his career in theatre and Gujarati films, “After doing theatre in regional language, I took a plunge into Gujarati movies. By god’s grace my work received a lot of appreciation there. When it came to working in Hindi cinema, I could see that filmmakers were hesitant to cast me in lead roles.”
He further adds, “People did approach me, but for supporting characters. Producers and directors here thought that yes I was a good actor, but not a saleable face in Bollywood. So they offered supporting roles saying, ‘your character can cushion the main character and this way people will take notice of you as an actor. Like many other newbies I too thought of taking this route thinking it will help me break into mainstream Bollywood films as a lead hero. After all, beggars can’t be choosers!”
Pratik is ecstatic about this new chapter in his career, especially given the positive feedback he has gotten. In a previous interview with BT, he stated, “Today, when I look at the projects lined up, I don’t feel nervous or pressurised. I am only excited. I guess my experience in theatre and Gujarati films, where I worked mainly as the central protagonist, has given me some sort of confidence to sail through.”
