Mumbai: In an exclusive Interview with Actor Jitin Gulati, where he shared his journey, from quitting his banking job to pursuing acting. Then, he discussed working with Kajol Devgn in "Maa", praising her professionalism and warmth. Jitin talked about navigating groupism in Bollywood, emphasizing the importance of trust and familiarity. Moreover, with upcoming projects in Telugu cinema, Jitin expressed gratitude to his audience and emphasized the value of emotional connection with stories.
00:00The first thing you want to know is how you can summarize your journey?
00:08I think if I can summarize my journey in one line, I would say it has been slow but very steady and always upwards.
00:19So, I don't want to go around but at least wherever I am going, I am always moving forward.
00:27How was your experience with Kajol? How did you handle the pressure and excitement with Kajol?
00:35The day I signed the film, I did not even tell myself that I am working with Kajol.
00:44It has been slow and slow.
00:46And of course, once the shoot day comes, the nervousness, the nerves really go away.
00:52But I think when I was reading, we did our rehearsal.
00:57And once you're on the set, she comes as the character.
01:03And there is where I think the superstar stops being the superstar and the actor takes over.
01:09And that's where the comfort factor for us other actors I think comes forward.
01:13So, yes, I mean, I was very excited, very nervous.
01:16But thanks to her, it was a joyful experience.
01:20How did you get to learn something with Kajol as an experienced actor in the set?
01:27I think the one thing, which I have learned from her, while she is great, intense in her film, and she is so pitch perfect.
01:39But at the same time, she knows how to have fun on the set.
01:42It doesn't mean that there are some actors in the character and others don't talk about it.
01:47She is still very jovial, she is still full of energy, she is still cracking jokes.
01:51And as soon as the camera goes on, she is a different person.
01:55She is that character.
01:56So, I think that's one thing you'll have to learn.
01:58I think that might come across from experience, from craft.
02:02But you don't seek that, how do you do that?
02:07You need to have fun while you are working.
02:09Otherwise, I think it will be very serious for us.
02:12The most pivotal moment of your career is the most pivotal moment of your career?
02:21You know, it is a pivotal moment of your career.
02:26I think things change.
02:28My career has been largely made up of a lot of Fridays,
02:31where things have changed slowly and steadily.
02:35The pivotal point for me, I would say, is the decision to become an actor.
02:39When I quit my banking job and I started acting at the age of 15.
02:43It was pretty actually late to start pursuing this profession.
02:47But that was a big moment.
02:49But otherwise, I would say that my journey has been quite, it has been consistent.
02:54And I have seen small, small pivots through the way.
02:58And hopefully, they will take me, they will take me far into the ultimate destination.
03:04Do you think that there is groupism in the industry?
03:06If yes, how did you learn from it?
03:09Industry in the groupism?
03:11Look, I always feel that people, it is a very high-risk business.
03:18People always want to work with people they know.
03:21It is definitely easier to trust people from film families.
03:27Because, if you have 50 crores in a film, they know who they can call and who they can fall back on.
03:38Maybe it is difficult to trust somebody coming from outside.
03:45Not to mention that, you know, the business is so risky that you need to trust people and you need to know them from before to really give them such a big responsibility.
03:56So, if you call it groupism, if you call it working with friends and if you call it working with people you know, it happens there.
04:05But, I would like to think that it is more out of a comfort and convenience factor than anything else.
04:12Film industry mein aap kitni struggle phase ki hai hai, aap ki liye journey mein taptay tough cheez kya te?
04:20The whole journey, I mean, look, I just feel one thing, agar aapko kuch, if you want to achieve your dreams, especially if you are moving away against the current.
04:34Dekhi, hume kuhi, as if, I think it's true for all actors, kuhi family se do bolta nahi hai ki jaate akkar noo.
04:41While that support is very important and I am very fortunate in that regard.
04:52But, kuhi bhi family mein, especially middle class family mein he gotta ki hai, nobody would push us and become and say that please go ahead and become an actor.
05:01So, the journey is hard and it's not hard just for me, it's hard for everyone and every respect.
05:07Whether it's living in Bombay and looking for work is concerned, whether because it is such an uncertain business, the various things that happen.
05:18Whether it's, you know, the lack of opportunities or whether it's to do with what all you encounter while you are looking for these opportunities.
05:27So, journey is hard of course but I also feel that if you really love something and your love for that thing is bigger than any problem that you encounter.
05:36You can surpass anything.
05:39And of course, yeh see field hai, jhaan pe hai mein sab kuh chahi ho ta.
05:43You know, you're looking for fame, you're looking for money, you're looking for success.
05:47You actually are asking for everything.
05:49Sorry.
05:51So, if you are wanting everything, I think you'll have to give everything also.
05:57If it's full of money, it's fine so that you have to give everything.
06:04in the industry, you need a strong identity or you need to do a job with a job?
06:11It is a job with a job.
06:14If you do not have a job with a job, then you don't have a job.
06:21If you do not have a job with a job, then you will have a job with a job.
06:29As an actor, you are a brand, people see you.
06:36It is important that you create an identity and you also keep on reinventing and you also
06:43keep on changing that identity over the years so that you last longer.
06:48I think all the actors that we name and we look up to are so successful.
06:53They have been successful because they have always worked on their identity
06:58and they kept on reinventing themselves.
07:013.1 Mishra CA Topper was a very bold and unpredictable show.
07:05Do you think people will receive it like this or the criticism has been surprised?
07:11I think most importantly, I was very surprised that it was very controversial regarding
07:18because we called it CA Topper.
07:20But I think it was just like judging a book before you read it.
07:25After showing it, I think everybody liked it.
07:28Everybody enjoyed it a lot.
07:29People really appreciated it for the dialogues, the performances and it did very well.
07:35So, as much as I know it's a risky thing, but if done well, anything risky I think is also accepted.
07:43Ultimately, the audience wants to enjoy a story and be entertained by it.
07:48So, I think that's what Tilpon did and very proud of it.
07:52In the industry, many times it's said that looks matter more than talent.
07:57So, how much easier it is to make your own place?
08:01Look, our work is visual medium.
08:04So, looks are definitely an integral aspect of what I do.
08:09But to each his own.
08:11I have also heard that looks are more important.
08:15So, a lot of people feel that looks on the basis of the looks.
08:21I have also faced the other side of it where sometimes because I look a certain way,
08:27I don't get called for roles which are very character oriented or very depth oriented.
08:32It is just assumed that you have worked so much in your looks that you might think about it.
08:40Maybe you might think about it.
08:41Maybe you don't think about it.
08:43Maybe perception is that if you are in gym, your brains are in your biceps.
08:47You might not have the depth to understand characters and layering of a character.
08:53So, in all perception, people keep on perceiving you.
09:01People keep on saying things.
09:03The day you prove yourself in your craft is the day they will start calling you for good work.
09:11So, I think the point is to concentrate on good work and not really worry about what people think about the works.
09:18Bombay is a crime drama or girls will be girls like emotional complex films.
09:24What do you think?
09:25Indian audience is a safe content.
09:27Which content is a safe content?
09:28I think it is always important not to generalize our audience.
09:29Our audience is very intelligent and I think ahead of us.
09:30Very ahead of us over the world.
09:31They are watching some things that we have to see and then we know that we are going to go ahead and say that.
09:38The idea is not what the audience wants.
09:40The idea is sometimes that as creators, as artists, we have to be head of the audience saying that they might want to be the head of the audience.
09:46They might want this and then do it with conviction.
10:03Many a times our audience is not ready for something.
10:07and then turn things with conviction, with passion and in the correct way.
10:11Audience always laps it up.
10:13They always have good work.
10:14So, it is not that they are safe, but they are always ready for good and new stuff.
10:23So, if they are a good actor, you will be good on stage, quality, you will be good on any media, you will be good on television, you will be good on virtual.
10:47So, I don't think so, craft wise or skill wise your perception is just that as an actor
10:54how do you handle that medium, how do you see that medium as, every medium has their
11:00benefits and I think you've got to just make the most of that.
11:04When you're talking about actor to boss in 2025, does this pressure create that every
11:10project is heartbreaking?
11:11Sorry, come again, sorry.
11:13After such a long journey, if people consider me as an actor to watch out for, people are
11:19looking forward to the next projects that I'm doing, I see that as a responsibility and
11:38I see that as a responsibility because it's very difficult to get a platform.
11:43And thankfully, this kind of a thing is happening to me after I've worked so much and you have
11:49gained the necessary experience.
11:51So, I don't see pressure on myself.
11:53I see that as a confidence that people have in me and in my craft.
11:57I see that as a responsibility that's given to me and I just want to be my best.
12:01Now, some actors also think about a genre in a genre.
12:05So, how do you ensure that you make a genre bending and storytelling?
12:10I don't want to think about it.
12:12I want to watch a genre.
12:13I want to watch a good story and instinctively, what does the story want to say?
12:19I think all the audience wants to have an emotional connect.
12:22Whether it's in a romantic genre, whether it's in a horror genre, whether it's in a gangster
12:27drama, whether it's in an action film.
12:30So, I think the genre is honestly irrespective.
12:33I want to enjoy it and work with people and an emotional connect for an audience.
12:40So, lastly, what are your future projects?
12:43And what do you want to message your fans?
12:46First of all, I want to thank everyone.
12:49The biggest support system that I have in this journey is the audience.
12:56The feedback that you get, the reviews that you get, that I got in for my performances
13:02in Mumbai, Marijaan, on my working activity, Hala, Tudwan, Maa, the messages that I get.
13:08I think I am just very thankful and please know that they matter to me a lot.
13:15Because we need support in this business, in this artwork's journey of ours.
13:21And that support really means a lot to me.
13:23So, thank you so much.
13:24And projects-wise, now I'm going to Telugu Filmmaker now.
13:28So, basically, if I can, for want of a better world, they are panicking your friends.
13:34So, one shoot has already started, one shoot in August.
13:37But I definitely love to share the details as and when I play it.
