New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- Be it Chiranjeevi in 'Kaala Pani' or Gaurav in 'Monica, O My Darling', actor Sukant Goel brings a raw intensity to every character he has played so far. In fact, people often ask him if he deliberately chooses such roles. But Sukant doesn't want to restrict himself to only playing wacky characters, though he takes it as a compliment. He's eager to dive into a gangster film or a hardcore romantic drama. In Ananyabrata Chakravorty's debut Hindi film 'Kaisi Ye Paheli', Sukant plays a policeman and a son who shares a strained, almost irreparable relationship with his mother. The murder mystery had its world premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival. 'Millennium Post' catches up with the actor to talk about films, theatre and more. His next release, Anurag Kashyap's 'Bandar', had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
From 'Kaala Paani', '12th Fail' and 'L2: Empuraan' to now leading 'Kaisi Ye Paheli', when you look back, was there a moment that made you feel, "Okay, the industry is finally noticing me now"?
I think it was after the 'Ghost Stories' (2020). Four acclaimed directors, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee (I was in his segment), Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, came together to tell stories on 'Netflix'. At that time, there wasn't this bombardment of content like there is now. I guess people in the industry watched that anthology and noticed me. Later, 'Monica, O My Darling' added to that. So yes, that's when I felt seen.
You grew up in Uttar Pradesh and came into films through theatre. Did you ever feel like an outsider in the industry? What were the toughest stretches and what kept you grounded when the work wasn't consistent?
Honestly, the moment I came here to become an actor, I was quickly absorbed into Mumbai's theatre circuit and that felt like home. So, I didn't feel like an outsider for a long time. We were involved in theatre. constantly working on plays, making them, watching them and learning. And because money isn't the main factor there, it keeps you centred. I did my first workshop under Satyadev Dubey and he told me, "Every night, if you feel like you've done some work that day, you'll be fine. sanity-wise." Theatre does that for me. I'm fine when the theatre is happening. And if cinema work isn't happening, that's absolutely fine.
The characters you've played in 'Monica, O My Darling', 'Kaala Paani' or '12th Fail', all carry this quiet intensity. Now that you're more in the spotlight, have you noticed a shift in the kinds of roles you're being offered?
People often ask me if I consciously pick out-of-the-box or weird characters like the ones in 'Monica, O My Darling' or 'Kaala Paani'. But I don't always make these choices intentionally. I don't even have that kind of power. A lot of these roles just came to me and they were exciting enough for me to give them everything. After 'Kaala Paani', people started offering me South Indian characters, some even from big banners, but I didn't want to do that. Then there were serial killers, murderers. basically wacky or crazy characters. I take it as a compliment, but I don't want to do only that. I think I can do many things. I'd love to do a gangster film, an action film or a proper love story.
'Kaisi Ye Paheli' is your first time headlining a feature film. Did the responsibility of carrying a film change the way you see yourself as an actor in the Hindi film space?
I actually felt the mother in the film was at the centre or rather, the mother-son relationship was at the centre of the story. It's a different narrative, so I don't see it in terms of who is leading the film. If you watch it, you'll notice that most of the time my character is quiet and the other characters are driving the story forward. So, for me, it was never about headlining the film. I just want to be part of good stories.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.