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Child artiste Vedant Nerurkar on his role in the Aamir Khan-Rani Mukherji starrer,Talaash.

The excitement in his eyes can’t be missed. Vedant Nerurkar,a third standard student of DAV Public School,Aundh,has recently finished shooting with Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherji for their film,Talaash . The film is slated to release next year. Vedant plays the role of Samar in Talaash,Aamir Khan’s son’s best friend.

The child artiste was part of the shooting schedules at Puducherry,Mumbai and Khopoli. “The auditions for Talaash were held in Mumbai. There were quite a few children but we were lucky that Vedant got finalised for the role, shares his mother,Shweta Nerurkar. For one of his main scenes in the film,Vedant had to go through a special training programme for underwater swimming. Whenever I would get scared and nervous to swim underwater,Aamir would keep his hand on my heart and say ‘All is Well’. After every shot,he would give me a high five, Vedant recounts with a smile. Aamir would also request Vedant to speak to him in Marathi. “Then,he would ask me about the meaning of various Marathi words! the eight-year-old says.

Vedant remembers both Mukherji and Khan for their warmth and concern. “I first met Aamir Khan during the film shoot in Mumbai. He was in the garb a policeman. I couldn’t recognise him! It was he who came up to me to chat and talk about the shooting schedule. He put me at ease and encouraged me to give my best to the role,” Vedant says. He grins as he talks about the attention that Mukherji lavished on him. She would always hug me and take care of me during the shoot. We both shared a good bond, he says.

Vedant will also be seen in the short Hindi film Magic Ball,directed by Bhagwat Mendake. The film was shot at Nashik in October and will premiere at the New York Film Festival in December. Vedant’s mother too has a role in the movie. “He is playing the lead role and I am his mother,” she says. Vedant has also acted in a couple of advertisements formerly. “His teachers and school principal have been very supportive,” his mother adds. Ask the young boy about his interests other than acting and he says,”Swimming and playing football.”

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