Why the cast of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ has the stage to thank for their roles on the screen

What’s the draw to be part of an ensemble cast for the series Saare Jahan Se Accha?

Anup Soni: Good actors, script and makers are the draw.

Pratik Gandhi: During our growing up years, the only spy we knew of was James Bond, who had swag and cool gadgets. But a real spy works differently. They can’t afford to have any kind of attention on them. Nobody knows what a real spy looks like. The way the writer-director visualised this is what adds to the uniqueness of the series.

Sunny Hinduja: I would give credit to Gaurav Shukla and the team for the way they have visualised the plot, along with the nitty gritties of their personal lives. Pratik as R&AW agent may not want the spotlight on him but Sunny as an ISI agent has swag.

Pratik Gandhi: That reflects the basic difference between how the agencies of different countries work.

From what we have read, the R&AW works with a lot of restraint. Ultimately, they are working for their country and can kill for it. But when do they take such an extreme step is a key question.

Sunny: You don’t find interviews of agents. But the functioning and recruitment of ISI is different from how the R&AW goes about it. So, whatever I could gather from the script and learnt from the research, I tried to use that in my performance.

Pratik, you played Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992 and now the titular protagonist in the new series Gandhi. What’s your approach while essaying these characters?

Pratik: When I am playing a real-life character, the ups and downs of their lives are usually known but what’s going on in their mind when they are taking a major decision is not. That’s open for interpretation and that’s what I focus on. Vishnu’s character in Saare Jahan Se Accha is fictional but we can assume that it is the blend of several real-life characters. Since he is fictional, I got a free hand to portray him.

Also Read | From low-key to larger-than-life, the many faces of Indian spies onscreen

Anup, you made your screen debut with Shanti (1994-98) nearly 30 years ago. How was that experience?

Anup: Those days we just wanted to act, irrespective of the format. Shanti was unique as it was the first daily soap opera on Doordarshan. I tried for a role a couple of times but was not selected even though many of my friends were acting in it. I got a role in it in 1995 after its 100 episodes were over.

All three of you have acted in theatre.

Pratik: I feel alive on stage. You constantly calibrate yourself while performing in front of a live audience. Even though you play the same character several times, after 500 shows you may come up with something new — a nuance, a pause or a meaning. It teaches you that excellence is not a point, it’s a constant journey.

Anup: While performing in a play — I act in two running plays, Ballygunge 1990 and My Wife’s 8th Vachan — one may believe that the eighth show was the best but later, the 40th show may appear to be the best. You constantly keep learning.