How Taish posters, trailers helped Harshvardhan Rane beat Covid-19 faster: Interview

Taish, a revenge drama directed by Bejoy Nambiar, premieres today on Zee5. Starring Pulkit Samrat, Harshvardhan Rane, Jim Sarbh, Kriti Kharbanda and Sanjeeda Shaikh in an ensemble cast, Taish is releasing as a film as well as a web series.

Harshvardhan Rane plays Pali, an intense character driven by rage, in Taish. Harshvardhan speaks to IndiaToday.in about working with director Bejoy Nambiar, isolating himself for a week to tap into his character's psyche, dubbing from his hospital bed after testing positive for coronavirus, and more.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Bejoy Nambiar is one of the most prominent directors of the Hindi film industry. How was your experience of working with him?

It was 2009 or 2010, when I saw a short film directed by Bejoy Nambiar. I was completely in awe of his work. Suddenly, there was a shot in the film with a clip featuring my scene on TV. It was an insane feeling. I couldn't understand if I was hallucinating. Bejoy Sir unknowingly put me in his film. When we were shooting Taish in London, I told him about the incident. I think we were destined to work together. I have a very deep connection with him now.

My blind faith and love for Bejoy Sir is not just because of his filmmaking style, but because he did not give in to the market. He doesn't work with only familiar faces. I have only done one film and he gave me work. This makes me respect him even more. This man could have approached anyone after working with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar. So I believe this man has a lot of guts, and the heart and nerve of steel. He doesn't give in to the commercial pressure, which reflects in his filmmaking as well. He fights to show his vision, as different as it may be.

How did you prepare for your role in Taish?

I left Bombay and went and locked myself in a bungalow for a week. I switched off my phone and put it on my Instagram account that I wasn't going to be available for a week. Even the food was slid in through the door during that time. I didn't see any human being. I didn't have access to television, network or film. And I started diving into this emotion of rage. Before leaving, I told Bejoy Sir about doing this and he was a little worried, but I assured him.

Harshvardhan Rane's look in Taish.

I started with a few videos, made notes and a graph for my character's emotions. Taish, the name of the film translates to rage and you don't reach that emotion suddenly. It's usually present from childhood. I talked to psychologists to understand why rage takes over a person and where it roots from. Bejoy Sir really liked the arc that I created and asked me to bring my notes to shoot every day. So that's my process. 95 per cent of my work never makes it to the film. Every actor has a way of approaching the character he plays and this is my way.

You were diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month and had to dub for the film from the hospital. How did you keep your spirits up during that time?

I give all the credit to the film and Bejoy Sir. He kept sending me posters, teasers and trailers... every small detail about the film. That kept lifting my spirits. It helped me recover faster. I can't talk broadly about the disease, but I definitely think looking forward to something helps. When Bejoy Sir asked me if I could dub from the hospital, I knew he was feeling very sorry about it. But I wanted to do it. I started with one blanket and it did not work. Then I called for 12 blankets and made a little cape. I kept my phone elevated so that it wouldn't touch anything. From the opening of the cape, I dubbed.

Taish is releasing as a film as well as a web series, simultaneously. Do you think the team has done something groundbreaking here?

We shot Taish as a film. We had no clue that there would be a web series. Thanks to coronavirus and the pandemic, now we can proudly say that we are the first ones to bring this to the audiences. Bejoy Sir is the first director on the planet to have come up with something like this. It's a big milestone, which is underrated right now. People will realise its potential after a few months, when other people also start doing it. It is empowering for the audience when you give them options, entertainment to experiment with.

Personally, I am excited for the film format because that's how I shot Taish. That was why I ran away from my home to prepare for the role. No judgment for the other format; it's a creative call. Even I am curious to know how the same story can be told in two different ways. But that's the magic of storytelling. It will be interesting to find out how Bejoy Sir has done it.

Was Bollywood always part of the plan? How challenging has it been for you to enter the industry?

It was the only plan I ever had. I just wanted to be a part of the Hindi film industry. I was into journaling and every morning, I would write how I wanted to do this. I just feel I have invested in that 16-year-old boy who ran away from his home to be in films 20 years ago. For me, it is kind of a full circle. I don't want to be number one number or two; I just want to be a part of this industry that tells stories, makes people laugh, cry and fall for the characters. Things are changing in Bollywood and I am very happy to be here.