Danish Kalra, who is currently starring in Sudhir Mishra’s Jehanabad of Love and War, recalls how his scenes in Kabir Singh were cut, which caused him to doubt himself and his craft.
“My character is almost completely unaware of this. My character plays a role in the love story. I wanted to protect my character. I have opinions on the subject, but I never let them interfere with my character. The director did not glorify anything; the show simply depicted reality as it is. There were many issues that I felt could have been discussed, but there is nothing objectionable in the show. I know there is a lot more that could be done, and all of the shortcomings will be made up for in the second season,” he replied when asked about the preparation he had done for the shoot.
Danish talked about the disappointment he had when he realised his scenes were chopped from Shahid Kapoor’s film Kabir Singh. “I spoke with one of the supporting cast members and was told that they wanted to keep portions of the story related to the lead characters alone. I’m not sure if that’s the real reason, but that’s what I know. I believe my character was important, but other scenes (those of Soham Majumdar) were also cut. That role meant a lot to me. I was a new actor who got a break in a big movie.
Of course, I had my doubts. What did I do? Mujhe laga maine kya kiya, meri wajah se to nahi hua (What did I do? Was the scene cut because of my lack of talent)? But then I found out that others had experienced the same thing. Aur mai moti chamdi ka ho gaya, abhi jo meri haath me nahi hai, mai dhyan nahi deta. I no longer worry about things over which I have no control). When my Neerja portions were chopped, similar things happened. No, I actually assumed that my contribution was significant, but it was not.” he says.
He was the newcomer in this seasoned cast. “When Rajat sir first arrived on set, I expected him to be a serious, authoritative figure. I couldn’t even talk to him, but he started conversations, and things got interesting ” he went on to say. He also claims that Rajat’s personality makes everyone around him laugh all the time. On sets, they would talk about books, philosophy, and Bond. He and Rajesh Jais also have a real-life mama-bhanja equation.
