Ask and you shall receive - Gautam Rode
Our questions may be endless but Gautam Rode never tires of answering them. We love to feature this handsome, charming and extremely talented actor in Tinsel Gupshup. This is a special feature because this time around, we let curiosity get the better of Gautam’s admirers! Ask and you shall receive…so read on as Mr. Saraswatichandra’s fans ask the questions and receive refreshingly honest answers from the man himself…
Cat: You must be accustomed to receiving praises on your acting skills and looks. What's the most unique compliment you've ever received, that stood out from the rest? Do you remember who paid you the compliment?
GR: Hmmm…compliment that has stood out? A lot of people say that they love my work and the show and that means a lot to me. My 6 year old niece watches the show and she tells me that she watches it only for ‘Saras’ so that is probably the sweetest compliment I have received.
Jesleen Simran: When did you go on a date for the first time?
GR: Oh…that was when I was in the 10th standard I think…(pauses)…yes it was the 10th standard
Nisa: If money was no object, what would you be doing with your life?
GR: (Sighs) Oh, I would have gone away to a nice, quiet place in some hill station and opened a small café for myself! I would have settled down there and led a very simple and peaceful life.
Ritika: What catches your attention when you meet a woman?
GR: The way she carries herself
Shona: What qualities should Miss Right have?
GR: Compatibility is very important for me. The person should understand me and I should understand the person. That is the most important thing for me. We should understand each other’s work, personality as well as likes and dislikes.
Netri Mehta: We have seen you sing Gujarati folk songs and speak a few gujarati dialogues in your show. Are you able to understand Gujarati? (Considering the show has many Gujarati actors)
GR: Not completely but yes, I do understand a few sentences. It is my job to get into the character and say the lines as convincingly as possible. So if the lines are in Gujarati, I will make sure that I understand them and get the diction right.
Parul: Which is your favourite festival?
GR: Diwali…I mean we don’t get a day off so any festival or occasion where I can spend time with my family is special for me.
Neha: You come across as a very grounded and calm person. Do you lose your cool / temper easily?
GR: I used to be short tempered but not so much now. Shooting for such long hours and lack of sleep can make you cranky but I have kind of mastered the art of staying calm and collected at work. I have to be honest; my loved ones do get to see my cranky side! In public places and at work I can’t really lose my temper and be unprofessional. Once I am home…if I am irritated or angry…I’ll show it. Most of the times, my mom gets to see these sides to me.
Mausumi: You shoot for such long hours but do you get time to relax with the cast and crew / play pranks etc on the set?
GR: Hmmm…I don’t play pranks but I am very energetic and jovial on the set. In fact most of the cast and crew members are amazed because I do a lot of masti! Basically, if I am in my elements, I’ll be jumping around, fooling around etc! I do get very tired because of the exhausting schedule but doing ‘masti’ helps me stay awake and I get to trouble people at the same time!
Aparna T: How does it feel to be working in such big budget show, shooting abroad and that also working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
GR: It feels fantastic! I am associated with such a well established production house and the best channel (STAR Plus). Also, Mr. Bhansali’s name is linked to the project because he is the producer so that gives our show an added edge! People have high expectations from everyone in the show and that makes me work harder! So, it is an amazing feeling
Sophie Em: Hi Gautam! You're terrific as Saras, thank you for gracing our TV screens with your presence. Could you share any interesting incident in recent memory? Something that made you smile or perhaps, took you by surprise?
GR: Yes! There was an incident that shocked me! I was shooting the kite sequence, the one where I have to enter a lake to rescue Kumud’s kite. It was the lake where Saras’s mother had committed suicide. Well, the scene came out so beautifully but in actuality that lake was so so dirty!! It was still water and smelling like anything. Once I entered that lake I was so shocked at the state of it and the stench was just unbearable. Obviously, as an actor I had a job to do and I could not crib so I was able to give my shot convincingly. I had to enter that lake repeatedly for two consecutive days and I hated it! So, surprise would be the wrong word but I was definitely taken aback every time I had to step into that dirty water.
Meenu Nair: Have you ever visited Kerala?
GR: Yes! I have been to Kovalam beach and I just loved it. This was almost 5-6 years back.
Asha Kiran: Any chance of visiting Toronto?
GR: Nothing planned out immediately but some day, I would love to visit Toronto
Varsha Sankaran: How is the off-screen relationship of Gautam and Jenny? Are they good friends?
GR: We are not close friends. We do share a good professional rapport on the set.
Maithreyi I: As someone from Delhi, how have you adjusted to life in Mumbai? What did you find most difficult to deal with? What was the most surprising facet of life in Mumbai?
GR: The most surprising facets were the crowd and the traffic. I know that traffic in Delhi is quite bad now but I moved to Mumbai almost 10 years ago. The crowds in Mumbai took some getting used to. I remember I was at Churchgate station and it was peak rush hour because people were returning home from work. There was a point when I could see nothing but heads all around me. I felt so suffocated and that moment...I got scared. I kept thinking, ‘where the hell am I?’, because I just could not see anything past peoples’ heads! It took me some time to get used to life in Mumbai.
Aliza: Do you wear your own clothes for Saraswatichandra?
GR: Yes…I am doing that! I prefer to wear my own clothes for the show and there is a designer friend Sandesh who also designs for me. Most of the clothes are chosen by me so now I have two wardrobes…one with my regular clothes and then I have one for ‘Saraswatichandra’ clothes alone!
Ayushi: What was your first reaction when you got the role of Saras?
GR: I was extremely happy that everything worked out and fell into place. It was a fantastic project to be associated with so it was a good feeling.
GautamRoderules: What is the biggest turnoff for Gautam in the opposite sex?
GR: Ok...two things – if the girl is too loud and if she smells bad. I am very particular about these things.
Sana: When are you planning on getting married?
GR: (Laughs) I really don’t know the answer to that question myself
Surbhi Maheshwari: Who is your best friend and who is your favourite costar?
GR: Nigaar Khan and Waseem Sabir are my closest friends. Hmmm…I loved shooting with an actor called Gyan Prakash. I used to do a show with him called ‘Lucky’ where he played my guardian. I just loved working with him. He is an excellent actor and we shared a great rapport. We understood each other as actors so small small nuances used to come out brilliantly. In comedy, it is crucial to get the timings right and we managed to do that because we were so well tuned to each other! This was a comedy show so it was very important for us to get the timings right.
“Thank you so much for all the questions! Really appreciate and love your support. Will keep working hard for you…I promise! Take care…be safe :-)" Gautam Rode
Photo credit: Gautam Rode
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