He is handsome, he is
talented, he is a dreamer and knows how to achieve his dreams. I one day just
messaged him on Face Book for an interview and he replied positively within an
hour, in spite of being so busy. Throughout the telephonic interaction we had, I
discovered him to be a positive, opinionated, passionate about his work and an awesome
human being who is very grounded. Let’s Talk Life with actor Suyash Tilak,
where he talks about his journey of life, his movie Classmates (Releases 16th January 2015) , his love for family, food, travel, photography, how he cannot
stand liars and his ultimate passion for acting.... which he calls it his "Breath".
- Kindly tell us something
about yourself
I am born and brought up
in Pune. My mother is a Bharatnatyam dancer and runs an institute in Pune from
past 30 years. My father is a civil engineer and he is an enthusiast when it
comes to art. I was very studies since my school days. I loved sports and am a
National level swimmer.
I loved watching films
and reading in my past time. I participated in all inter-school competitions and
was a winner. I always believed and still believe in healthy competition. I had
an inclination to be an actor or a performer since I was a child, but stopped
all the activities when I was in my 10th as I wanted to concentrate
in my studies, but was feeling very empty and could not concentrate on my
studies, that was the time I realized that I cannot live without all this.
After 12th I
wanted to be a doctor, but did not take it up seriously and decided to take
Computer Science but lost interest in studies in 4 months. My parents were very
insecure as to what I was doing with my career. I told my parents that studies
do not interest me anymore and I want to do something in the entertainment
industry. They were a little apprehensive with my decision, as we all know how
uncertain this industry is. My parents always wanted us to stand on our own feet;
we were not pampered at all. I did not give my final year paper and opted out.
My father was disturbed, rather concerned with what I was doing and wanted me
to at least complete my graduation.
I later went to Fergusson
College as the theatre activities in that college are very well known. All the
admissions were done, but somehow tried to convince the principal that I would
be an asset to the college and all my certificates of sports and acting helped
me to get admission there. During admission when I was asked what stream I
wanted to get into, I opted for Environmental Science instead of Arts. My
father was shocked then, but I only took that up to see a smile on my father’s
face and also I loved nature and wildlife photography. I promised to
participate in all sports and other activities of the college. My day started
at 5am and ended at 1 am.
The one thing in me that
kept me going was conviction and faith to be an actor. I just followed my
dream. I love photography, travelling, meeting new people and spending time
with myself. I am a complete movie buff. I hate people who lie, I can’t stand
that. I can understand fake people, but not liars.
- How did acting happen?
What motivated you to be an Actor?
In the fourth standard I
did my first play (3 hours long) on Shivaji Maharaj, where I played
Shivaji and suddenly developed liking for what I was doing. That was the first
time I faced the stage. I owe everything to that stage; it gave me confidence
to be where I am today. Initially I was very shy.
In my school days I had a
feminine kind of a voice and was really ashamed of it. I was disheartened as I
knew that a good and clear voice is very important to sustain and succeed in
the industry. I did not know how to overcome it. My teacher along with my
parents worked on me and my voice, teaching me various voice related exercises
and voice modulation. This helped me develop a different confidence in me that
I am here to do and achieve something. I owe this to my parents and my
teachers.
While in college, as
mentioned earlier I lost interest in studies and started bunking college to
watch plays, direct plays and visit and learn from people who made plays. This
had become my world. During my Fergusson days I did a lot of experimental
theatre , workshops, “Purshottam Karandak” gave me a new imputes
to see my career in a different light, I learnt lighting , backstage work ,
music for plays. There was one thing at that time that bothered me which was not
getting noticed as an actor, for which I am here for. No one took me seriously
as an actor.
I met a lot of people,
gave auditions for playing a lead but nothing somehow was working out. I gave
audition for Zee Marathi’s serial “Amar Prem” to play the lead,
but did not get through. After some months I got a call to play a small
character for the same serial and I grabbed that opportunity. Zee Marathi gave
me my first break. Acting in front of the camera was scary, but my knowledge of
being a technician during college days helped me a lot. After that I did a
supporting role for Balaji telefilms “Bandha Reshamache” and
again a supporting role for “Pudhcha Paul”, “Durva”
After that I started getting better role and
people developed confidence in me as an actor and then I was offered my First
Serial as a lead actor “Ka Re Durava”. The only thing that kept
me going through the process was my love for acting and conviction to be an
actor. I breathe acting.
- Tell us about your
experience in playing a lead for a Marathi daily soap?
I loved the concept of
the show (“Ka Re Durava” – Zee Marathi). The best part I loved about the show was
that the show gave me to play different shades from that one character “Jay”.
Initially I was a little apprehensive about TV shows as they eventually
turn out to be woman centric, but this show somehow had a different point of
view altogether.
Initial days and months we got mixed reactions
for the show. We were confused whether the audience liked the freshness of the
show or the like the show as a whole. Fortunately we are blessed with the
response and applauds that the show and we artists are getting. Wherever I go,
people consider me as a part of their family and I love that. I am happy that I
am able to entertain the audience as their family member. The best part is that
I trust my director and I am a director’s actor.
- You are receiving a lot
of applauds and popularity from "Ka Re Durava" Your take on
that?
Honestly, I feel blessed,
with all the applauds and love I receive. It gives me a responsibility to give
my best and move towards excellence. It feels great that our hard work pays off
and we are able to get a smile on our audience face.
- Does Suyash resemble Jay
in real life?
The character of Jay
that I play in ‘Ka Re Durava’ is very tolerating, which I am not
that much in reality. Our basic nature is somewhat similar. The track closest
to me is the father and son relation that is shown in the serial; I connect
very well with that.
I always wanted to play a
‘Mumbai’ based character, hence to get the hang of it I started travelling by
buses and trains. The life of a Mumbai based youngster is fast, chaotic, and
competitive yet there is a warm attachment with the family. The best part is
that, they are not too boastful and about it. They can be at 2 places at one
time. This is what I love about Mumbaikars.
As an actor I put all my
real life experiences when I play the character. The difficult things that I
cannot do, I do it through my character Jay. Jay and I have
similar thoughts about life and family. Some situations that I faced initially
helps me to connect with Jay, like sacrifice, distance from loved ones
(family), getting no credit for the job done. I honestly connect a lot with
Jay, and that somewhere helps to add that pinch of reality to the character.
- Apart from acting what do
you do in your pastime?
Whenever I am not
shooting, I catch up on movies, I love all kind of cinema, it is a treat to
watch Tamil and Malayalam films as well. I read a lot; I pursue photography as a hobby. Travelling is
something I love, it is fun to drive away and see new places and meet new
people. I do not party much, love spending quality time with myself.
- Perks of choosing your
career?
I never looked at my
profession as an advantage. Whenever I am called as a celebrity guest for any
show, function or at any college, I do not go there as a celebrity but look at
it as a chance to meet people. I never looked at glamour and popularity. I am
here to act and would love to play different characters. I breathe acting and I
am blank when I am not acting.
- Challenges that you faced
during your journey? How did you overcome them?
As I mentioned earlier my
Voice (that time a little feminine) was the biggest challenge in front of me,
as to become an actor and good voice is very important. My teachers and my
parents helped me a lot to overcome this challenge.
I am a foodie, I love
trying out different cuisines and so I tend put on weight easily and losing
weight becomes a challenge. Also Acceptance is the biggest challenge that every
actor faces and will always continue facing. For me it has never been an easy path
to reach where I am today. Hard work, conviction and faith in yourself and your
abilities can only let you overcome this challenge.
- Tell us about your
upcoming movie Classmates, talk about your role in the movie?
Classmates is releasing on 16th Jan 2015.
It is about friends and college life. In the movie, I play the character of Amit
– a shy, under-confident boy, but is very genuine and trustworthy. He is so
under- confident that he is always ready to commit suicide as he feels that it
is the only way to deal or face the situation. He is a perfect misfit amongst
all the other classmates. He does not express himself in front of all, but is
very sensitive and prefers crying in one corner. The best part is how his
fellow classmates change Amit and give him a new family and a
happy life.
- Would you like to share
anything about your upcoming projects?
My upcoming movie “Classmates”
is all set for release and then I am playing a small role in a movie – “Coffee
Ani Barach Kahi”
- What was your 'Nothing is
Impossible moment'?
It was when I was offered
the character of ‘Amit’ for my upcoming movie “Classmates”. When my director Aditya Sarpotdar and my writer
narrated the character to me, I was initially sceptical whether I could be able
to pull it off, as the character Amit did not have much dialogues,
he had to emote through minute things, very under confident. I have never been
so reserved in my real life, but my director had a lot of confidence in me that
I could pull this character off. On the sets I was very nervous and was not
sure of what I was doing. People on the set had confidence in me that I can do
it. I did it and it has come out beautifully. I think that was my “Nothing is
Impossible” moment.
- Lastly what advice would
you give to the aspiring actors who want to make their mark in the field?
Always be genuine, be
aware of what industry you want to get into, do your homework well. Reading is
very important, as any actor should be aware of what is happening around him.
An actor has a very responsible job to do as a lot of people connect with what
the actor does.
I would also like to say
that never, never, never give up in life, work hard, give auditions, you never
know what might just click and change your life. According to me there is a
difference in being an actor and being a hero. If people come up with an
intention to become a hero just to be famous, then this industry is not meant
for you. A good actor always gets his due recognition.
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