Vikram Kochhar seemed relaxed and in a happy space when Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to him about his commendable performance in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki. As Buggu Lakhanpal, the actor rocked the show and he spoke about his experience, shooting the film in extreme conditions and also opened up about a funny sequence that got deleted from the final cut.

EXCLUSIVE: Vikram Kochhar talks about working in Dunki and how Shah Rukh Khan made them feel comfortable in Mannat; also reveals that the scene where his name is tattooed on his bum was deleted from the final cut

How has been the feedback for your role in Dunki?
Whoever is seeing the film is calling me. This is a very good thing (laughs)! The feedback has been really nice and it’s getting better as the day progresses. I have noticed that the film stays with people long after they have exited the theatre. It is growing on them. The topic is such that one might not immediately relate to it. Most of us – the middle-class or upper-middle-class people – humne kabhi Dunki maarne ka socha bhi nahin hoga. Hamari majboori aisi nahin hai ki hamara pet bhookha hai. So, it takes a while for people to connect with the story.

Moreover, the Overseas audience are relating to the film more. It is based on true incidents. When we were shooting the film in Budapest, I met people from Punjab. Jo kahani unke munh se maine suni, wohi hamare film ki kahani hai. I had goosebumps.

This is the time when high-octane action films are doing great like Animal and other films. If you keep aside the notion that ‘iss film mein toh maar dhaad nahin hai’, toh aapko realize hoga ki film kitni badhiya hai.

How did you bag the film?
I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra ji’s office. He wanted me to audition for the role. He also cast me in the web show Choona. He has been calling me for bigger and meatier parts and that’s really kind of him. With Dunki, I presume he must have recommended my name strongly. Otherwise, without the casting director’s recommendation, it’s difficult to land a part in a movie.

How was it to go to Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow Mannat for Dunki’s reading?
Shah Rukh sir is a legendary actor of our times. And he’s a very wonderful host. He lovingly invited us and took care of us too. He was clear ‘You are at home. Feel comfortable’. It was a dream come true working with him.

The best scene of yours, in my opinion, was when you mop your boss’s face in the beginning. It has the trademark Rajkumar Hirani stamp and sets the mood for the film…
The credit should also go to the co-actor. I immediately wondered ‘Iske munh pe pochha kaise maare?’. I was keeping my hand at a distance and was shaking it and we made it look like main uske munh pe daba ke pochha maar raha hoon. The co-actor told me, ‘Please go ahead’. Such scenes need to be done with a certain technique so that your co-actor doesn’t get hurt or uncomfortable and he can deliver properly.

The thing is, the older Buggu Lakhanpal had anger issues, which he never had when he was young. Life had f****d him badly and hence, he had become chidchidha. The punches in the film are so dominating that these nuances might have been overlooked.

While answering media queries, Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu and Rajkumar Hirani said that Vicky Kaushal got drunk for real in the scene where he opens up about the girl he loved…
(Laughs). Yes. He got tipsy for that scene. He made us drink a peg. Hum bhi halke se tipsy ho gaye the!

Can you share some funny anecdotes from the sets?
There are too many of them. In fact, Raju sir deleted a few scenes from the final cut. In one scene, my name was tattooed on my bum. In the scene where we are returning to India, Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan) says, ‘Agar Gujarat border pe pakde gaye, toh lagna chahiye ki Punjabi hai’. This is when I say ‘Aur kitna Punjabi lagna padega? Pichwade pe tattoo gudwa lu?’. Hardy replies, ‘Aisa hi kuch karna padega, Buggu’! And this is how I get tattooed on my backside. Later, it is revealed that instead of Buggu, Pumpi’s name was mentioned on the tattoo. I guess the scene must have been too long. It was the climax scene and to keep the tension flowing, the sequence was shortened and it got deleted.

Your Sardar look is very real and authentic. Was it difficult to get the look right?
It was. Also, I had to maintain the look for 2 years. Hats off to Sanjay dada, Tarannum Khan and Nilesh who consistently worked on my look for such a long time. Nilesh used to work on my beard, Tarannum designed my make-up and Sanjay dada used to do my make-up. Thanks to these people, they made sure that I looked perfect for the part.

Also, I am a Punjabi and hence, it was not difficult for me to pick up the part. The best compliment I got was ‘Maine pehle baar ek non-Sardar actor ko aisa Sardar ka role karte hue dekha hai jo Sardaaron se bhi acha kar gaya hai!’

There’s a downside to it as well. People don’t realize that yeh banda screen pe aisa bhale dikh raha ho par sach mein woh waisa nahin hai. If you make your part so believable, then they can’t imagine you in different parts. Some even assume that I can’t speak English properly. But aisa hai nahin. In both Class 10 and 12, I got more than 85 marks in English. But people feel that yeh toh poora desi hi hai. It’s also heartening but at the same time, some might feel apprehensive in giving me a serious role. For example, filmmakers might be wary of offering me the role of a serious gangster or a no-nonsense journalist. My only request to them is – Kar lunga yeh roles. Aap karwao toh sahi (laughs)! In the past, I have done serious roles. I picked up comedy late.

Which was the most difficult scene for you?
That was the one we shot in the meadows in Budapest. This is the scene where we were hidden in the car seat and other places. I had a 104-degree fever. Also, due to the heat wave, the temperature touched 41 degrees Celsius. Despite my high fever and hot weather, I shot for the scene. Kyunki ek baar location book ho gayi, uske baad toh zindagi aur maat ka hisaab kitaab hai. I seem very distressed when I am removed from the car seat. Woh haalat meri sach mein thi! My make-up wasn’t done as due to my condition, it wasn’t required. I used to give the shot and once done, I would collapse on the ground under an umbrella. Fir koi shakti aati thi mere andar. I used to stand up, give the shot and collapse again.

As per IMDb, your debut film was Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013). Did you work in any other film before that?
No. I used to do theatre then. Then, I started doing ads. When I bagged Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, I was in Delhi. I doubt Vishal Bhardwaj sir would even remember I was there! Honey Trehan sir, the casting director, cast me in the film. In fact, he saw Dunki and called me. It was nice of him to call and compliment ‘Really loved your work. Good going’ (smiles). He was the one who got me to Mumbai.

Your web show Aashram is arguably one of the most or the most watched shows on Indian digital. Are there any plans for Aashram 4?
Yes. I received a message that it’ll be shot soon. Nevertheless, I am happy that slowly, people are trusting my talent. Prakash Jha ji saw me in Kesari (2019) and offered me Aashram. And now, as time passes, I am getting meatier parts. I am hoping Choona followed by Dunki will prove to be a turning point for me. Until now, I was juggling between primary and secondary parts. I hope now that I’ll be getting only the primary parts.

Who are there in your family and how have they reacted to your progress
Everyone is very happy. My parents and brother told me that ‘Itne phone humko kisi ne aaj tak nahin kiya. Bhoole bhatke dost bhi rishtedaari dikha rahe hai’ (laughs). It’s great to be in this space as you have made your parents proud. They are also quite moved by the love pouring in. Even my in-laws are very glad.

Also Read: Real life Dunki in France makes Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkumar Hirani film even more topical

More Pages: Dunki Box Office Collection , Dunki Movie Review

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