Sahil Khattar, who will soon be seen in the web series Bajao, talks about his love for acting, roller hockey and all things Haryanvi

Mona

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Making a move from content creation to acting, Sahil Khattar is in a happy space. If social media won him attention, anchoring and acting paved the way for further possibilities. Soon, he will be seen in a web series Bajao. A quirky comedy was long on his mind, this show just fit the bill.

“If a person with my hairstyle can land a lead part, I have every reason to rejoice,” laughs Sahil. Conscious about making a mark in tinsel town, content creation for brands and anchoring has taken a backseat; Sahil wants to focus just on acting. “The spotlight on an actor is the brightest,” says the 83 actor (he played wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani in the film). “I have gained about 10-12 kilos for the role, I feel like Rock Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham combined into one,” he shares heartily.

Matter of accent

Playing a Haryanvi guy, he worked on his accent and mannerisms too. He plays Dhaari Punia in Bajao, who is robust, a curious mixture of brain and brawn. He is the one who brings in all jugaad and plans for everybody to get out of problems. “I am originally from Panchkula. So, when I represented India in roller hockey, we had a lot of guys from cities in Haryana, like Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Hissar and Karnal. Having spent time with them, I learnt a lot about Haryanvi dialect. I also attended workshops, watched a lot of shows, films etc and did my research just to get the accent perfect. Guys from Haryana are quirky and they have a very dry humour, so we have tried to inculcate that too.”

Bajao charts the journey of three boys, who work towards a comeback of a rapper and how everything goes topsy turvy. “There is quite a bhasad in the show that I am sure viewers shall take delight in.”

Mumbai home

Calling Mumbai home for the last about eight years, Sahil’s parents too have moved along. He says, “Earlier only I wanted to be a star, but now there are two more praying for it. Honestly, I feel very fortunate to have their support.” While he loves ‘shosha-free’ Mumbai that values talent over everything else, he misses his hometown for lip-smacking food, geris, and vella time he had on him. “Chandigarh ka pani hi different hai and that makes food special.” He also misses playing roller hockey. “In Mumbai, I have been constantly dreaming of playing roller hockey,” avers this DAV-10 college alumnus.

After Bajao’s release, Sahil wants to be back in his hometown and play roller hockey to his heart’s content. “I have worked very hard for this series, please watch and recommend it. I want to become one of these bankable faces that make the audience go, isne kiya hai to aisa hi hoga!”

(Bajao streams on Jio Cinema from August 25)