When work is fun
Vikrant Parmar
With Shah Rukh Khan as his idol, and having sat outside his house, Mannat, in Mumbai, to seek inspiration often, it was a reward worth its weight in gold when Guneet Singh Sodhi’s performance in the recent movie Bad Newz was appreciated by King Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, at the premiere.
This lad from Ludhiana, who was earlier seen in the film Laal Singh Chaddha, brings a freshness to the screen with his portrayal of Harman Satija in the Vicky Kaushal, Ammy Virk and Tripti Dimri-starrer Bad Newz.
About the journey of securing the role, Guneet says, “I auditioned for this role, but waited a long time to get any news. I happened to be at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah with my family during that time and prayed for this role, as my audition had gone really well. A few days later, I received a call from the makers of Bad Newz that I had been selected. My prayers were sure answered.”
Guneet plays the character of a lover boy in the film, who, “is the perfect fusion of Amol Palekar and Hrithik Roshan — good-looking and sharif ladka. His love for Saloni (Tripti) is pure and till the very end he keeps saying, ‘Saloni ji main aapko har haal main apnaane ko tayaar hoon’. Harman is an ideal boy with a heart of gold. His track is that of unrequited love, but he is a genuine romantic at heart.”
Having been in the company of experienced actors like Vicky and Ammy, were there any starry tantrums on the sets? “Not at all. In fact, they are both really simple and down-to-earth. They were perfect team players and as I was the youngest on the sets, they encouraged as well as pampered me. We often shared our meals. Vicky and I had many shoot days together and bonded over our roots in Punjab. We also enjoyed jamming to Ammy’s unreleased songs,” he informs.
Growing up in Ludhiana, Guneet moved to Chandigarh for higher education, “I studied at the DAV College and was part of the Aaghaaz Theatre Group. Acting became a real interest there and I represented the institution in many national competitions. Chandigarh is one place I will forever remember.”
Guneet, who was a part of Love Aaj Kal 2 alongside Sara Ali Khan, was also seen in Rakshak on Amazon Mini TV. “I am waiting for an offer to act in a Punjabi film, as it’s my home turf.” Is anyone in the Punjabi industry listening?
Preferring the bada purdah, Guneet is not too keen on television. But he is eyeing the OTT space. “I certainly want to foray into OTT, as the scope there is immense. I want to diversify and explore various genres. Meri shakal cute si hai so sab lover boy hi banate hain, but I want to essay some negative roles too,” he quips.
For the youngsters trying their luck in tinsel town, Guneet’s advice is clear, “Don’t focus on struggles. Just come and test the waters. Keep working hard.” That’s the way to go!
