October 5th 2023.
This September, Jitin Gulati made a lasting impression on critics and fans alike with his performances in Kaala and Bambai Meri Jaan. But it hasn't been a smooth journey for the actor. In an exclusive chat with the Free Press Journal, Gulati opened up about giving up on a secure life to pursue his lifelong passion for acting.
When asked about realizing his dream, Gulati shared, “I knew I wanted to be an actor since I saw Mr. Bachchan in Hum at a theatre in Faridabad. But coming from a middle-class family, acting seemed like an impossible dream. My family needed me to support them financially, so I ventured into banking. I knew, however, that I would be left feeling unfulfilled if I didn’t achieve my goal.”
Gulati didn’t let his job stop him from taking acting classes. He trained under Barry John and National School of Drama alumni Feizal Alkazi and Amal Allana, and got dance lessons from choreographer Ashley Lobo for seven years. But to make his dream a reality, Gulati had to make a difficult choice. “I chose to move to Mumbai over taking a promotion that would take me to New York, much against everyone’s wishes.”
The actor also spoke about revealing his dream to his family. “It wasn’t easy telling my family about my dream. When I visited home for Raksha Bandhan, I told them I was going to pursue acting. It was met with a lot of resistance, but since then, they’ve been nothing but supportive.”
Gulati emphasized the importance of self-reliance. “Don’t be reliant on anything else but yourself. You have to work hard to make your dreams happen, and build yourself as a brand so that producers can trust you. It’s harder for outsiders because they don’t have the same familiarity as people who already belong in the industry.”
Gulati had nothing but praise for his directors Bejoy Nambiar and Shujaat Saudagar. “Bejoy trusts you blindly and won’t judge you if you fail. As for Shujaat sir, he was instrumental in getting me Kaala. I’m so grateful to him for that. He’s a great storyteller with a lot of technical brilliance.”
As our chat concluded, Gulati shared some of his upcoming projects. “I have a comedy for Netflix and then there’s Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s debut production Girls Will Be Girls, which will be helmed by Shuchi Talati.”
You can watch Kaala on Disney+Hotstar and Bambai Meri Jaan on Amazon Prime Video. Gulati’s journey has been a testament to the power of perseverance and passion.
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