In an exclusive interview with Bharathi S Pradhan for Lehren, versatile actor Pratik Gandhi elaborates upon the overnight success which he garnered after portraying the character of Harshad Mehta in Hansal Mehta's blockbuster web series, Scam 1992. The rising star shares how fans & audiences started recognising the latter post the sudden success of Scam 1992 & also mentions about buying his dream house in his favourite locality of Mumbai. #pratikgandhi #scam1992 #harshadmehta #pratikgandhiscam1992 #hansalmehta
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00:00When did you lose your dad?
00:022018
00:04Just before Scam?
00:06Scam was the last project that I discussed with him
00:08Suddenly, one girl
00:10with her dad
00:12She was looking at me
00:14She said, he is the one
00:16Now I know that someone is talking about me
00:18But I thought
00:20because it's a predominantly Gujarati area
00:22so they must have watched one of my Gujarati films
00:24That's why they must be saying that
00:26That's what happened
00:28I was talking to her
00:30Suddenly, the father approached me
00:32Are you the same actor who played Harshad Mehta?
00:34He said, yes
00:36I am half Pando tea
00:38One more hypothetical question is
00:40OTT has been
00:42very big in your life
00:44If it wasn't for OTT
00:46Pratik Gandhi wouldn't have existed
00:54Because it is difficult
00:56The kind of success you saw with Scam
00:58I think it is difficult
01:00How many awards you got
01:02How many offers you got
01:04It is difficult to stay grounded
01:08I don't know if it is difficult
01:10I think
01:12The time when all this came in my life
01:14I was
01:1640 years
01:18When Scam happened
01:20In 2020
01:22At the age of 40
01:24At the age of 40
01:26I have seen this kind of success
01:28The life I have seen before
01:30It has prepared my mind
01:32that nothing is permanent
01:38I have to see it
01:40that I am also an observer
01:44And as an actor, this helps a lot
01:46because whenever I perform
01:48I have to observe myself constantly
01:50So being an observer is the quality
01:52I have inculcated all this while
01:54And that helps me sail through
01:56these situations
01:58I love this phase of my life
02:00I love this success
02:02I have longed for it
02:04I have waited for it for the longest time
02:06And now when it is here
02:08I want to cherish it
02:10But at the same time
02:12I don't want to take burden of this
02:14And I don't want to get carried away
02:16I have reached here because of that
02:18So let's do the same in the future
02:20Why to change a winning combination?
02:22Correct
02:24One more hypothetical question
02:26OTT has been
02:28very big in your life
02:30If it wasn't for OTT
02:32Where would Pratik Gandhi be?
02:34I don't know
02:36If it wasn't for OTT
02:38Something would have happened in 2024
02:40Or it would have happened in 2020
02:42But in a different way
02:44Because it is your destiny
02:46I don't know
02:48It will come in any form
02:50It would have come in any form
02:52But I guess
02:54Before that I used to feel
02:56That
02:58It is late 30s
03:00I am almost approaching 40s
03:02If not now then when?
03:04I wanted to do that central protagonist character
03:06That leading character
03:08If it doesn't start now
03:10If I don't break into now
03:12When?
03:14Because of that
03:16I used to think
03:18After the scam
03:20My thought process changed
03:22Because I felt
03:24If it would have happened earlier
03:26Then maybe
03:28I couldn't have justified it
03:30The way I could in 2020
03:32Till then you were matured as an actor
03:34My practice in all these years
03:36As an actor
03:38As a person
03:40It would have been less
03:42So I guess it is all designed in a way
03:44It will come to you when you are absolutely ready
03:48If I would have been ready
03:50It wouldn't have been OTT
03:52How did you celebrate scam
03:54When it came to you?
03:56First of all
03:58Everything was closed
04:00There were no options
04:02First 1.5 months
04:04I celebrated by giving interviews
04:066 hours a day
04:10When I used to live in Charkop
04:12That 2BSK's flat
04:14In a corner
04:16By changing half pant and t-shirt
04:18I used to give interviews
04:20Till 1.5 months
04:24And I realized
04:26That something big has happened
04:30But people also started recognizing you
04:32Yes
04:34That happened very next day
04:369th October scam released
04:38I have said this in 1-2 interviews
04:4010th October
04:42Because it was lockdown
04:44I used to go to buy vegetables and milk
04:46Every 2nd day
04:48It was released on 9th October
04:5010th October morning I went
04:52To get vegetables
04:54My mother had told me
04:56That the potato would be of this price
04:58So I was trying to bargain
05:00With the potato vendor
05:02That it was of Rs.14
05:04He was saying Rs.18
05:06One girl
05:08With her dad
05:10She was looking at me
05:14I realized that someone was talking about me
05:16But I thought
05:18It's a predominantly Gujarati area
05:20They must have watched one of my Gujarati films
05:22That's why they are saying
05:26I was talking to her
05:28Suddenly the father approached
05:30Are you the same actor who played Harshad Mehta
05:32He said yes
05:34I was half pant and t-shirt
05:36I was buying vegetables
05:38And the price of potato
05:40After that
05:424-5 people were saying
05:44I saw it yesterday
05:46I was almost mobbed by 10 people
05:48That's when I realized
05:50That something big happened
05:52Things change overnight
05:56It completely changed
05:58Tell me a little bit about
06:00You talked about 4th October
06:02Your dream
06:04You came to a suburb
06:06How does that feel?
06:08What is this house all about?
06:10It's a surreal feel
06:14The poetic lines
06:16That it's important to see a dream
06:18To fulfill it
06:20It's important to see it
06:22It all looks real
06:24Did you see your dream?
06:26When I came to Mumbai
06:28I stayed in a parlour
06:30When we used to come
06:32My aunt used to live in a parlour
06:34My aunt used to live in a parlour
06:36For me Mumbai and parlour
06:38Was the same
06:40I had seen the same places
06:42I have stayed in a parlour a lot
06:44That's why I felt
06:46Mumbai is the same
06:48Parla east, parla west
06:50I came in 2004
06:52I stayed here for 10 years
06:54I always felt
06:56I have to stay here
06:58All my friends are here
07:00All my friends through them
07:02All the people in the theatre
07:04So this was the world
07:06I worked for 8-9 years
07:08In Vashi
07:10I was a consultant
07:12For 4-5 years
07:14Because in consultancy
07:16You go to different places
07:18Even then my seniors used to ask
07:20Why don't you shift to Vashi?
07:22Why do you travel so much?
07:24Why do you go to parlour everyday?
07:26This is home
07:28This is my comfort place
07:30When it was time to buy a house
07:32I had to buy a house
07:34I found out that
07:36Forget parlour, Andheri, Malad
07:38You have to go to Charkob
07:40In front of Kandiyoli
07:42Slowly
07:44In 2014
07:46I bought a house
07:48In Charkob
07:50It was an old building
07:52I got it in 2nd
07:54I always felt
07:56I have to come back
07:58East or west
08:00I had to come to parlour
08:02In Juhu
08:0410th road
08:06There is a Haveli
08:08Krishna Haveli
08:10My mother's favourite place
08:12In front of Amitabh Bachchan's house
08:14Yes
08:16Vaishnav Haveli
08:20We used to go there
08:22It was my mother's favourite place
08:26Around here
08:28We used to say
08:30We will get a house here
08:32Life set
08:34When life actually gave me a chance
08:38I could actually get a house there
08:40So you still go to that temple?
08:42Yes, that's our everyday place
08:44And now you are close to home
08:46Yes
08:48I have heard you are not a drinker
08:50You don't smoke and you are not a drinker
08:52I don't smoke
08:54Occasional drinking
08:56Because I heard you have a good bar at home
08:58Yes
09:00I have made a new set
09:02So you have a good bar
09:08We enjoy hosting people
09:10Oh you do
09:14I love Surati food
09:16Gujarati people
09:18Eat, eat
09:20That is such a
09:22You can't see a Gujarati
09:24Without that
09:26And feeding
09:28When dad was there
09:30He used to enjoy a lot
09:32If dad was there
09:34He would have been the happiest
09:36When did you lose your dad?
09:382018
09:40Just before Scam
09:42Scam was the last project I discussed with him
09:44Oh this
09:46He was in the hospital
09:48His cancer treatment
09:50Was on
09:52He was worried
09:54About the expenses
09:56Just then I gave an audition
09:58I spoke to Anzal sir
10:00The project didn't start
10:02It got delayed for 1.5 years
10:04But we spoke
10:06I told him it is a big project
10:08For me, it is a mainstream Hindi
10:10So don't worry, things will work out
10:12This is the last thing I discussed with him