Fullfiment of the dreams of ‘Open Eyes’–Guneet Sodhi
(SAMAJ WEEKLY, UK)- He had a dream to establish himself as a stage actor from his childhood. After reaching college and participating in Youth Festivals, he starts dreaming of films. When after completing his college education, his parents were planning to send him to some University for higher education; he told them he had decided to move to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood. He was aware of the fact that very few people had tasted the fruit of success in Mumbai, but even then, he was adamant about going there.
About seven years ago, when he relocated to Mumbai, he heard some unknown voice warning him not to waste his time in such a venture. Most of the young people who are going there; can’t fulfil their dreams. That young man replied to that voice, ” Dreams of sleeping time may not be achievable, but dreams of open eyes can be, and thus this young man, having a charming face and pleasant personality, started his Bollywood journey. At that time, he was not having any close or distant relatives in Mumbai. His one or two friends were there. He was full of confidence, he was courageous, and above all, his dream of ‘open eyes’ was with him.
This is not the story of any Hindi film or, some fiction work. This is a true story of a young man born and brought up in a middle-class family in Ludhiana.
After reaching into an unfamiliar atmosphere, his struggle started. To learn the basics of acting, he got training, and in the beginning, he worked as a model in some advertisements. He was lucky that his first advertisement was with the great Salman Khan. This first project not only raised his hopes but gave him a lot of self-confidence. To keep himself busy and earn money, he appeared in many advertisements, and in no time, he became a familiar face. Soon, the famous director of Hindi films, Imtiaz Ali, selected him for a small but impressive role with Sara Ali Khan in his film ‘Love Aaj Tak (2). After watching this film, one of the well-known film critics labelled him a ‘lover boy’. Gunnet was lucky that in his first break, he was directed by a renowned director. He got a role with an established actress, and a well-known reviewer like Komal Nahata praised him. With the first film of his kitty, he was on cloud nine.
His image as ‘lover boy’ again got a boost when he was cast in Aamir Khan’s film Laal Singh Chaddha against the most reputed actress in the Hindi cinema, Kareena Kapoor. Guneet has all the praise for the icons Kareena Kapoor, and Aamir Khan. Guneet has a special regard for Amir Khan. He said that he was somewhat nervous on the sets of Laal Singh Chaddha. Amir sir took him aside and told him that he should forget who was standing before him. Just be in his role and face the camera without any hesitation. Actors self-confidence is the most important factor for success. This tip not only gave him a lot of confidence but also how to express his inner feelings in front of the camera.
In his latest film, Bad News, just released, he faced two versatile actors, Vicky Kaushal and the superstar of Punjabi films, Ammy Virk. While talking about this film, Guneet says that there is no doubt that he got many good reviews not only from his fans but also from critics, but at the same time, he got a lifetime chance to work with these two well-established actors, who treated him as their younger brother. At the premiere of this film, Aryan Khan, son of Sah Rukh Khan, especially, came to him and congratulated him for his performance in Bad News.
While talking about his directors he said that Imtiaz Ali Sir has a unique quality to take out the best from any artist. Advait Chandan, the director of Laal Singh Chaddha, explains to the actor what types of facial reactions he wanted from the actor and how to project such reactions in front of the camera. Anand Tiwari, the director of Bad News, becomes friendly with all his cast members, and his behaviour helps the actors to feel relaxed on the sets and give their best.
Guneet has played a leading role against the popular Singer Dhvani Bhanushali in the musical video ‘Preet’, directed by Adavit Chandan. This song has been viewed by a record number of viewers(more than four million and still this song is in great demand.
Guneet doesn’t want to play one type of role only. He is ready to accept some challenging and evasive roles as well. He is also keen to work in Punjabi films.
Ravinder Singh Sodhi
[email protected]
001-604-369-2371
Calgary, Canada.
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