Mohit Malik, in an exclusive tête–à–tête with Cutting Shots, takes us through his process as actor and explains why he believes acting and spirituality is a hand-in-glove process. From his love for kids to how he tries to make the most out of television, the actor spills it all and how.
“Medium doesn’t matter to me,” Mohit Malik tells me as he squeezes out some time from his choc-o-bloc shooting schedule for his popular daily soap, Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si and settles for a quick chat. His words drip with candour as he talks about his craft and how he always strives to bring his best to the table.
Excerpts from our engaging tête-à-tête with the actor-
Q. You were not trained as an actor when you joined the industry. Instead, you learnt the craft while being on the job. During that entire process, what was your biggest learning which you believe, has set the foundation for who you are today?
A. I have been very inquisitive about the craft the day I started acting and came to Mumbai. I remember one incident where I got replaced in a show. It was devastating for me. From that day onwards, I decided that I will do whatever it takes and be the best in the craft. The journey is still on.
All this while, I used to do a lot of workshops because when I came to Mumbai, I started working so I couldn’t do much of theatre. But whatever I learnt before 2016 was on the sets- observing and meeting as an actor, learning on the job, reading books about craft and watching good cinema. In 2016, things changed for me because my guru Atul Mongia came into my life. I would say very proudly that I am his student. He came into my life and changed it upside down. I unlearnt all things that I had learnt before. I was looking for a technique and a process. Earlier, I was doing things in my way. You make your own way to deliver. But I was looking for a constructive process. I would tell my wife Aditi that I need a process.
Before that, I had won awards in television but I wasn’t happy with myself and my work. I wasn’t content with what I was doing. In 2016, I was supposed to do a show. It got delayed and I got in touch with Atul Mongia. The day I met him, I did a workshop with him which was followed by a series of them. Then, I assisted him on a film project where we went down in the South to take acting workshops for actors. The most wonderful thing that happened to me was that I got associated with him.
You know the shift that happens in your life? I am not talking about acting, I am actually talking about life. There is a moment when a shift happens and then you know the vision and spirituality seeps in. You really learn about the truth of life. That shift happened with me in my life where I came on the path of spirituality because of him. I think spirituality and acting is something which is hand-in-glove. You cannot separate these two because art comes from spirituality. It comes from soul and the higher self.
Atul is one of the best mentors and he is still a mentor in my life. I had done a lot of workshops before as well but the day he entered my life, it changed and that was the turning point in my career as an actor. I became more self analytical and self-aware. The journey is still on. I am so thankful to him that he put me on that path. So, from that day onwards, I feel I have become a better actor. The process is still on. I am still very inquisitive. I am still as curious as I was on the day I arrived in Mumbai to learn more about the craft. That fire is still on. It has to there otherwise I will die.
I will tell you very honestly, before 2016, I would struggle to write acting as my profession in application forms. Post 2016, I implemented all the process that I have learnt and tried working on myself more. From that point onwards, there was a lot of confidence that seeped in. I always felt very low on confidence when I came to Mumbai. It was because of my conditioning. I think today, I am very confident of myself and my craft; all thanks to him. Now, I can proudly write actor as my profession. A lot of self-belief, self-confidence and self-esteem has seeped in. That guy has completely changed my life.
Q. You recently said in one of your interviews that television is a great riyaaz because it is a very challenging medium and you get very less time to prep as compared to films and web. On the other hand, I also see many actors predominantly working on the small screen, talking about how they sometimes feel their creative hunger gets lost here because of the long format shows and that there is less creative freedom on this medium. How do you as an actor manage to strike a balance and sail through this?
A. That’s true in a way when it comes to your creative side. Obviously when you are working, you never learn. It’s only when you are not working, you learn something. When you are working, you have to just apply what you have learnt till the time you haven’t worked. So, it’s very important that you learn a new skill and do workshops when you are not working. That’s what I do. I don’t sit at home and think about when my next work will come.
Coming back to your question, it’s true in a way because you are not prepping up daily for a new character. You are just playing one character every day. But at the same time, I would say being in the moment between action and cut, is something that I am addicted to. We are not in the moment most of the times throughout the day. You cannot act if you are not in that moment. You have to be in the moment. So, I think that is the addiction that I have with television.
Every day I come here, prep for my scene in whatever time that’s given to me and then perform the scene on the sets. You are actually practicing your skills and your emotions. Otherwise, when you are sitting at home, you are just watching, taking a feed on Instagram or binge-watching a series. An actor’s body is his instrument. If I am not using that instrument, then it will rust. It’s a different thing if I am doing regular workshops. But if I am not doing that then there’s nothing better for me than television because here at least, I get to use that instrument and touch all the emotions every day.
It’s difficult for those who know their process/job well to work on television (laughs). It’s not easy for me. But Jisko kaam nahin aata, agar woh 10 mein se 5 bhi kar raha hain, TV is very happy with that. But, if I perform that way, I won’t be satisfied when I go back home. I want to do a ten on ten job. That extra four points that I try to strive, that’s for my benefit and growth as an actor. I always tell the actors on the sets to give that extra four percent. I tell them that with five percent, everybody will be happy with your work, you will get awards and the show will be a hit. But if you give in that extra four percent, then you will personally grow as an actor.
So, I always try to give my best. For whatever time I get to be on screen, I try to perform my scenes well and be in the moment. All these things happen. You will be relaxed and organic. You are practising your craft everyday. Working on television is better than sitting at home. You get fame and earn money. Yes, it is very tiring for an actor like me. To be honest, it is not easy. As I said, it’s difficult for those who know their job because it’s not easy to focus because of the distractions and chaos on set. But that’s again a challenge for you. You need to maintain your sanity on a television set and do good work. If you are able to do that, it’s a big thing. It’s not easy to come here every day and work.
When you are performing the same character every day, you don’t really grow creatively but you get to practice your craft. You might not get to grow creatively because you won’t get time to read a book or do anything else. When I go home, I would want to spend some time with my kid. To dedicate that time, I have to cut off from my work and be with them. So, I don’t really get time to do anything else. But it’s fine.
Last year, when I did Chamak and was working on my debut film which is going to release next year, I realised that prepping for those characters is the time when you actually grow as an actor, otherwise you are just practicing your skills when you are working on television. The real growth happens when you play different characters. You learn the most when you prep for the character. When you do that, you discover so many things about yourself as well. It’s inter-connected. That’s why I said spirituality and acting is a very hand-in-glove process. So, you can become a good human being while becoming a good actor.
Q. You also say that you want to take up roles that give you sleepless nights and don’t come easy to you. An example of that would be your recent web series Chamak where we saw you playing an out-of-the-box character. In many of your interviews, I have seen you emphasizing on how unlearning is the biggest part of learning. For your character Guru in Chamak, was there anything that you had to unlearn?
A. I try to take up such roles otherwise it becomes very monotonous for me. I want to do things which challenges me, which disturbs me and gives me anxiety. (laughs) When I heard my character Guru, I was like, ‘Oh God, I have never done this before. Now, that I have said ‘yes’, I really have to prep.’ I would say there wasn’t any kind of unlearning that happened while essaying Guru. Instead, I learnt a lot of stuff.
I think I have become a more better actor after playing Guru. I had certain inhibitions about myself whether I would be able to pull off a character like that. The moment I stepped into Guru’s shoes and completed the first season, I came out as a better and a more confident actor and a human being. It gave me a lot of confidence as an actor because I was working with Rohit Sir (Rohit Jugraj) and a brilliant cast. You have just seen the first season. The second season will show what Guru becomes and there’s a great transformation that happens to him.
I have grown because this role required me to really work hard. The more you stretch yourself as an actor, the more better actor you become. I think I really stretched myself. I worked hard to understand Guru and his world. A lot of learning has happened for me as an actor. I am really happy. There’s a lot of gratitude that I got to play Guru. I would always fear how I would pull off a role like this if I get offered one. All thanks to spirituality; for me, love is universal. It is not something which is restricted to your body. I believe in that. I think this approach really helped me to play this character.
Q. In your more than a decade long career, be it Samrat Singh Rathore (Doli Armaano Ki), Sikander Singh Gill (Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala) or even to some extend, Kunal Malhotra (Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si); all these characters go through certain emotional turmoil or one can say, are driven by strong emotions. When you essaying such intense characters, you are playing their emotions and thoughts in your head. Over the years, have you figured out a way to detach yourself from them once the camera goes off?
A. To be honest, it’s very difficult. They say, aapko ek aadat dalne mein 21 days lagte hain but mujhe lagta hain usse jyada lagta hain. In TV, when you are living with a character’s thoughts and emotions for 25-26 days for 12 hours, after a few months, those things will enter your subconsciousness. That’s why it’s difficult to do a role like Samrat Singh Rathore or Sikander on television.
I remember for Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala, by the end of the show, I had to go to the hills to detox. I had gone to a rejuvenation centre for two weeks because I couldn’t sleep. That happened because I was playing the role of a man who is a tormented soul and who goes through a lot of things after he comes across his daughter. Once I started crying, I was crying in every episode. It took a toil on me. It was traumatic for me to be in that zone. But I did it because that’s the way I have always worked otherwise ‘main main nahin rahunga.’ People talk about disconnecting from their characters but it isn’t easy to do that if you know your job well.
But yes, if I am not doing television, but say, a character like Guru, I have to come back to Mohit. After wrapping up that character, I went to the hills with my family and did what I like do. I shouldn’t forget what Mohit likes to do in real life. Actors tend to forget their likes. Forget them, even normally in life, a lot of us never do things that we like. We would do those things as kids but not now as grown ups. That’s why when I have to detach myself from my characters, I try to do stuff that I like. Personally, I like to explore nature. That’s the best thing for me when it comes to unwinding.
Q. There’s a very interesting quote by Hollywood actor Christian Bale about acting. He says, “It’s got to do with putting yourself in other people’s shoes and seeing how far you can come to truly understand them. I like the empathy that comes from acting.’ At the same time, it’s also said that an actor can never pull off a convincing performance if he/she starts judging the characters that they play. As someone who has played diverse characters in his career, tell me is it that simple to not judge a character’s thoughts and motivations when you are enacting them?
A. The judgmental part comes very easily to all of us. The moment we hear a character, we start judging it. That’s a problem with a lot of actors. I also face this. But I think that’s the biggest mistake we do. So, I am very well aware where I am judging and where I am not. I take a conscious effort that I don’t judge them. I try to understand their journey more and then play them. You can play a character only if you understand where he is coming from, his childhood, his memories and other things.
In real life, we end up labelling people. The moment somebody enters a room, we tend to judge them. That is something that we shouldn’t do. First of all, as a human being, we should always understand where the other person is coming from. That applies to a character as well. When you judge a character, it (performance) becomes very superficial because you end up doing in a stereotypical way. I believe you have to take a character in your unconsciousness. You cannot play him consciously.
Q. You have shared screen space with kids a lot. It is said, working with them is fun and challenging. Also, they bring in a certain sense of innocence in their performance which is difficult to achieve. Now, being a father yourself, you feel your bond with your son Ekbir trickles into your performance when you work with kids now and help you in being with them on the same page?
A. Yes, of course. After being with Ekbir and spending time with him, a lot of things have changed. Sometimes, I tell my producers that if I get to play Sikander again, I would play it in a different way because back then, I wasn’t a father. But again, as I said, for me, love is universal. I always loved the kids in my life; be it my nephews or my nieces. They have grown with me. I am the only one in my family who has been so close to the kids.
So, there’s a natural instinct because of which my bond with them becomes very strong. They like me. I also love being around them. Maybe, kids are the most selfless people. They won’t hurt you in any way. They are pure and uncorrupted. I like being around with kids because they are God for me. They are the best artists in the world because they are so pure. The art that derives from that purity is something that I want to do.
I like being around with them, playing with them. I think that could be the reason why playing a father came naturally to me and was not a big problem. Sikander was a very soulful character. My spiritual phase had just started at that moment. I had became very spiritual in life. But now, I strike a balance. I think after Ekbir’s arrival, I could have added a lot of layers to my performance as Sikander. It’s amazing and beautiful to be around kids.
Q. Are you comfortable taking breaks between projects as an actor?
A. I am a workaholic. Hailing from a Punjabi business family, I am conditioned in that way. When my dad calls me, the first thing he asks me is about my work. We are this work-oriented family. I don’t blame anyone. He is like that. I love him and he loves me too. My conditioning is such that I cannot sit at home, I have to keep working. But yes, sometimes when I feel that I may need to work on myself more, I do take out time to do that.
Earlier, I would insist on taking breaks. But, I think you should keep working and be in the flow. In the last two years, my mindset has changed. You shouldn’t turn down whatever good is coming to you.
After I finished Chamak and my debut film with Abhishek Kapur, Rajan (Rajan Shahi) called me and offered me Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si. When I heard the role, I thought it was fantastic. I thought, baad ki baad mein dekhi jaayegi, since I have time in hand, let’s do the show. I told Rajan Sir the same thing. I said I have a few things in the pipeline. He told me that we will figure it out later. So, I took up the show and he was okay with it. The role that I am doing now (Kunal Malhotra) is a great one.
Q. Lastly, what does success mean to do? Do you feel you can now call yourself a successful actor or do you believe that process is still on?
A. For me, the definition of success is being at peace. It has changed over the years. Lately, this is my definition. When I go back home, sit on my bed and do my ten-minute meditation, if I am at peace and can sleep properly, that’s what success is. There is nothing above that these days. If you can achieve this then you are successful in life. (laughs).
