Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor talks about working with SSR on actor's first death anniversary

Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor, who gave the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput his first break in Bollywood with the 2013 movie 'Kai Po Che', on the star's first death anniversary, spoke about the actor's professionalism and his immense dedication towards his craft.

Abhishek was slightly skeptical about casting him at first, but he went with his gut feeling and selected Sushant for the role. It was Sushant's immense dedication that left Abhishek impressed to the core. He was blown away by the actor's preparation and professionalism.

"He was overweight. I needed a guy to play a cricketer, someone slim with a particular body type," said Abhishek.

While Sushant was a huge TV star, Abhishek had no idea about his stardom. He had judged and selected Sushant purely on his skills as an actor during the auditions.

Once Abhishek selected Sushant to play the character, he was simply blown away by his professionalism. The director put the actor under intense training, including cricket coaching, and was surprised by what he saw.

"I remember going to a ground in Goregaon at 7 am on the first day of practice. He had already reached there and was bowling in the nets. In 45 to 60 days, he was in the shape that I needed. He was totally prepared for the role," added Abhishek while speaking to Forbes.

Abhishek further emphasised how Sushant showed his entire dedication to every scene. Even in the very first scene, they shot together, Abhishek mentions that the way Sushant performed and the way he used his voice, left a huge impression. Sushant may have spoken softly, but it had an impact.

It was this professionalism that Abhishek admired so much in him that the two went ahead to work again in 'Kedarnath' (2018). As an individual too, Rajput was different from his contemporaries and that helped him add depth to his performances. The duo had become friends over the years used to discuss things apart from movies as well.

"He was an avid reader, and he read serious stuff, not spy novels. He wasn't looking for his next script while reading a book. He read so much about science and spirituality. He was a deep guy," said Abhishek.

Sushant, who was fondly known for portraying diverse roles with perfection, died by alleged suicide in his apartment on June 14, 2020. It's been a year, but the nation still continues to feel the void left by the late actor.

He began his acting career in 2008 with the TV show 'Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil' and became a household name when he grabbed the lead role in Zee TV's 'Pavitra Rishta' opposite Ankita Lokhande.

Soon after reaching the peak of his television career, he left the TV industry to test his luck in the Hindi film industry.

In 2013, he made his Bollywood debut and since then he never had to look back. The actor has been a part of several hit Bollywood films including 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!', 'M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story', 'Kedarnath' and 'PK'.

He played the lead role in the blockbuster film 'Chhichhore', co-starring Shraddha Kapoor, which bagged major accolades including a National Award for the best Hindi movie.

His last movie, 'Dil Bechara', was released digitally a month after his death in 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )

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