It Was Actually Very Dangerous
Gaurav Chopra in Gadar 2. (courtesy: mrgravitas)
Mumbai:
Actor Gaurav Chopra, who acted in films such as Bachchhan Paandey and Rana Naidu, talked about his role of Lieutenant Colonel, Devendra Rawat in Gadar 2 and the physical training he underwent for playing the character on-screen. From putting on 9 kg weight, training and living with real-life army officers to pulling off a sensational stunt with a real tank without any safety support and security, he tried to give his best for the role. He shared, “Well, it feels like a reward from God. I have always believed that the higher the risk, the higher the reward. After Covid-19, I consciously decided to step out of my comfort zone and only be a part of projects selectively that challenge my potential as an actor like never before.”
“I believe when the intentions are right, God also supports you and that’s how, I zeroed up on projects that could showcase me in unexpected light, like Bachchhan Paandey, Rana Naidu and Gadar 2 all, one after the other. I was very confident mentally after Rana Naidu, especially because I was bestowed with two special award honours for my character of Prince. However, at the same time, I was also certain in my mind that I can’t afford to be complacent and hence, I always need to be on top of my game each and every day to push myself beyond regular limits.”
He further said, “I put on 9kg weight before every schedule to look like an army man from 1970. There was a lot of intense training involved for my character as a respected army officer. I actually lived and trained with them to understand the small and minute details of their lifestyle. From their life to their thoughts, their conversations and their food, what they do in their training to how they fight and how they eat, I observed all. It was such a beautiful learning experience for me. Their presence around me filled me with positivity and ‘josh’ was certainly a big source of motivation behind pulling off that tank stunt.”
“In the climax, Col. Rawat makes an entry standing on a tank. Anil (Sharma) ji wanted a heroic entry when I came to save the situation. He asked me if I could stand on it and enter as it would look larger than life, I said yes immediately without realizing it moves very differently from other vehicles. The tank bends forward during movement and gets very bumpy. Since there was nothing to place your foot strongly or hold onto something, it was actually very dangerous. However, we did the shot 2-3 times and I made it safely. Now in hindsight, I realise that if I were to just lose my balance, there were chances of a very serious or fatal injury,” he concluded.
Gadar 2 stars Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel in lead roles.
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