EXCLUSIVE: Dunki actor Komal Sachdeva opens up about her role and INSANE craze for Shah Rukh Khan in Saudi Arabia: “A very rich local man became a part of the unit and picked up driving just to see SRK sir” : Bollywood News

Dunki boasts of fine performances of not just Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal but also the supporting cast. Komal Sachdeva was one such actor who made her presence felt as Chameli. She accompanies Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan), Manu (Taapsee Pannu), Buggu (Vikram Kochhar) and Balli (Anil Grover) in entering the UK illegally. Her screen time was limited but her character has an important contribution in the climax.

EXCLUSIVE: Dunki actor Komal Sachdeva opens up about her role and INSANE craze for Shah Rukh Khan in Saudi Arabia: “A very rich local man became a part of the unit and picked up driving just to see SRK sir”

Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Komal Sachdeva about Dunki, working with SRK and director Rajkumar Hirani and a lot more.

Are you happy with the response that your role in Dunki has received?
Yes, I am. I am getting a lot of calls and messages from known as well as unknown people and from those who I was out of touch with for years. They are all appreciating my work. Many remarked that Vicky Kaushal and I should have had a longer role in the movie! Being mentioned in the same breath as a great actor like him is an honour.

How did you bag the film?
I moved to Mumbai only 4 years ago. I was in Delhi before that from where I signed a few projects. One of them was Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017). I don’t come from a film family. Hence, the only way to bag roles was through auditions. I didn’t know a lot of people when I moved here. I was trying to seek auditions through the various WhatsApp groups. Some told me that ‘WhatsApp se kaam nahin milta. If you network and know people, only then you can bag roles’. I didn’t agree to it and I used to apply for relevant roles.

One day, I saw the post from Mukesh Chhabra in one of the groups that they are looking for an actor for a Punjabi-speaking character. The name of the film wasn’t mentioned. I am a Punjabi and hence, I know the language. I mailed my profile to them. This was the pandemic era when we used to make self-audition videos. I was given the script by Mukesh’s associate. We were given the liberty to decide how we conceive the character. I liked the role and felt it was close to life.

I sent the video and a couple of days, I got a call from the associate that the makers were interested in signing me. I asked whether I was locked or shortlisted. He assured me that I had been locked and that someone from the production company would call me. When I asked who was producing the film, he mentioned Rajkumar Hirani Films. It took me a while to process this information. As expected, I got a call from Rajkumar Hirani’s office. The caller informed me that Shah Rukh Khan plays the protagonist. I couldn’t believe my ears and I began thinking, ‘Is somebody playing a prank on me?’. After all, people told me that WhatsApp group se kuch hota nahin hai, mail koi dekhta nahin hai.

Nevertheless, you can gauge how authentic someone is when you talk to them. In this case, everything sounded authentic. I was told to come to the office to meet Raju sir so that he could brief me about the character following which I could sign the agreement. I asked again to clarify and they assured me that they liked my audition and I fit the bill. When you have struggled so much, you can’t help but wonder that itni badi cheez aapko itni aasaani se mil gayi kya?

I went to Rajkumar Hirani’s office. After signing the agreement, I took a copy of it. I thought ‘Kal ko koi gadbad bhi hui toh I can look at this agreement and be happy about it’ (laughs)! I couldn’t celebrate this achievement until I was on the poster.

How was it to work with Rajkumar Hirani? After all, it’s a dream of every Indian actor to work with him…
Yeh mere sapne se bhi baahar tha. He makes one film in four years. Ek film mein kitne hi characters honge. Hence, the chances of you getting a part is next to impossible. Hence, I did not imagine in my wildest dreams. The first time I met him was during the rehearsals. I introduced myself. He told me, ‘Yes, I know you. I saw your audition. Bahut accha kiya tha aapne!’. I asked him, ‘Aapko yaad hai mera audition?’. He replies, ‘Haan. Maine hi toh aapko select kiya tha na’! I was stunned that he must have seen auditions of so many actors, who were cast in the film, and yet, he remembered mine. He also told me, ‘Bahut accha kiya tha. Same waise hi act karna’. I had to see my audition video to understand ki maine kiya kya tha (laughs)!

Could you tell us about how was it to be on the sets?
The experience and learning I got from this team were unparalleled. I saw a tremendous work ethic. The actors would always rehearse their lines. They would always give cues to their actors with the same energy. They’d respect their co-actors. Raju sir is so humble and the same applies to Shah Rukh sir, Taapsee and Vicky.

Did Vicky Kaushal memorize the whole monologue?
He remembered it. Saamne toh camera tha. He couldn’t see the blackboard (where it is later revealed that the monologue was mentioned). All actors memorized their lines well. Shah Rukh sir remembered everybody’s lines and he would help everybody on the sets. For the ‘I Want To Go To Lavatory’ scene, we were all dancing. They were no choreography. Even the other actors, who played the students, were also talented. The bonding was akin to the one in an actual classroom. Hence, woh scene karke bahut maza aaya.

How was it working with Shah Rukh Khan?
When a few people learned that I had signed Dunki, they would ask me ‘Lekin Shah Rukh ke saath koi scene hai kya tera?’! Mann hi mann mein, I would say ‘Mere saare scenes unke saath hi hai’ (laughs). Every single day, I felt lucky to meet him on the set. The day before my first day of the shoot, I was like ‘Yeh raat jaldi se nikal jaaye bas’ (smiles). I was excited as well as nervous as I was wondering whether I’d be able to perform in the presence of Shah Rukh sir, Boman sir, Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu etc. When I reached the set, I realized that everyone was quite humble and made me feel quite comfortable. They made me feel like I was equally an important part of the film.

Shah Rukh sir is very helpful. For me, this was the first-ever action sequence. He would have lost count as unhone kitne action scenes kare honge in his career. I asked him ‘Yeh scene kaise karna chahiye mujhe?’. Everyone on the set was wondering, ‘Yeh toh seedha Shah Rukh sir se hi pooch rahi hai’! However, I was asking the most experienced person, right? The way he explained it to me was amazing.

Did he know that like him, you are also from Delhi?
Yes, and we spoke about it. To do theatre, I used to go to Mandi House where a spot is famous by his name. I asked him about it and he confirmed that even he used to rehearse around the same place.

In November and December 2022, you posted pictures from the shooting location in Saudi Arabia. Yet, you didn’t mention the location or that you were there for the shoot of Dunki…
Yes. We had signed an NDA. Secondly, I had apprehensions ki ‘mera scene edit toh nahin ho jaayega na’! Also, you tend to become superstitious ki mat batao abhi. Kahin nazar na lag jaaye.

How was it to shoot Dunki in Saudi Arabia?
I love travelling but Saudi Arabia was never a part of my wish list. But when I went there, I realized it was a great experience. It was interesting to know about their culture. If you like peace, then it is the apt place. We shot in a barren land where it was difficult to shoot. Thankfully, the local team was nice and they had all the facilities for the actors as well as the crew.

The locals were excited to know that a Hindi film was being filmed in their country, that too starring Shah Rukh Khan. He has a huge fan base there. One of the drivers in the unit told us that he was a very rich man but he picked up driving just to see Shah Rukh Khan! I was wowed to see the impact movies and SRK sir have outside India! It’s something we should be proud of (smiles).

How many days did you shoot for Dunki?
I shot for 20-25 days. Before that, we also did rehearsals and look tests.

What next?
I just shot for Amazon Prime Video’s Chacha Vidhayak Hai, featuring Zakir Khan. I am also in talks for two movies. I am hoping we’ll be able to lock the deal by next month.

Who is there in your family? They must be proud of your progress…
I was brought up by my mother, my nani and my mama. My nani is no more. My mama has played the role of my father in my life. He took care of everything. He and my mother are very happy. I remember since childhood, I used to see people telling my mama that he should concentrate on his life instead of concentrating on me and my mother. But he was attached to me. He knew I didn’t have a father and hence, felt the need to step in. Hence, I can see that now, he’s very proud and that makes me very happy!

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, and Rajkumar Hirani delve into Dunki, lauding Vicky Kaushal’s method acting