STILL HUNGRY, STILL FOOLISH

Deepak Dobriyal's versatility comes into force in Sector 36, where he plays a bent cop who changes his stripes after a personal crisis. Suman Sharma chats with the reticent actor

- Suman Sharma

I've known Deepak Dobriyal for a long time, having conducted numerous interviews and photoshoots with him. While Deepak is celebrated for his comic timing on the screen, in reality, he is quite serious.

Hailing from Uttarakhand, he embodies the honesty and straightforwardness characteristic of the pahadi people, which probably contributes to the authenticity of his characters on screen. We meet at Deepak's home in the 'burbs, where his wife, Lara, serves us chai, nachos and samosas. As we talk the conversation veers towards Sector 36.

And Lara starts praising her husband's performance.

Clearly she's his biggest cheerleader. He blushes beet root red hearing her compliments. As we talk he tells me that during the initial narration of the film he thought he was being offered the role of Prem, eventually played by Vikrant Massey. He was surprised to learn that he was being considered for the cop's role instead.

With action stars like Dharmendra, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn having portrayed alpha cops, he found it challenging to depict a believable policeman.

"I don't imitate others while preparing for a role.

I believe in looking inward and seeking inspiration from within," he explains.

"I don't want to repeat what's already been done.

Once I have a vision, I stick to it." Deepak expresses his happiness about having Vikrant Massey as a costar, noting that, like him, Massey dedicates himself fully to his roles.

"We had good chemistry on the set. But I don't think a personal bond is necessary between two actors. The real connection comes from our dedication to our work. Initially, we remained somewhat like strangers. It was only during the interrogation scenes that we began to get to know each other," he shares taking a bite of the samosa. The interrogation scene is the film's highlight, featuring an intense ten-minute face off between the two actors.