A multi-tasker, he is a theatre, film and web series actor. Son of the celebrated actor Rohini Hattangadi and the late theatre director Jayadev Hattangadi, he chose not to go the way of nepo-kids, training himself formally and slogging at auditions to sculpt an identity as an actor on his own terms. Khalid Mohamed’s emotionally insightful interview with Aseem Hattangadi.

Actor Aseem Hattangadi opens up about theatre, FTII, growing up with Rohini Hattangadi and Jayadev Hattangadi, working with Naseeruddin Shah and Hansal Mehta, Mumbai’s changing creative culture, and finding artistic confidence across theatre, films and web series in this candid interview by Khalid Mohamed.

If not an actor, did you nurture any other grand dreams?

If I wasn’t an actor, I would probably be in another creative field. There’s no way I could have been a businessperson, engineer or doctor. I did dream of becoming a pilot and then a chef. I also was madly interested in still photography. In fact, my parents bought me a Minolta X 700 but that was just a passing fancy.

To this day, though, I’m an aviation geek. I love the Boeing and Airbus, the kind we travel in from Mumbai to Delhi. After a flight lands, I wait for everyone to disembark just to say, “Hello” to the pilots and ask about the approach and landing. I still long to take flying lessons just for the experience, but that will probably never happen.

FTII, Mayo College And The Discovery Of Acting
Could you describe the influence of your growing up years at Mayo College in Ajmer and then at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

Initially, Mayo was a culture shock. After being a sheltered kid in Mumbai, I was in a boarding school in the seventh standard. I was homesick for days but gradually loved my time there even if I wasn’t a natural boarding school fit.

I was into debating, elocution and sports, giving me an overall development, which is not always possible in a big city’s day school. Mayo instilled a sense of independence in me, which is what my parents wanted. There are teachers and house captains to look after you but you’re also on your own.

The years at the FTII were a gamechanger. Before I was selected for the main acting course, I went through a month-long Film Appreciation course – a revelation. I was exposed to the world cinema of Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, Ritwik Ghatak and so many other greats. It was a beautifully curated course, a month was enough to satisfy all my film cravings. It was magical, watching Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool on the big screen.

During the rigorous two-year acting course, I interacted with teachers and batchmates from all over the country. They introduced me to a spectrum of writers, texts, plays, cinema and the works of Hari Shankar Parsai, Nida Fazli and Faiz Ahmad Faiz. The Film Institute was vital in shaping whatever I am today.

Lessons From Rohini And Jayadev Hattangadi

Your parents were of different temperaments, your father more extroverted and mother more serious. When was the first moment you realised you wanted to act?

Yes, my parents were the classic opposites of each other, but their different energies made them complementary, in harmony. The moment I realized I wanted to act is very clichéd. I was studying towards a bachelor’s degree in mass media at Ruia College. That was primarily to join the theatre group of the college, thinking I would be able to bunk classes for rehearsals, such an age-old strategy really. I hoped to get involved backstage, but I was asked to perform a role in an adaptation of Ratnakar Matkari’s Akalpit, which we opened for the St. Xavier’s College Malhar festival.

The moment I stepped on stage, something changed within me. I waited, finished my graduation and then acting became my only pursuit.

What lessons had you learnt while watching the plays and films of your parents, together or individually?

My first acting role with my father was in Vijay Tendulkar’s Kutte. I had one line of dialogue, followed by a major role as Inderjit in Badal Sircar’s Evam Inderjit after graduating from FTII. So, I had to earn my stripes.

Primarily, dad taught me to have complete faith and trust in your director’s vision. While directing a scene or working out a piece of blocking, he’d say, “Don’t ask me why. Do it and then figure out the reason.”
I follow this principle to this day, never asking directors, “What’s my motivation?” This helps tremendously in professional set-ups where time is of the essence. You follow instructions, adding your own interpretation with permission. Directors love you for having complete faith in them, since they are seeing the entire canvas of which you are just a part.

Dad’s practical advice was, “Forget method acting, read and understand the script, learn your lines and project them till the auditorium’s last row.” Unfortunately, he passed away of a terminal illness at the age of 60. Mum had to work in TV serials for the money for his treatment, and we would take turns being by his side in the hospital. That was the darkest phase in our lives.
I learnt about the power of an actor from watching my mother. She’s never been as instructive as my father was. I remember watching her from the wings, in a solo performance, Aparajita, directed by my father. She was on stage for an hour and a half, portraying 20 different characters. I was floored by the artistry of an individual owning the stage.

To be honest, I have always aspired to be like her, using voice and body as instruments to affect change. For example, in Mahesh Bhatt’s film Saaransh, in a scene Soni Razdan’s character wants to abort her child and my mother’s character says, “No, this child is mine.” That was so eerie, demented and psycho. For a moment, I forgot it was my mother. That kind of strength became the gold standard for me.

Theatre, Web Series And Creative Satisfaction
Which plays and films shaped you?

Besides Aparajita, the late Ratan Thiyam’s theatre troupe had come from Manipur to the Baroda University where my father was teaching, to perform Chakravyuh based on Mahabharata. I didn’t know the language, but I was awestruck by the movement, the colours and visuals.
Frankly, my parents succeeded in their resolve that I go through a normal childhood. I was into comics like Tintin and would be glued to The Wonder Years and Cartoon Network on television. The books I absolutely loved were the Hardy Boys series and King Solomon's Mines, subsequently moving on to the works of Isaac Asimov.
And I’d religiously watch Bollywood and Hollywood entertainers. Those were the great times of Titanic, Jurassic Park, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Rangeela and Khiladi.

There are far more acting opportunities today because of web series, quantity-wise, but what about quality?
Oh yes, films, theatre and web series offer a place for everyone which is wonderful news. Quality though is a subjective parameter. In the words of Bob Dylan, “You gotta serve somebody, it may be the devil, it may be the Lord, but you have to serve somebody.” If stories are being created, told, produced and more actors than ever before are being employed, I’m not complaining.

Which performances of yours on small and big screen give you that element called creative satisfaction?
Every performance gives you a certain creative satisfaction – be it Decoupled, Scoop or Smile about a boy suffering from Moebius syndrome.

Working With Naseeruddin Shah And Akarsh Khurana

Could you tell me about acting in a stage-play with Naseeruddin Shah?

That was a coincidence. He had come to our home to meet my mother after my father had passed away in 2008, since he had been out of town and couldn’t attend the funeral. He was also one of my teachers at the FTII. Suddenly at home, he asked me to join his theatre group and do a sitting for the play they were planning.
That led to me getting a role in an adaptation of Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny. After that, I was gainfully employed, acting in five plays simultaneously.

As a director and teacher, he is extremely helpful in mastering your voice and speech throw. He also says, “Always make new mistakes instead of faltering on the same one.” I would fumble over the word ‘elementary’ and he kept correcting me, “Aseem, it’s not lemon tree!”

You also run the Kalashray Foundation...where do you get sufficient time?

I think I’m efficient with time management. I’m close to my 40s now. We’ve had our theatre group, our foundation Kalashray set up by dad. We try our best to support other groups which is more than doable though at times it does get overwhelming.

How do you manage to be an intrinsic part of the Akavarious theatre group of Akarsh Khurana?

The Khurana family and Akavarious have been close to my heart for over a decade now. They explore a variety of plays -- Bombed, Rebecca, Spunk, Verdict. So, working with them is a constant.
Akarsh makes you feel valuable and works around other commitments I may have at a point in time. That’s how I could be a part of Verdict and thank God for that. On a lighter note, Akarsh also feeds his actors well!

Mumbai, Identity And Confidence
Are you financially secure now?

Yes, which affords me the luxury of taking independent decisions. I am not a nepo-kid. I’ve had to audition like any other actor. My wife (screenwriter and filmmaker Avani Deshpande) and I have a bit of latitude to say “No” but there are rents and bills to pay. So, like any other actor I do take up certain projects for money, in this beautiful, confusing city of ours.
Your views on the altering nature of the city and the ensuing shifts in the demands of the performing arts.
I grew up in Bandra Reclamation West, my mother still lives there. My wife and I have shifted to Malad of late. Sadly, the Mumbai landscape has changed for the worse. All areas have started to look the same, except for some pockets in Bandra and South Mumbai.
Ironically, more flats are out on rent for those in the ‘film line’. And with the advance of technology, diverse, out-of-the-box content is accepted, though not always. I guess there will be pros and cons, whether today or tomorrow.

On a personal note, I’d like to mention that you were particularly impressive in Hansal Mehta’s web series Scoop.

Oh, the upright journalist Sandeep Narvekar of Scoop is my favourite: thanks to Mr. Hansal Mehta for giving me the freedom to do it my way with his tweaks and adjustments of course.
And of late, I’ve had some back-to-back releases including Umesh Bisht’s The Trial with Kajol and Suparn Verma’s Haq with Yami Gautam. Today, if I may say so, the best suit I can wear is my confidence.

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