Actor Gopal K Singh has been in the industry for several years and has slowly but steadily made a place in the hearts of cinema lovers with his performances in several projects, the most recent of which is ‘Andhadhun’. In this interview, the actor talks about his new film ‘Gaon The Village No More’ which hits theatre this week.
Can you share something about your character in the film?
The character is called Vaidya ji. He is both the vaidya and mukhiya of the village. The film tells the story of a village which was formed before independence to protect itself from the Britishers. The rule was that everybody in the village would live like a family and nobody was allowed to venture out of the village.
You went to the village a few days before the shoot started.
I come from a village in Chattisgarh, so I knew about how people lived in the villages. But, I did not know about the existence of a unique village like this. Shooting the film in the village was a very good experience. The villagers were amused by the shooting. Some villagers also worked in the film. Some of them set up shops near the shooting location.
The film is based on a very unique subject. What was your first reaction when you heard the script?
Gautam (Singh, director) read the script to all the actors himself. It was a very unique script and we realised it would be a great experience to be a part of this world. We lived two different lives while shooting for the film. We used to stay in a hotel in Jamshedpur and then, go to shoot in a real village.
You have been working in this industry for several years now. Do you think you have got your due as an actor?
I am a very optimistic person. I do not think I have received enough recognition as an actor. I feel if I have the talent and I work hard, I will get my due one day.
Most actors are very aggressive in marketing themselves but you are not. Why?
I am fairly active on social media. I have not done much of PR. I had a small role in the recently released ‘Andhadhun’. It would not have been right to shout about it from the rooftop. If I do a substantial role, I will definitely do PR. I had a very important role in a film which was supposed to release early this year but it got delayed because of some reason.
What are you doing next?
There a couple of interesting films which will come out soon. I recently finished shooting for a film and will start working on the next soon. I would wait for the makers to make the official announcement.