Barun Sobti shot to instant stardom with the show ‘Baat Hamaari Pakki Hai’ and scaled greater heights of popularity with his portrayal of Arnav Singh Raizada, his most popular character till date, in ‘Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?’. He then ventured into films with ‘Main Aur Mr. Riight’. Though his journey in films has not been very smooth, he has no regrets. Today, he is working actively in films and web and is open to doing television as well. In this exclusive interview, he talks about his new film ’22 Yards’, super-stardom on television, the rough patch in his film career, unreleased film with Shoojit Sircar, discomfort with social media and ‘Halahal’, his new digital film for Eros Now.
’22 Yards’ was shot in 2016, right?
No, we started developing the script in 2016 and that’s when we announced the film. We shot the film in early 2017. Small, independent films like these are a little difficult to market but I am glad it is finally coming out.
What is the kind of research you had to do to play a sports agent?
I thought I knew the world of cricket very well but after I signed the film, I realised I didn’t. Mitali, being a sports journalist, had a good understanding of the world and helped me understand how things worked. I was going to play a cricket agent in the film but did not even know the existence of a term like that. I had to do a lot of research for the film and I hope it shows when you watch the film.
A couple of years back, you had shot for a film called ‘Satra Ko Shaadi Hai’ which was produced by John Abraham, Shoojit Sircar and Disney UTV. What is the status on that film?
I have no idea about it. I shot for the film in 2014. It was a good film and I had a great time working on that film with Harshvardhan (Rane), Sapna (Pabbi) and the entire team. Only the producers will be able to tell whether it will ever release or not.
Your journey in films has not been as smooth as in television. Would you agree to that?
Yes, I agree. As an individual I can only work hard and try to do my best. The rest is not in my hands. A couple of my films did not release or got shelved. Even a really good film like ‘Tu Hai Mera Sunday’ could not reach out to a large audience despite a lot of appreciation coming its way. I hope my upcoming films do well.
Any news or an article featuring you get picked up by your fans on social media very quickly. You are not very active on social media. Why?
I am just lucky that people like me. I am grateful for all the love and appreciation that has come my way since I started working. I do not have any plans of getting on social media right now.
You have been doing films and shows on digital platforms of late. Are you open to offers from television?
Absolutely! The thing is that the offer has to be good, no matter which medium it comes from. I am open to working in different mediums. There is definitely an excitement in making content for the web as it is a fearless medium. There is no censorship and you are not worried about ratings or box-office collections. Nobody wants to do just one thing forever. I am juggling between different mediums and enjoying it.
What are you doing next?
I am doing a web series with Viacom18 and a digital film called ‘Halahal’ for Eros Now.