When you go through the filmography of Paresh Pahuja, you realize he is an actor who refuses to be stereotyped. Paresh, who started his journey as an actor with ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ (2017), has essayed a wide range of characters in the many films and shows he has done over the years. Paresh’s most recent project has been the second season of the Amazon Prime Video original series ‘Bandish Bandits’.
In the second season, which served as a solid follow-up to the first, one saw Paresh play Maahi, a pragmatic, new-age musician who belts out ragas on his electric sitar. Paresh garnered accolades from all quarters from his portrayal of a character which had multiple layers to it. Just like the show, the character played by Paresh has been a huge hit with many audience members being of the opinion that it deserves a spin-off series of its own. Though it has already been a few weeks since the second season of the show started streaming, it continues to be talked about.
Music has been an integral part of your life. Apart from pursuing a career as an actor, you also do a lot of work as a singer and songwriter. Did your personal connection with music made this opportunity of playing a musician in a show all the more special?
Absolutely! Music is my core. The same is the case with Maahi. That is one of the primary reasons why I could connect with him so well.
The sitar, however, is one instrument you had never played. Did you have to undergo lessons to get a grip over the instrument?
Before I started preparing for the show, I had hardly heard sitar players. I had seen just a few videos of Anoushka Shankar. It is an intimidating instrument. I never imagined playing it someday. I am a musician but I never had any formal training. When I was in the college, I picked up the guitar and learnt a few chords from YouTube. The first season of ‘Bandish Bandits’ was a huge hit. Everybody loved the music as well. The thought of playing the sitar in a show like that made me extremely nervous. The team put me in touch with a sitar teacher. His name was Prasad. We would meet thrice a week and he would teach me for an hour. Apart from teaching me the instrument, he also helped me develop the mindset one needed to have to play it. He became a friend and confidante. Without him and his teaching, I would not have been able to do justice to Maahi. All these years, I felt proud about the fact that I was a self-taught musician. Through this process, I understood the importance of having a ‘guru’ in your life. The culture of learning from a guru in India makes a lot of sense. Playing Maahi has changed my life.
One of the best scenes in the show has been the one in which Rajendra (Rajesh Tailang) tells you, “Maahi, prastuti se pehle guru pranaam” and touches your feet. Then, the other characters from the Rathod gharana, too, step forward and do the same. It is a very emotional scene. You conveyed so much through silence in this scene.
I don’t know how this scene happened. It was a night shoot. Between different setups, we shot that scene. On paper, it is a two-line scene. While shooting this scene over 15 minutes, some magic happened. You can’t plan these things. You can’t make these things happen. They just happen. All of us just allowed it to happen.
When we see Maahi in the first few scenes, we feel it will be that stereotypical character who creates trouble in other people’s lives. As the narrative moves forward, we see the different layers of the character unravelling one after another. It was one of the best-written characters in the show.
I got lucky! Maahi happened to be one of the favourite characters of the writers of the show. Through Maahi, they said the things they believed in. Why should any kind of teaching be limited to a certain kind of family? Music should be democratic. Maa Saraswati gives us the gift of music without looking at any gharana. I feel privileged to get the opportunity to play such a well-written character. The entire show was packaged beautifully. I feel proud of getting the opportunity to be a part of a world like this. Maahi was one of the new characters that was introduced in the second season. I am grateful to the audience for accepting it and giving it so much love.
A while back, you put up an Instagram post which was addressed to Aanand Tiwari, the director of the show. You wrote, “You trusted me when I was going through copious amounts of self-doubt”. Why did you say that?
There comes a phase in your life or profession when you go through several doubts in your head. Am I going to be moving at this pace? Do I really have what it takes to be there? What are my reasons for doing this? Do I really love this? Should I try something else? If I am going to do this for 25-30 years, what can I possibly do in this space? Is it the right choice for me? These were some of the questions playing in my mind. I am very aspirational. I want to do important projects. I want to do big films. A while back, I went through a phase where nothing much was happening. That was also the time when the entire industry was wondering what kind of content they should be investing in.
I had spent nine years in the industry. I wanted to level up. That is when ‘Bandish Bandits’ came along. Anand sir put his faith in me. When I met him, he told me I will be playing a sitar prodigy. I was not sure if I could do it. He just told me, “I trust you. You are my Maahi”. He said if I manage to play the sitar, he would take close-up shots of my hands. Otherwise, he would take close-up shots of my face. He eased me out. There was a time when I had to quit the show as I was doing ‘Operation Valentine’ at the same time. These are the kind of issues an actor goes through at times (laughs). You might have no work for six months and then, suddenly, you get offered multiple projects. The dates were clashing. For ‘Operation Valentine’, they had secured permission to shoot at the air base for some time. I remember calling up Anand sir to tell him that I might not be able to do the show. Around that time, he was going through a personal loss. Somebody in his family had passed away. He told me that I should not worry and he will move things around so that I do both the projects. He has been extremely kind, generous and loving. It was a very happy set. We were always celebrating something. We were laughing, celebrating birthdays and playing games. The energy was very positive.
While working with Pankaj Tripathi on the film ‘Kadak Singh’ (2023), you spoke to him about the unfairness of certain actors and influencers getting work purely on the basis of the number of followers they have on social media. He then asked you “tumko charchit hona hai ya yaadgaar hona hai”. Did that make you feel confident about what you are doing?
Yes! Pankaj ji was my Krishna and I was his Arjun. I remember having so many enlightening conversations with him. He would answer my questions with so much simplicity. Charchit hona bhi zaroori hai. You have to be talked about. Your name has to be mentioned so that you get more projects. However, not getting enough attention should not bog you down. The kind of value a particular actor can bring to a project, nobody else will. If a project is meant to fall in your lap, it will. When it comes to music, a lot of people tell me should make songs that fit in a particular algorithm. My music is nothing like that. They are melodic, slow romantic songs. Most of my songs become popular two years after they are released (laughs). They take their own sweet time to travel. Slowly, they become a part of people’s lives. A lot of people have come up to me and said that they feel less lonely when they listen to my music. If my music makes people feel better about their lives, what more can I ask for?
After getting an MBA degree, you decided to pursue a career in acting. You had to go through your share of struggle. Did getting a film like ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ early in your career make you belief that you were walking in the right direction?
Working in this industry is like being on a roller-coaster ride. One day, you feel confident. Another day, you could be feeling extremely under-confident. That being said, Yash Raj Films putting its faith in me and giving me a launch was a big deal for me. Once I got the film, I told my parents that I have quit my job and now, I was a full-time actor. I had been lying to them for some time. I had told them that I still have a job and pursuing acting on the side. I didn’t tell them the truth as I felt it would be a big shock to them. They would have been worried about how I am managing and paying my bills. When they saw me in ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, they felt very proud. That gave a little confidence about acting and performing arts and finding my way in the industry.
One of your biggest dreams has been to do a stadium concert as a singer. How do you plan to take your music forward in the near future?
When Coldplay comes to India next, I would love to perform with them. Like you just mentioned, I want to do stadium concerts. I don’t want to do concerts to inflate my ego and feel important. I want to create the kind of experience for the audience where they forget about their background, caste, religion, and feel like being a part of one unit and absorb the energy of love. I want all of us to be singing together and celebrating life. That’s how I felt in a Coldplay concert. I am about to go on my first tour. I have finally found a good team to work with me on my music. I am looking forward to seeing the kind of response I get. I will be releasing more songs. Music is a very important part of my life. So is acting. Just like Kishore Kumar and Diljit Dosanjh, I want to do both.
One of the things on your wishlist is to do a biopic on Virat Kohli. As an actor, what are some of the aspirations you have?
I would love to be a part of an Imtiaz Ali – A. R Rahman romance. I want to do a road trip film directed by Zoya Akhtar. I wish to do an action film with S. S Rajamouli. I would love to be a part of romantic dramas directed by Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. I have a little yellow-coloured index card next to my bed. Before going to bed every night, I read all these things and take a deep breath. There are nine dreams in total. When I wake up in the morning, I let these thoughts seep into my consciousness.
What are you doing next?
I have shot for a series called ‘Thirteenth’. The title refers to the gap year students take after completing their 12th boards. The show depicts the relationship between a mentor and a student. Gagan Dev Riar sir plays my mentor in the show. The show is in the space of films like ‘Goodwill Hunting’ and ‘Dead Poets Society’. I really wanted to do a mentor-student project. It is one of my first lead roles. Earlier, I had played the lead in ‘Ankahi Ansuni’. I am playing one of the leads in another show called ‘Lord Curzon Ki Haveli’. The show has Rasika Dugal and Arjun Mathur. I have just announced a six-city concert tour called The Voice Notes Concert by Paresh Pahuja & Friends. In Marh and April, I will be performing in cities like Chandigarh, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai. This was a long-standing dream and I am glad it is finally coming to life.
Will we get to see Maahi in the third season of ‘Bandish Bandits’?
I would love to be a part of the third season of ‘Bandish Bandits’. After watching the show, a lot of people, both from within and outside the industry, messaged me saying that they would want to see a spin-off series on Maahi. I told them, “please ask Anand sir to make one!” (laughs). It would be interesting to see Maahi’s life from childhood to where he is now.