Popular Marathi actor Amey Wagh rarely becomes a part of Hindi projects but when he does, he makes sure that he gives his best. Same was the case with his first ever Hindi OTT series Asur that has become the talk of the country right before the pandemic hit. With the second season out now and the love and appreciation it received remains unparalleled as it was, Amey Wagh in an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha revealed what compelled him to be a part of Asur 2, his equations with his co- actors, his process of selecting roles and more.
Here are the excerpts:
You are very precise with the kind of Hindi projects you take up on. Whether it was Sacred Games or Govinda Naam Mera or Asur. So talking in the context of Asur, what was it about this show that interested you?
Asur has a large fan base because no one could replicate what Asur did. I think it’s still a very good web show. It’s been two and a half years since the first season came out but I don’t think any other web show has been able to replicate that. So that is something as an audience also got me hooked on to it and I thought yeah this has to be my first Hindi web show then it better should be Asur.
Oni Sen being the director of the show, how was he able to bring out the best out of you and all the actors? What can you tell me about his process?
I think he treats his actors with utmost care. He understands that he has cast good actors in the show who fit the part and he shows a lot of trust. He lets you do a lot of things but he has an interesting way of briefing about it. Throughout the shoot, he knew that I wasn’t in my zone. Because Rasool is very unlikely. Generally, I am a little animated and flamboyant, Rasool is not like that as a person. He is extremely reserved. He is an introvert. He won’t react to everything that’s happening around him. So I used to stay in my zone for most of the times. He would very carefully come to me and give me briefing in my ears. Sometimes he would just come and whisper a few lines and he would trust me to deliver it. Because if you see a film set, there is a lot of chaos. You need to cut out the external chaos and you have to stay in that zone. He understands that very well and he is also very precise with his briefing. He would come to you and say one or two lines and he would trust you to what he wants from you. I think that’s the best part. He does a lot of things. Lets’s you grow with it everyday and sometimes he comes and asks ‘can you do better than this?’ And I think Maybe I could have done better than this. He gives you another chance to revisit those lines. There was a scene where probably the first time Rasool is speaking a lot as compared to his usual sides. He gave me 15 minutes and the whole set was silent. I was just sitting there alone and then we did the take. It was a one take and he got what he wanted. Now that we are talking about it, all these instances come to my mind. I feel very nostalgic.
How was reuniting with Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti and other actors for the second season? With whom did you connect with the most and how did you guys bond when the cameras were not rolling?
To be honest, generally I am very talkative on sets. Like between shots, I’d rather bond and fool around and have fun. But I didn’t really do that on the sets of Asur 2. Because I’ve always felt that this is a very crucial and difficult character. It doesn’t come naturally to me so I would prefer to stay in that zone most of the times. But I bonded really well with Barun, Chang, Arshad Warsi and all of them. In the first season itself, I was a little star struck with Arshad Sir since I have been watch him since I was a kid and I loved all his performances. I think he is such a natural actor and performer. And he is just like a chameleon the way he switches between roles. Actually it’s funny because before we start rolling, he is just cracking jokes, making fun and suddenly when you say action, he gets into his zone. But I don’t think that was possible for me. Just because someone else is doing that, that doesn’t mean I join that. I had to stay in the zone. Though I did enjoy watching him but I tried to stay in my zone.
Considering Asur deals with religion or the underlying theme of it is religion, was there any nervousness or reservations from your end?
I don’t think the theme of Asur 2 is religion as such. I think it’s a fictional world altogether. It’s more of mythology. And it’s like a perception of mythology. And I think the audience also understands that. That is why we had a huge fan base after the first season. So yeah, we live in a universe where good and evil both exists and I think it’s an extended version of that. Just a fictionalized, entertaining world made out of that. And I am really proud that it’s an Indian web show that will be seen globally.But the roots are Indian. We are not trying to replicate what the west has been doing. We are sticking to our roots so I think that what makes Asur very unique.
What made Asur 2 more interesting that the first season?
I think the scale is huge. We’ve really pulled up our socks and we’ve really gone one level up from the first season. Also, the first season was more about seeding in. We had a lot of seeding regarding the characters, the storylines, the plot. But in the second season, you’ll see a lot of payoffs, a lot of culmination is going to happen. It’s huge, the scale and expectations, I hope they match up to each other because I am more nervous about the expectations from the first season. Since we put out the teaser and everything, people have just been talking about how they loved the show. There was an amazing, positive and
overwhelming reaction. I was a little nervous but also I have a feeling that we will be able to match up to that.
Talking about your previous Hindi film Govinda Naam Mera, how was that experience? And for you to become a part of a Hindi project, what criterias do you look for?
I think I want to work with interesting people. People whose work has appealed to me in the past or if I haven’t seen any of their work, I prefer meeting the makers first before coming on board. If you see and sense the vibe, if you see that you have like-minded individuals. Because now we are living in times where language is not a barrier anymore. I feel extremely happy about the fact that I get to work beyond Marathi cinema also. Though I am working in Marathi but I get to come out of my comfort zone when I am working in Hindi. And if I find like-minded individuals, I like to come on board and do stuff. Though I am not really desperate to just keep on doing anything. I want to keep a balance between Marathi films and the films I am doing in another languages. But that is very challenging at times. But if you find like-minded individuals, I think it makes it even more exciting.
After Asur, what’s next for you?
So I have played the lead in a Hindi film. I’ve shot for it. It will come out this year. Another big Hindi web show is coming out. Last year I was only shooting for that and another Marathi film of mine will come out as well. So this year, last 18 odd months was about working and this year I think it’s about showcasing the work I’ve done.
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