Lokesh Mittal: ‘Ajay Devgn as a Filmmaker Gives Creative Independence to Artists’ | Exclusive

Lokesh Mittal, who was recently seen in Bholaa, in an Exclusive interaction with India.com speaks about his working experience with Ajay Devgn, censorship and other aspects of cinema.

Lokesh Mittal on Bholaa, Farzi And More | Exclusive: Lokesh Mittal is basking high on the success of Farzi and Bholaa. The actor’s portrayal of Lakdawala in the Shahid Kapoor starrer thriller series was appreciated by viewers. He also essayed the character of Deep Singh in the Ajay Devgn directorial which is a remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Kaithi. The Bholaa actor will next be seen in Karan Johar’s rom-com Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. He has also worked in YRF’s upcoming web show The Railway Men inspired by real life incidents. In an Exclusive interaction with India.com he spoke about working with Ajay Devgn, censorship and other aspects related to cinema and film industry.

LOKESH MITTAL ON BHOLAA AND WORKING IN SOUTH REMAKES

Lokesh has previously worked with Ajay Devgn in his directorial Runway 34 (2023). When asked if he watched Kaithi while approaching his character in Bholaa, he says “First of all I would like to thank Ajay Sir once again as I got to work him for the second time after Runway 34. I had done one scene with him which was with Amit Ji (Amitabh Bachchan). Maybe Ajay Sir liked my work because of which I received a call from his office and I got to play Deep Singh in Bholaa. As far as Bholaa being a remake of Kaithi is concerned, the overall treatment of our film is different. Drishyam 2 was also a remake, but it was well received by the audiences. The story remains same but the characters and acting performances are completely different. Ajay Sir has an expertise in presenting a fresh story with his own vision. I wanted to watch Kaithi, but then I realised that I might get inspired or influenced in case there was a similar character in the film.

LOKESH MITTAL SAYS DEROGATORY LANGAUGE SHOULD NOT BE IMPOSED IN OTT SERIES

On his working experience with Shahid and Raj and DK the actor tells “My first scene was with Shahid Kapoor. It was my first meeting with Shahid, Bhuvan and Raj and DK. Raj and DK give a lot of space to their actors. They like to know how the actors themselves want to approach the scene. They told me that although Shahid is the main lead, my character dominates him in the scene. So, it was quite challenging for me. The authoritativeness, boldness and pressure needed to be reflected on-screen. So, we rehearsed the scene and Shahid also gave few inputs.” Lokesh also gives his views on the need for censorship in OTT platforms. Recently, the row over Netflix series Class and Union Minister’s Anurag Thakur’s statement regarding regulating online content created concerns over artistic freedom. The actor opines “I haven’t seen the series Class, but I might see it. There’s abusive language and nudity in a lot of series. I think there needs to some regulation in terms of derogatory language. When it comes to realistic form, then filmmakers try to showcase what happens in everyday lives. As an artist I don’t mind as far as depicting realism is concerned as per the script. But if it is shown unnecessarily then it is wrong for everyone, be it the youth or society. Just to make your series a bigger hit, if you impose abusive language then it is irrelevant. Filmmakers should also understand that they don’t need to go overboard.”

LOKESH MITTAL ‘AJAY DEVGN GIVES CREATIVE FREEDOM TO ACTORS’

When quizzed about the filmmakers he would like to work with in the near future, the Bholaa actor says “There are a lot of filmmakers I would like to collaborate with. I would once again like to work with Ajay Sir for the third time. The way he works as a director, he takes care of his actors. He is so humble that in case the shooting gets delayed, he even apologises. The way Ajay Sir works on sets, he gives complete artistic freedom to actors. As a filmmaker he lets the actors perform the scene according to their own approach. Whenever inputs are necessary for the scene, he is always their to point out if there is scope of improvement. I wish there is a hattrick on working with Ajay Sir. Rohit Shetty, Anees Bazmee, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Karan Johar are also on my wish list. After Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, I would like to work again with Karan Sir. I also want to work with Rajamouli Sir. I think if you ask any actor, their desire would be to work with Rajamouli at some point in their career. After Bholaa I am also looking forward to working in South cinema as well. I want to approach the South industry apart from working in Bollywood films. Language could be a barrier but it is often said that art has a universal language. So, I hope to work in South films in the near future.”

LOKESH MITTAL SAYS ‘READING IS NECESSARY FOR ACTORS’

Naseeruddin Shah recently said in one of his interviews that today’s youth doesn’t read much. According to Lokesh, how important does he consider reading for actors. If asked, which advice he would like to give outsiders who want to pursue acting as a profession. He states that “Naseer Saab (Naseeruddin Shah) is an institution in himself. There is a reason why he pointed out towards reading habit. Because for any actor there is need to explore while portraying different characters on-screen. Either you know about life and people through your observation power. Or else books are the best medium in that aspect. In personal life there is lesser scope to observe everyone. But reading novels and plays is always a big help in improving your knowledge. For example, if you read about a doctor in a story, in future it will be easier to play a doctor on-screen as you have a reference.

LOKESH MITTAL FEELS YOUNG ACTORS MUST BE PASSIONATE ABOUT ACTING

The actor also feels that budding actors need to be focused and serious about their craft. Lokesh points out “For those outsiders who want to enter the film industry, they need to be passionate and focused on their goal. If their concentration is somewhere else, then it will be very difficult for them to get work. If they work on their craft, opportunities will come their way. Apart from this good behaviour and acting performances play an important role in getting more work in the near future. But there are no shortcuts to success. I also come from a background where none of my family members or relatives were associated with movie business. I had no option but to go through auditions. If you work hard and move towards the right direction, then everything falls in place.”

For more updates on Lokesh Mittal and Bholaa, check out this space at India.com