Paresh Rawal’s son Aditya Rawal says star kids have struggles but life is easier: ‘Advantages far outweigh the issues’

Actor Aditya Rawal will soon be seen in web series Aar Ya Paar. The actor, who has worked in a handful of films and shows, says he is excited about this new show as it allows him to show a side that few have seen before. In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, Aditya opens up about training in archery and jumping off waterfalls for the show, and how having actor parents is both a blessing and a responsibility.

Aar Ya Paar sees Aditya in the role of Sarju, an archer who leads a dual life. For the role, Aditya had to take up archery and get really good at it too. He says his background in football (he once wanted to be a professional footballer) helped him. “It’s not football. It’s not something I am proficient with so I had to learn it. I trained with a fantastic archery coach called Swapnil Parab. We learnt the three different types of bows that Sarju takes up as the story progresses. It was a real pleasure and my sporting background helped me because there are certain mental and technical aspects that are always common. They spill over from one sport to another. It’s not simply doing it but doing it in a way that makes you look like an expert. That was the challenge. But that is the benefit of being an actor that you get to try so many new things,” says Aditya.

One of the sequences in the show involved him and a co-actor jumping off a high waterfall in Chhattisgarh. The scene has been shown in the teaser and has fans marveling at the show’s scale. Talking about the experience of shooting that stunt, Aditya recounts, “We jumped off of a waterfall that was at least 10 stories high. I don’t imagine I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to do something like that if I wasn’t an actor. We shot the waterfall jump in the last few days of the jungle schedule. The action team made me feel very safe with the safety precautions and the harness and everything. But what really put me at ease was my co-actor Nakul Sahdev, who plays my brother. We do the jump together and that guy is a proper daredevil. We had to jump about 12-15 times because they wanted shots from different angles. He was enjoying it like a kid in a candy shape. I was apprehensive but when I saw him, I was feeding off him and enjoying myself.”

Aditya’s parents–Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat Rawal–are both actors. And while he discusses work with them, he did not talk about this scene till after he shot it. “I would have told my mother but I didn’t. But I did not tell my father till after I did it, because I know he would have had a massive issue with it. Then I came home and told him when basically, he had no choice but to accept it. Seeing his son was alive in front of him with all his limbs intact, he was satisfied,” he says with a laugh. Aar Ya Paar, created by Siddharth Sengupta, begins streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on December 30

Having veteran actors as parents is a blessing and a privilege Aditya recognizes. He says, “There are two aspects to being in this profession. One is acting and the other is being an actor. The second is about keeping your focus, motivation, and sanity in place. A lot of our conversations, when I am seeking guidance or advice, are centred on that. As far as the acting is concerned, I defer to the director or creator of the project I am working on. It would be silly of me to not pick their brains.”

It has been said often that children of actors have it easier in the industry as they have the connections that other newcomers lack. On the other hand, another school of thought says star kids come with huge baggage and expectations. Aditya says both are true to a certain extent. He elaborates, “There are struggles and it is easier. The struggles exist but it is definitely easier because you get your foot in the door. Because I am my father’s son, I can hopefully meet people I really want to work with. I know the best way to approach them because of the guidance of my parents. As a writer, I can have directors and producers I want to work with read my stuff. That in itself is an advantage. That access is something most people do not have at their disposal. But once I have that access, my work has to speak for me. If I make an absolute fool of myself, I could be Charlie Chaplin’s descendant and I still won’t get the job.”

Aditya says that over time, the field of play levels out as you have to let your work speak. He says, “I feel over time it kind of levels out. Ranbir Kapoor is not questioned in that regard because he is one of the finest actors in India. Over the time, he has proved himself. The hope for oneself remains the same that eventually your work can speak for itself. The advantages far outweigh the issues.”