Addinath Kothare met Ranbir Kapoor in school, recalls auditioning for Lakshman before landing Bharat's role in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana | Interview
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Star Addinath Kothare has steadily made his mark across Marathi and Hindi cinema. In 2019, his directorial Paani, in which he also played the lead role, won the National Movie Award for Best Movie on Environment Conservation. He has since continued to explore different projects, including Kabir Khan's 83, several web series and the of late rolled out Nayyi Naveli. The star is now seen as Bharat in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana , also known internationally as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Addinath talks about initially auditioning for Lakshman before being cast as Bharat, working with Ranbir Kapoor, filming the emotional Bharat Milap sequence and why he considers the filmmaker's screenplay a masterclass.
Adding to this, Addinath Kothare calls Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana screenplay a masterclass, recalls getting emotional during narration. (Sunil Khandare) Landing the role of Bharat was not an overnight process. The star went through several rounds of auditions over several months before being finalised for the part. He also opens up about working with Nitesh Tiwari and Ranbir, and the experience of shooting one of the movie's most emotional moments, the Bharat Milap sequence.
Meanwhile, Addinath and Ranbir have an interesting connection that goes back to their school days. Both actors studied at Mumbai's Bombay Scottish School, and the star still has a faint memory of seeing Ranbir on the school premises when he was in the seventh standard.
Notably, He shares how a common friend, Binoy Gandhi, who lived in his building and is now a filmmaker, introduced him to Ranbir. “I remember seeing Ranbir in school. I had a common friend who used to stay in my building. He is also a filmmaker today; his name is Binoy Gandhi. He had introduced me to Ranbir once in school. I have a very vague memory of this tall, thin person sitting on the railing of the senior building. I was probably in the seventh standard,” he recalls. Addinath also reveals that he may have brought up the school memory during a later conversation with Ranbir. Interestingly, he believes the star also remembered the incident.
As per the latest buzz, View this post on Instagram From auditioning for Lakshman to playing Bharat Addinath reveals that his association with Ramayana began with an audition for the role of Lakshman, which eventually went to Ravie Dubey. The casting process, led by Mukesh Chhabra, required him to perform a scene in which Lakshman asks Sita to stay inside the kuti (forest hut) before drawing the rekha (line), requesting her to not step out for safety reasons. Looking back, the star believes the audition was also about finding actors who could convincingly look like a family on screen. “I tested for the scene where Lakshman tells Sita to stay in the kuti. That was probably a benchmark test to find the family of Shri Rama because we all had to look like we belonged to the same family,” he recalls.
In further updates, It was nearly six months after the audition that Addinath received a call informing him that he had been shortlisted. The experience also reinforced his belief that auditions are not just for newcomers and that established actors should be equally open to the process. He feels there is a misconception that actors with experience should not have to audition. “There is a completely wrong notion that people have about auditions. Nobody comes to theatres just to see faces. They come if they like the story. Today, there is so much talent around us. Even if there are 10 good actors, it does not necessarily mean all of them will get the right opportunities,” he says.
On top of that, Talking about why he continues to audition despite having years of experience, Addinath points out that casting is about finding the star who fits a particular character best. He adds, “There are so many actors who can play a particular part. How will the director decide who is right for it? Today's casting directors are experimenting and giving opportunities to new and fresh faces. As actors, we need to help filmmakers push their boundaries. Auditions are very crucial. Internationally, even A-list actors audition.”
The star also credits Mukesh Chhabra for giving him opportunities to audition for several projects. He believes the process has value even when an audition does not lead to a role, as it allows actors to showcase their abilities and gives casting directors a chance to consider them for future projects.
Source: Hindustan Times