B-Town’s new boys!

It’s been ages since I chatted with newcomers. Before they become stars and get affected. So I set out to interview Pulkit Samrat and Bilal Amrohi. I am happy to report it was fun. Pulkit is quieter, reflects before answering, and doesn’t try to impress. But then suddenly disarms you with his zany humour. Bilal is exuberant, chatty and has all his answers down pat. They will be seen in O Teri, which is a comment on the current political situation in the country. Both Bilal and Pulkit are as clued in about the political scenario in the country and the mood of the aam aadmi. But I am not interested in their GK. I want to know about their EQ. These boys will not be on the Koffee With Karan couch anytime soon, so I decided to quiz them in the style of the host of my favourite show. Read on..

What is O Teri about?
Pulkit: It’s about what every day our discussions are on the dining table about today’s issues and how we should tackle them. But such a message would be boring if put across like that so we have packed it up with a lot of humour and interesting characters. We are playing two guys working in the television industry on the look out for that one big scam that will make us famous. I am the TV reporter and Bilal is the cameraman.

Bilal: It’s a coming of age film in a way. I absolutely loved the graph as an audience about these two innocent boys who are like the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry, and how they become heroic towards the end.  

In real life are you both the same?
P: I remember at a recent media interaction when the photographers kept asking Bilal to turn and pose left and right, suddenly he yelled, ‘Meri pehli film hai! Koi tension nahi hai. Main idhar, udhar, sab jagah dekhta hoon.’ (Both start laughing) And for 15 minutes, he’s standing there posing for pictures.

B: I have waited for this far too long. I am not going to shy away from the camera. The fact that now I am standing in front of it I am going to enjoy it the most!
 
How was the first day on the sets?
B:  I am a Bandra boy while he’s from Delhi and before we met I think he had figured out that the Delhi lingo would be difficult for me so he tutored me before we started. For me it was a bit of a task to get out of this Mumbai ka attitude to a Delhi boy. He really helped me out as an actor. We grew very fond of each other eventually. Then the movie was just a riot!  

P:  Yeah I am going to marry Bilal some day! (laughs)

How often do you say O teri?
P: I say it a lot. Any situation where I have to say ‘beep’ in front of my parents is o teri. I say it also when something very exciting happens like Salman bhai’s song. When Salman agreed to read the script — that was my biggest o teri moment.

B: I have been working with Atul bhai since his directorial debut. I thought I was going to assist in this film. When they asked me to audition for the role I was stunned! It was an o teri moment for me.

Best thing about being a newcomer?
P:  People don’t judge you. No expectations. The film industry has been warm in welcoming newcomers.

B: I am allowed to make mistakes. I am not supposed to get everything  right in my first film but learn and I have learned a lot.