Kritika Kamra and Jackky Bhagnani open up on their Mitron and love as an inspiration
Kritika Kamra and Jackky Bhagnani starrer Mitron has now hit the theatre screens and is being loved by most of those watching it. Coming from the unusual title to their friends, experience on the movie and love being an inspiration, both the actors opened up in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle. Here are the excerpts:
The title is quite unusual and reminds of Narendra Modi…
Kritika: There’s no reference. Actually the working title was something else. Mitron was finalized after the film was shot. It has become this iconic word because the PM uses it so much, but to clarify, the film has nothing to do with Modi ji. He’s not in the film though we hope he likes the film if he watches it. Probably the only similarity would be Gujarat and that we have a small business in the film. More than that, it’s the literal meaning of Mitron which is friendship and how friendships in all relationships and now just among our peers but in our family also. In our growing up age, we don’t get along that well with our parents because they think they know best for us whereas we want to do something else, but eventually we make up since in India we value families a lot. When I heard the film, I thought it’s quirky and people would remember it for sure. Among all others that were in consideration, we all also unanimously liked Mitron the best.
Like your character, have you ever inspired or motivated someone?
Kritika: That is a pressure which I feel very often because I know a lot of people follow me or look up like me or dress up like me. I remember when Kitni Mohabbat Hai was on my bua went out Delhi for shopping and sent me pictures of the same suits which were being sold which happens with great characters of TV actors. That is why I try to use my social media very responsibly, especially Twitter because it’s a medium of words. I like to be socially aware and have an opinion on things and I put them out because if it’s something that people read or I believe in or an interesting piece of article written by somebody who’s an expert in that subject. My source of news is Twitter. From news to Bollywood gossip to legit reading pieces is on Twitter. I’m addicted. So I make it a point to share whatever I like, with people who follow me, because I think in India as actors you get a lot of adulation and we must use these platforms for putting more than just selfies.
Has love ever been your inspiration or motivation like in the movie Kritika is for you?
Jackky: Yes. I got dumped by a person because of some stupid thing, but I achieved my goal.
What do friends mean to you?
Kritika: Friends are the family that you choose. I have a lot of friends from outside the industry whom I’ve been friends with for a really long time, even before I became an actor and I really like reconnecting with them. I think they are kind of my anchor, who give me a fresh perspective. In this industry and competitive world, you tend to get very engrossed in what’s happening around you and only about the industry. It’s refreshing to go out there and meet your friends and people who admire, have learnt from or grown up with to see what they’re doing in their life. Friends are the people you don’t have the fear of judgement in front of and can be yourself and at the same time I believe in choosing my friends wisely. They are, after my family, the most important influence on me. I’m a social person and will know everybody but they are just my long associations, not friends.
Jackky: Everything! Even with a partner, your partner needs to be your friend first.
How many friends do you have?
Jackky: Many but only a close few ones who I can really call friends.
Are they from the industry or outside it?
Jackky: I don’t understand the term outside and within the industry. I’ll tell you why. If I’m born here, for me, my friends since childhood were Varun and Rohit Dhawan, because my dad made friends with them. So wherever you grow up and meet, that becomes your circle.
You have often been linked to your co-stars, even now. Does it affect you?
Kritika: Not anymore. It’s happened so many times I’ve become immune to it. I think it’s a part of the business. Audiences have become smart now thanks to the wide reach of social media. So I don’t even feel like going out and clarifying anything anymore.
Jackky: I just ignore it now. We all know that this happens. If it’s true, then okay, if not, then also okay. If I’m travelling with or spotted having coffee with a girl, it is assumed that I’m dating her.
Are you the kind of person who will openly claim when in a relationship?
Jackky: It also depends on that person, right?
Narrate an experience in Ahmedabad which stayed back with you.
Jackky: The experience was great. When you think of Gujarat, you have a lot of clichés. But they are so modern, they have everything available from food to education. They have more hunger to learn too! I was really shocked to see cool cafes, restaurants and people so fashionable and ahead of their time.
Kritika: Lots. So we were shooting this very crucial scene – a part of it is in trailer as well, where having an intense conversation in the middle of the road, we get off the food truck and that’s happening by the road at Sabarmati which is an actual road, not in Filmcity. There was crowd and people controlling the crowd. That scene also had to be done in a critical time frame, with the sun being in a certain direction and we literally had less than an hour to crack that scene and it was a very important scene, especially for me. When you see Avni, most of the times she’s sorted, calm and composed girl but you see her outburst in that scene and Nitin sir had fully hyped that scene so I was feeling the pressure but we did that scene in 45 minutes or something. I just went on and on. Because of the whole commotion and chaos, it just added to the frustration of the scene and it happened! When it got over, Nitin sir said, “I think we got it,” and I wasn’t sure, thinking that we’ll definitely have to come back and shoot that again and the crowd was growing. It was a tough time getting people out of the frame because there was this huge gathering and loud noise. I saw that scene on edit again and I had a tough time dubbing for the scene because the flow then was so natural that I couldn’t repeat it. I felt that I couldn’t re-enact it in a studio because I wasn’t feeling the rush. So for me, that day was magical. All the prep and circumstantial environment came together.
Like Jackky has a monologue, is this your monologue?
Kritika: It’s not really a monologue. She’s not that kind of a person, Jackky is. He rants, but she speaks her mind. Here, she’s just really disappointed and even the way she expresses hurt, isn’t very stereotypical. She isn’t somebody who breaks down for everything though I am like that as a real person.
Did you immerse yourself in the character or think of an incident when you were that person?
Kritika: People ask me what’s my process and I don’t know what happens to me once the cameras are on. I think it’s just prep and then once I understand the character, I’m all set. Thanks to television, I don’t have problems in mugging lines. I’m instinctive and spontaneous kind-of an actor.
