Vivek Gomber Says He's Nothing Like His Character Ashwin In Sir: 'He's Too Much Of A...' | Exclusive

Vivek Gomber, known for his role in Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, catapulted to fame with Rohena Gera’s poignant drama Sir in 2018. He then went on to play parts in critically acclaimed series like Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy, Bombay Begums and most recently, Disney+ Hotstar’s crime thriller Lootere. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, the actor discussed his experience of working with Hansal Mehta and Jay Mehta, the types of roles he wants to take up and why he is nothing like his most-memorable character, Ashwin.

Talking about his unusual script choices, Vivek said, “Sometimes there are choices. Sometimes they’re just circumstances and sometimes, they lack of choices. I do try to be a little particular when I try and get a job – about who I’m working with, what I’m working with and in terms of the characters. Lootere came at a time in 2021 when we were just kind of coming out of COVID. And I was just very happy to have an audition.”

In the hijack-thriller series, he plays an influential businessman. Looking back at why he said yes to the series, Vivek said, “(Laughs) Every little young boy wants to play with guns and run around and scream! So, you know, why wouldn’t I say yes? I would like as much responsibility and new kind of roles that I haven’t tried that I could do. There’s something Jay and Hansal sir had in mind in the world that they wanted to create. Of course, an actor brings something very unique to it, which is inherent in the actor, but you’re still kind of joining someone’s vision. So it was very exciting to know where the limits are, how much you can play with it. I’m very grateful that my auditions worked, and that they trusted me.”

Vivek’s nuanced portrayal of Ashwin in Rohena Gera’s Sir remains one of his most memorable performances. But Vivek says he’s nothing like that in real life. On being told that director Jay Mehta said he’s quite the opposite in real life, Vivek agreed. “Yeah, I’m not Ashwin or Vikrant Gandhi! Also, definitely not killing and screaming people. I understand what Jay means about a different side to me. Working together, you get close and see everything. Some have seen me do plays like “President is Coming” 20 years ago. So, yeah, I’m all of those things and none of those. Definitely not Ashwin; he’s too much of a good guy!” he said.

Talking about if Indian productions are willing to take more chances and risks, Vivek, who produced Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple that went on to win the Best screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival, he said that it also depends on what people want to watch. “It’s a symbiotic relationship. The new OTT channels have been here for a few years now, and they’re all trying to find their identities and gauge our Indian audience. I think the financial responsibility part of it is quite huge, especially after COVID scared everybody. The industry is trying to come back, and we need people to go to theaters because that’s very important. OTT giving a different option and taking risks is also very important, and I think they’re trying to do it, even though maybe they’re not able to do the numbers. That is because we are also in a very sensitive climate,” he said.

Lootere in streaming on Disney + Hotstar.