Meet Priyanshu Painyuli, the actor who brought alive Bhavesh Joshi Superhero on-screen

The actor shares more about his role as Bhavesh Joshi, and his bond with co-actor Harshvardhan Kapoor  
Priyanshu Painyuli
Priyanshu Painyuli

It wouldn’t be too far- fetched to say that Bhavesh Joshi Superhero has given Indian film audiences a believable superhero. He is young, but not reckless, he thinks and he acts with caution, but at times, this vigilante does err and encounter  failure. With such a realistic superhero, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, has set a new benchmark. 

The man who brought alive Vikramaditya’s vision on screen, is Priyanshu Painyuli, who plays the title role. While Harsh-vardhan Kapoor appears to be the face of the film, it’s in fact Priyanshu who has created a new archetype of a superhero in Indian cinema. Heaped with praises by audiences, critics and industry veterans, Priyanshu is certainly a prized discovery. Though he was seen in films such as Rock On 2 and High Jack, it is his character of Bhavesh that has put him in the spotlight. “Everybody can be a Bhavesh Joshi. It’s about doing your small bits, and becoming a superhero in your own way. In real life too I am like my character,” admits the 29-year-old, adding, “I get annoyed when people jump a red light or when I see guys urinating on footpaths.”

Playing roomies
That’s how candid Priyanshu is about his real life. What makes his role all the more special is the chemistry between his character and his roommate Sikander (played by Harshvardhan). The secret behind this, Priyanshu says, is the fact that he and Harshvardhan did live together as roommates during the pre-production phase. “Phantom Films had put us up in an apartment in Versova for a month and that’s when we spent a lot of time together. We would go for workshops with Vikramaditya sir, and then we would party together, go for long drives together. We bonded well. Ashish Verma (who plays Rajat in the film) stayed close by. We would all meet up often and, that’s what is reflected on screen too,” he says.

Real time challenges
Apart from the excellent cinematography by Siddharth Diwan, the locations used in the film leave a lasting impression. From Mumbai’s local train stations, BMC’s (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) water pipeline network to the suburbs and chawls, every location is a real one. “We never had any set 
for anything and shooting in actual places gave a realistic look to the film,” explains Priyanshu. “In fact, the shoot was quite challenging at times because we would wait till late in the night for everything and everybody to quieten and then we would start rolling. Even the restaurant scene that’s included in the trailer, was shot at an actual restaurant somewhere in the suburbs, and the bike chasing scenes were done at local stations post midnight,” he adds. 

Now that he has made an impact with Bhavesh, he is just soaking in the adulation and attention that’s coming his way. Though he is looking for interesting roles to play, Priyanshu says he isn’t fussy about the medium. “As long as the story is good, I am okay with acting in web series, short films or feature films. But I don’t want people to think I can do only activist roles or emotional roles. I am open to comedy as well. In fact, I act in a lot of comedies on stage and I enjoy doing those,” he signs off.

ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax

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