Prammod Sanghi on Udta Teer, martial arts training and his journey as an actor

Versatility is a bit of an understatement when it comes to Prammod Sanghi. Having moved between the gritty worlds of Asur, Farzi, Rana Naidu, Kennedy and Daayra, the actor is now gearing up for Udta Teer, a patriotic comedy with a rather different take on patriotism.

“I play Arjun, the muscle of the Indian Squad, a true patriot who acts first and thinks later. I always wanted to be a part of a patriotic film. I have been an SCC cadet in school and have attended the Indian Navy Camp. The 90's was about ‘desh bhakti'. It was the era of films like Border and Legend of Bhagat Singh, and watching them, I would get a testosterone rush, or upon listening to the desh bhakti songs. Udta Teer gave me an opportunity to be a part of this evolved narrative of patriotism. I say evolved because of our director, Akash Kaushik, who is also the writer of Udta Teer. He understands the subject so deeply. I believe only he could make a patriotic comedy. And I love the fact that Arjun is the serious one in the world of Udta Teer," he says.

Beyond the character itself, Prammod found the experience of working on the film equally rewarding. "Shooting for Udta Teer was like going to a party. It was as if I found an extended family. The cast bonded instantly. Everyone was so grounded. I think it all starts with the people on the top, and our producers, director and Ayushmann are all full of love and humility and extremely helpful towards each other. It's a blessing to be introduced to a new culture and become a part of it. Our cast and crew were filled with Punjabis. Hence great food, lots of laughter, and breaking into a song or dance became normal."

Playing an action-driven soldier also meant returning to martial arts and undergoing some rigorous training. Martial arts has been a large part of my life. However, strength training and crossFit became a major part of my discipline for the last 7 years. But thanks to Udta Teer, I jumped right back in. It was tough in the beginning. But once I started training with Kuldeep Shashi of Team Tiger Shroff. He understood the rust that needed attention. And I simply surrendered. When you love doing something, the challenge feels good."

The shoot also offered a reminder of the emotional and physical rewards of committing oneself to a creative pursuit. "“Art is healing. "We have all heard this phrase, but I have lived it. We were to do this chase sequence in the mountains, and I had a severe headache that day. I had a high fever, and the body was not accepting anything, and I was throwing up. But we had to shoot. Acting is a responsible profession; it’s never just about you. A shoot day has a lot at stake; locations, the producer's money and a lot of people’s schedules depend on you showing up, and I am so glad I did. Art rewarded me instantly; I was absolutely fine by the end of the day."

That commitment to the craft extends to the way Prammod approaches character selection. Across projects such as Asur, Farzi, Rana Naidu, Kennedy and Daayra, he has explored a range of personalities, each contributing something distinct to the larger narrative. "Thanks for acknowledging that. Yes, I am grateful for my journey so far; fortunately, I have had the opportunity to play distinct characters. If the proposed character contributes to the story graph, I jump on it. Rathod’s intervention in Asur was the turning point for Dhananjay Rajpoot to dig out the evil. Samraat Ganjoo in Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya becomes relevant to every era that decides to mend history as per their convenience. Basu in Daayra, like Meghana (Gulzar) ma'am would say, is the Jinn, a silent observer of the events, questions when necessary and helpful to the one who seeks answers. He represents the hope that every journalist has deep down. The reporter I played with in Kennedy questioned the authenticity of Uday Shetty. Savio in Rana Naidu helps Rana get a step closer to his lost son and ends up helping him reconnect with his father too. I have written copies, poems and screenplays in the past and have a good understanding of stories, and I try to apply that knowledge while making a decision."

He adds, “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. The Indian film industry is evolving at a rapid pace. And thanks to the new age of storytelling, the mould is broken every season. I guess that’s the reason when a casting director looks at me, they see beyond my looks. They are looking at the complete personality. It’s a lot to do with my curiosity too. I have been a student for life. Growing up in a boarding school, always wanting to speak the dialect of a classmate and applying it on stage. The opportunity to learn dancing, martial arts, horse riding, rifle shooting, and falling in love with literature and stage and cinema only helped. I feel the film industry is known for taking risks. And I am glad to be acknowledged. Well, the real challenge still awaits; it’s one thing to be compared to a Jason Statham, Bruce Willis or Dwayne Johnson and another to actually be cast in a role that requires the metal. I feel ready, and so are the audience and the industry."

Dance, in particular, remains an important part of Prammod’s identity, despite the expectations that accompanied his early career. "Yes. Ever since the day I started working as an actor. At the beginning I was boxed in as a villain. My industry seniors, acting class fellows, would say that I would be easily cast as a villain, and I would envision myself on the stage of Jhalak Dikhlaja and Dancing with the Stars. Because we don’t imagine our villains to be dancers, do we? People who see me dance for the first time are often surprised, and that expression is the best compliment ever."

Coming from a middle-class family of lawyers and businessmen, Prammod describes his move to Mumbai as a considerable leap of faith. His early experiences writing, directing, acting in and producing a play featuring ten dance styles eventually led him towards short-format filmmaking. "A lot of readers would look at me and think I have seen this guy. That’s because of my relationship with the world of short-format films. I come from a humble middle-class background. A family of lawyers and businessmen. Moving to Mumbai and pursuing a career in films was a long shot. At the beginning of my career, I wrote, directed, acted in and produced a play that featured 10 dance styles. And that’s when a friend of mine suggested, 'Let's make a short film.' In 2014, the Indian film industry saw a boom in short-format films. And thanks to platforms like Large Short Films, a lot of filmmakers got an opportunity to showcase their stories."

Prammod subsequently made two short films, Fearless and Pinjra, which were released on Large Short Films. "We did not have enough resources to take them to festivals, but since then I have always associated myself with the world of short films. Acting, producing and at times directing a few. I have been a part of at least a dozen short and student films since. And this has been the best film school ever."

It was this long-standing association with independent storytelling that brought him to Dear Tillo. Drawn to the script and the conviction of its creator, Mark Bennington, Prammod joined the project as executive producer and also collaborated on the direction. "So when Mark sent me the script of Dear Tillo, I instantly fell in love with it, and to top it all, his conviction. He wanted me to be the executive producer and also associate with him to direct it. I was also responsible for finding the leading lady who could do justice to Tillo and the rest, as they say, is history. Today we are a part of five international film festivals and counting, namely the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, the International Film Festival South Asia, the Toronto International Film Festival, the River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, and the Sweden Film Awards."

With several projects on the horizon, Prammod is looking towards another busy phase in his career. Among his upcoming ventures is Adhure Hum Adhure Tum, which marks the return of the romantic-comedy duo Imran Khan and Danish Aslam. He is also set to appear in Storm, a series from Hrithik Roshan's production house, directed by Ajitpal Singh.

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