‘Dhadak 2’ has captivated the audience with its hard-hitting storyline and stellar performances. Amid the praise for Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi, Saad Bilgrami has also been grabbing the attention for his intense acting as an antagonist. In an exclusive interview with News24, Saad talks about his experience working in ‘Dhadak 2’, bagging a Dharma film, and much more.
The actor feels grateful for the love he is receiving for ‘Dhadak 2’, and even big celebrities are rooting for him. He says, “I was very clear that I wanted to work on 70 mm, for big screen, and, like, I have already done a film called ‘Khuda Haafis’, but it did not receive proper recognition. Now, I woke up and saw the notification that Ishaan Khattar mentioned me in his story. Anurag (Kashyap) sir posted a picture of me and mentioned my name. This is magical for me. I’m a small-town boy, and it’s magical. I am enjoying my life.”
Saad reveals that he auditioned for another character in ‘Dhadak 2’, but then he was approached to audition for the antagonist’s role. Bagging a film with Dharma Productions is a dream of any actor, and it was no less than a magical moment for him when he first visited Dharma’s office.
Recalling that moment when he learned about his selection for ‘Dhadak 2’, he says, “After auditioning, I went to the Dharma office for the first time, and it was a dream. I saw pictures of Shah Rukh Khan and Mr. Amitabh Bachchan on the wall. I was like, Oh, my God, what is happening? I was very emotional.”
He also praises director Shazia Iqbal for humbly welcoming her to the film. “When I met ma’am (Shazia) for the first time, she said, ‘Saad, you’re doing the film,’ and asked me if I was comfortable. She even thanked me for doing the film. She was so humble and generous to me that I was willing to do any role,” Saad adds.
Many actors in Bollywood have openly talked about how some scenes can be emotionally draining for them, and Saad also had a similar experience with ‘Dhadak 2’. He shares, “The movie has some scenes where I had to humiliate people, especially older people. I also had some scenes with Triptii where we are fighting like cats and dogs. I had to pull her hair, and sometimes we even got hurt. I was continuously apologising to her, but she said I didn’t need to say sorry.”
“There are other scenes where I had to urinate on Siddhant Chaturvedi and also remove the clothes of the actor who played his father, to humiliate them. These scenes were really hard-hitting while performing. After coming home, I spoke to my partner and cried a lot. Earlier, I used to wonder why actors cry after performing some scenes, and now I understand why,” he adds.
Saad is all praise for his co-stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, who have collaborated for the first time. He says, “When I came to Mumbai, Siddhant was already a big name. He was launched by Excel Entertainment in Gully Boy, and he did a fabulous job. I was a fan. I used to make like gags and spoofs. I created a spoof called ‘Tully Boy’ that you can see on YouTube. I played Ranveer Singh, one of my friends played him, and I showed the spoof to him. He liked it a lot and laughed, too.”
“Even Triptii, she is a big star. Both of them talked about me in the interviews, and they are so generous. They never let anyone feel like they are stars,” he further shares.
Saad’s journey in Bollywood is no less than an inspiration for many other actors trying to make it big in Mumbai. Before ‘Dhadak 2’, he appeared in ‘Gullak’, ‘Panchayat Season 3’, ‘Ghar Waapsi’, ‘Hostel Daze’ and ‘Khuda Haafiz 2’.
