Aditya Rawal: ‘Hansal Mehta Pushes You to Believe in Yourself'

As Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat’s son, Aditya Rawal is acutely aware of his privilege, the legacy of his accomplished parents, and the responsibility that comes with all this. An alumnus of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Rawal has been part of the hit Hotstar series Aar Ya Paar and made his film debut this year with Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz (2023).  

Based on the 2016 tragedy when five terrorists attacked Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the film features Rawal as Nibras, who is not the “regular narebaaz cinematic terrorist”. Nibras’s ‘debates’ with the protagonist are among the highlights of the film. In an interview with Film Companion, Rawal said Faraaz attempts to convey how “radicalisation is not the preserve of just one subset of the population.” He also spoke about Mehta’s generosity as a director who allows his actors the freedom to express themselves — “When you get freedom from a person like him, the responsibility is much greater too, right?” 

Here are edited excerpts from the discussion: 

What about Faraaz’s story appealed to you?

The story is about a terror attack on a restaurant in Dhaka in 2016. Five young men stormed in and shot up the place before holding the surviving patrons hostage for the long night. I met Hansal (Mehta) sir, who wanted me to play the terrorist, Nibras, who leads the pack. He was very clear from the get-go that this wouldn't be your regular narebaaz (sloganeering) cinematic terrorist. He was intent on finding the layers of humanity beneath this brutal act and that is the aspect that appealed to me the most. There are certain narratives that prevail when it comes to terrorism and radicalisation, one of them being that they [terrorists] might be coming from underprivileged backgrounds. While it is, of course, true in many cases,  as far as this attack was concerned, most of these five boys were educated and belonged to well-to-do families. They had prospects … yet they went down this path of radicalisation.  

How is it to work with Hansal Mehta?

He is just fantastic. He is so generous and calm, both on and off set. He has this way of putting you at ease and allowing you the freedom to express yourself. However, when you get freedom from a person like him, the responsibility is much greater too, right?  He is keenly aware of those things, so he is always reassuring and guiding you with such a light touch that sometimes there were days when we finished shooting and felt like we didn't do much work at all because it was just so seamless. 

Is there an anecdote that comes to mind with regard to something he has taught you?

He pushes you to believe in yourself. It's something that Zahan (Kapoor) and I both experienced. We'd finish the take and Sir would appear from behind the monitor and would be like, “Great! I got it!” We'd be like, “Can we please do one more?” The first couple of times he’d take a second and go, “Okay, one more.” After the first couple of times, though, he caught on… Then he’d say, “No, you don't get to do one more just because you can go back to the hotel room feeling like you've worked hard today. So, believe in yourself, believe in what you've done and if your director has got what he wanted then he'll let you know that, as I've done right now.” It taught us (that) extending yourself beyond capacity is not the only marker of hard work. Sometimes things can just work if you find the honesty in them. Hansal sir was very much like the 'big daddy' on set, we’d simply devote all our energy in the direction that he wanted. He has a very strong vision, but he also allows your interpretation to find its place.

What are the points that you think the film is trying to make?

The film tells the story of how moderate (or) rational members of a religion stand up against the extreme elements that misuse the same ideology that they claim to follow. In a way, it is about reclaiming your identity. There is this idea that yes, the world is unfair, there is great injustice and it must be fought against — but what is the best way? Is it to pick up arms and strike terror into the hearts of people who might not even be directly responsible for the injustices that your community or your subset of the population has suffered? Or is there another way? That's what Faraaz talks about. Radicalisation or extremism is not the preserve of just one subset of the population, whether it's a socio-economic or a religious group. Faraaz happens to be the story of a particular place and time but we have seen it play out in other countries, with different religions and ideologies as well. Radicalisation can happen anywhere, to anyone. The same goes for heroism. Most cinematic heroes, however, are not super-privileged. They have way more bravado than Faraaz, the character that Zahan plays, but his act of heroism is just that much more poignant, that much more profound, because he does not represent the qualities of your regular cinematic hero.  

About your family, can you tell me one thing that each of them has taught you with regard to your craft?

My brother, Anirudha Rawal, is able to stay calm and composed in the most high-pressure situations. He has been an assistant director (AD) on a lot of big films that require ADs to perform in tough conditions. He is able to do that with an ease that I find incredibly impressive and I see the same thing when he is acting on stage. He has a sense of calmness about him while being completely alive in the role. My father (Paresh Rawal) is primarily a professional actor but my mother (Swaroop Sampat) is an all-rounder. She completed her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts before she became Miss India. Then, she acted on stage and in films. She stopped working briefly to raise us and once we were old enough, she did a PhD in Teaching Through Drama and then became an educator. Every now and then, she jumps in to do a film or a play that she is interested in. She wears so many hats, but no matter what she does, she is able to do it with 100% commitment and passion and joy. I never feel like she is suffering while working. That's definitely something I would like to have in me. My father has been around for so long but he's always kept himself fresh. He's versatile in a way that very few actors are.