Jitin Gulati Exclusive Interview: “I Just Want To Be True To My Work”

Jitin Gulati barely pays attention to the medium his work will be shown on. All matters to him is his part and the people he is going to work with. The tall and handsome actor is presently busy promoting his upcoming webseries titled Broken… But Beautiful 2. As the title suggests itself, the forthcoming series is the second instalment of the ALTBalaji-produced Broken… But Beautiful. It premieres on ALTBalaji and ZEE5 on 27^th November.

Ahead of the grand premiere of Broken… But Beautiful 2, STARBIZ caught up with Jitin Gulati and spoke to him about a lot of things. In this interview, Jitin Gulati talks about the second season of Broken… But Beautiful, his character in it, his award-winning LGBTQ themed short film Sisak and, of course, upcoming projects. Excerpts…

After the huge success of Broken… But Beautiful, the entire team is returning with season 2. How excited are you ahead of the premiere of the series?

I am as excited as I was for season one. Our first season revolved around two individuals with broken hearts, who come to terms with what has happened in their lives. Season 2 is, actually, a step forward and we are exploring something which I don’t think so has been explored on any medium till now.

Normally, a story revolves around two people who are in a mess and how they overcome it. But I think difficulties don’t leave us at that. There is still a lot to resolve, and those things keep coming back in our lives. There are memories and there are cracks that you will have to take care of. Broken 2 delves into that. While you have mended your heart, how do you take care of cracks that are there?

How is your character Kartik going to be different from the previous season?

See, in season one, I was kind of a bad guy who leaves the girl. Not just that I was villain or something, but some people outgrow love and the relationship. They move on but the other person who is still in love is still there. It takes two to fall in love but, I think, it does not take two to fall out of love. When you are in love with someone, you know the person inside out. In Broken 2, I am not with Samira anymore but I am still friends with her and care for her. Somewhere down the line, I want good for her. I really wish well for her. So, it is a good graph that I have got in season 2.

How has been the experience shooting with everyone?

It is one of the best ensembles that I have ever worked with. One thing that I can very safely say that each one of them has given their best and each one of them is a very, very good actor. They are very nuanced actors and that is why I love working with them. Whenever we are together, after the shoot, we are partying only. Overall, it was a beautiful experience.

Are there going to be more complexities in each character’s life in season 2?

Definitely, there is a lot more complexity and so are the nuances. A lot is happening in each and every character’s life. There is a beautiful cobweb that they have created of relationships and emotions and how that gets solved is a beautiful puzzle that you are going to see in season 2.

You are also working in Inside Edge 2.

Inside Edge is something which is totally different for me. I play the guy who books cricketers for doing match fixing and all. In season one, we were basically talking about fixing. In season 2, we are talking about other issues that are there with cricket. At the same time, retain the fact that cricket is all about sportsmanship and a lot of hard work.

If I am not wrong you shot simultaneously for both the shows. How did you do that?

That is the fun of being an actor. It gives you a kick when you rush form one set to another. During the day, you shoot for Broken. At night, you shoot for Inside Edge 2. I think that is the beauty of being an actor. Of course, if you are well prepared, there is nothing stopping you. I prepare for my characters in advance. Once you get into the flow, it just gets easier.

People talk about your short film Sisak even today. How do you feel?

Sisak has won about 59 international awards. It has played in about 120 film festivals till now and the love just keeps pouring in. Honestly speaking, Sisak is a short film and I had no expectations from it. For short films, there are no platforms to exhibit them. Most of such kind of films go to YouTube. But thankfully, OTT platforms have emerged as such a boon in the recent times that people are now okay with any kind of content. People want to see more and more content. I am just very, very humbled and amazed by the kind of response that we got for Sisak. I still get messages from counties like Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Canada and so many other counties, you know. And they have seen the film in different, different festivals.

You have possibly explored all mediums. How is one medium different than the other?

I think there is no difference because of medium per se. As an actor my job is to bring about the truth of my character. I just want to be true to my work. So medium does not really matter to me. A camera does not differentiate between two actors when we change the medium, so why we should differentiate between mediums.

What is next in the works for you?

So, Broken 2 is slated to premiere on 27^th November. It will be followed by Inside Edge 2 on 6^th December. Then I have done a very beautiful project with Applause Entertainment, which should come in the first three months of next year. I have also done a biopic of Maharaja Chhatrasal. It is based on his relationship with his people and the Mughal dynasty. Ashutosh Rana Ji is playing Aurangzeb in it while I play the title part there of Chhatrasal Ji. I have also shot for a film called Sheer Qorma with Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker. That will probably come out next year.

Don’t you want to work more in films?

I am looking for good work right now and it can be on any medium. Of course, I have grown up watching cinema. I have grown up watching films. The dream is always to do films and to have the audience see you on the big screen, but I take each step as it comes. Let’s concentrate on good work right now.