Director Razneesh “Razy” Ghai’s war drama 120 Bahadur has been receiving a lot of acclaim. Among the actors, apart from Farhan Akhtar, Sparsh Walia has also impressed the audiences. He spoke about his character in the movie and more in an interview with us.

Sparsh Walia on receiving acclaim for playing Ram Chandra Yadav in 120 Bahadur, "I watched all videos of Ram Chandra ji and even met him"

Sparsh Walia on receiving acclaim for playing Ram Chandra Yadav in 120 Bahadur, “I watched all videos of Ram Chandra ji and even met him”

The world of Ram Chandra Yadav is far removed from yours. What did you do to embrace it so unconditionally?

I read all the material available on the battle that 120 Bahadur is based on. Additionally, I watched all available videos of Ram Chandra ji and even met him in person. All these things helped me develop a deep sense of empathy for this person who has endured the war, survived it, and has lived to tell the story. Based on what I read, I created my own character sketch of Ram Chandra ji and every morning I used to build on this sketch by visualising his struggles, sacrifices, dreams and everything that makes his entire persona. This really helped me perform as it helped me relate better to my character. Also, I really believe that where I come from cannot define what I bring on the big screen. I try to work on my quality to be able to visualise any character that I might have to play.

Shooting in Ladakh, did the experience leave you breathless?

Ha ha! Quite literally, yes! Despite its calm and beauty, shooting in Ladakh was extremely challenging. I remember this particular daywhen I had an early morning shot, it was -16C and my tongue froze. It was very amusing to watch the crew bring me tons of hot water and heat packs to de freeze my tongue, so we could resume shooting the scene. I must mention here that before Ladakh, I used to avoid going to the hills and mountains. However,I’vedefinitely changed my mind after spending so much of time in such a beautiful place.

Tell me about yourself. Where do you come from and how long have you been waiting to be recognized?

I was born in a small town of Haryana calledYamunagar, and I was brought up in Delhi. I remember the first time I performed on stage. It was in the 6th Grade and I instantly fell in love with the craft. Later, I joined Sri Ram Centre of Performing Arts in Delhi. Since it was anunconventional choice, I had to convince my family to get on board with it but ultimately they have been extremely supportive of me. In 2018, I came to Mumbai not knowing anyone here and since then I have been trying to get a platform to showcase my talent. I must have given 100s of auditions and finally I got this opportunity to work with Excel and be a part of this incredible story.

Sparsh, how tough has the industry been on you? Have you had ugly experiences?

As tough as it is on anyone! Everyone has different struggles, but struggles are a part of the journey nonetheless. What was especially frustrating for me was the endless patience, which I had to exhibit. Unlike most other industries, the film industry is very dynamic andunpredictable. No one can give a definitive formula on how to achieve success here. During this time, I tried to focus a lot on my craft. There were few instances where I was almost locked for a part but I was dropped at the last minute for reasons that had nothing to do with my competence. That was very discouraging! However, my support system ensured that I keep moving forward.

Also Read: 120 Bahadur: Farhan Akhtar and team meets surviving Rezang La heroes in Delhi ahead of film release