Firoze of Farzi and Karnail Singh of Chandu Champion — Is Bhuvan Arora getting trapped in ‘friend’s zone’?

Nonika Singh

Sheran di quam Punjabi… make that artistic too. As we keep discovering, rediscovering Punjabi actors yet another Punjabi, Bhuvan Arora, delights us with his portrayal of an endearing Sikh character in Chandu Champion. Delhi boy Bhuvan may not have any roots in Punjab, but as they say ‘you can never take out Punjab from a Punjabi’. Essaying Karnail Singh in Kabir Khan’s sports biopic was ‘fun’ for it was the first time he was getting to play ‘little bit of what I know’, and the barrier of language was least of his concerns.

Interestingly, his character was not conceived as a Sikh. Rather it was his beard, which he had grown for Sepoy Vikram Singh’s part in the upcoming Tamil film Amaran, that firmed up Kabir’s decision to cast him as a Sikh. Bhuvan whose breakout performance in Farzi made most of us wake up to his immense talent does not agree that he is getting trapped in ‘friend’s zone’. He says, “I believe you have to be typecast before you break the mould. Firoze of Farzi and Karnail Singh of Chandu Champion, heroes’ ‘friends in need…’ are as different as chalk and cheese.” While working with celebrity directors Raj and DK in Farzi and now Kabir Khan of Chandu Champion has been ‘touch wood’ experiences, but these ‘masters of their craft’ too, he shares, ‘are markedly different in their directorial approaches’. While The Family Man and Farzi director-duo allows actors to thrive on ‘surprise me’ moments, Kabir sir expects them to confine all improvisations to workshops and rehearsals, and not for the final take. Since both prestige productions also had these two superstars Shahid Kapur and Kartik Aaryan on board, does the bromance we saw on screen translate on the sets too. First things first, he does not see them as stars, only as co-actors for, ‘that is how the FTII trained me’.

No good actor should rise above the script.

Comic timing

To aspiring actors, Bhuvan’s advice is simple — ‘body is your tool’. By that he does not mean getting six or eight pack muscles. “Back in time I too was obsessed with going to the gym. The only thing building my body landed me was an underwear brand commercial,” he smiles. Clearly, his impeccable comic timing is not just reserved for the screen.

Word of praise

Talking of his hallowed alma mater, which is having its big moment in glory what with Payal Kapadia’s historic Cannes win, he agrees that FTII graduates are taken more seriously, may be with a touch of respect too. “But at the end of the day the hustle is the same.” So what is it about the Film and Training Institute of India that it consistently continues to churn out some brilliant actors? He laughs, “Hamari chakki ka aata hi alag hai.” Seriously, he opines, “Apart from providing us a window into world cinema, the cultural exposure is tremendous. Even if one were to not attend classes, one would emerge a better version of oneself. Frankly, we eat, breathe and talk cinema. People in FTII are not humans but walking-talking energies and lot of energy exchange happens.” But he doesn’t proclaim that FTII is the only way to imbibe acting as many like Manoj Bajpayee are not from any institute, yet phenomenal actors.

No fixed formula

As for Bhuvan’s process of acting, well it’s not linear for sure. He says, “There are multiple ways to get into your part, past experiences, an animal or music; anything can be a trigger. There is no one fixed/ reductive formula.” In an industry where ‘everybody has an opinion on acting’ and unwanted advice comes aplenty, his key to happiness is the golden Punjabi state of satiation, saanu ki.

He may not have grown up in Punjab, but is as Punjabi as it gets. Everybody’s favourite Diljit Dosanjh is certainly his too as the song Lover tops his playlist. Though he is adept in speaking Punjabi and would love to work in Pollywood, he would not care to limit himself to any region or language. Like a true blue Punjabi, world is his playing field. Punjabiyan di shaan wakhri… with more than one series Dupahiya, Tatkaal, Fissadi and action war biopic Amaran lined up, he is set to shine some more and soar higher. 

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