He learnt to play the guitar, grew his hair really long and genuinely
gelled with his co-stars. The effort has paid off for model-turned-actor
Arjun Rampal who says "Rock On" is his biggest hit so
far.
He has been showered with praise for his performance as down-and-out
rocker Joe Mascarenhas in the hit movie about four friends who
form a rock band.
"Everyone thought 'Rock On' was going to be just a multiplex
film. It's gone way beyond. People are getting in touch with their
old friends because of 'Rock On'. That's truly gratifying. Even
the small-towners are reacting to it. Just proves if you make
a film from your heart, it connects. All I can say is, wow. This
is my biggest success so far," Arjun told IANS.
Arjun debuted as an actor in 2001 with "Moksha" and
featured in films like "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat", "Dil
Hai Tumhaara", "Yakeen" and "Ek Ajnabee"
- but all of them failed to create a buzz at the box office.
Finally, Arjun got his due in 2007 with the release of "Om
Shanti Om". It was followed by "Rock On!" and he
says his latest venture worked because of the real camaraderie
among the actors and the director.
"What I've really taken home from 'Rock On' is some great
friendships. It was such an experience to work with really new
talent. Everyone in the film was either fresh talent or new to
me. And they turned out to be people who'll stay friends with
me for keeps.
"What you see is not fake. All of us, from director Abhishek
Kapoor to Farhan, Luke Kenny, Purab Kohli and me, we spent a lot
of time together. We read the script together, spoke about each
other's characters and just hung out. So, by the time we faced
the camera, we looked like really good friends who had known each
other for decades," he said.
He still remembers when Farhan told him about his role in "Rock
On".
"I was in Jodhpur when Farhan told me about it. And I was
like, wow! It was the story of these two friends, Farhan and me.
So we had to look really close.
"When Farhan's sister Zoya was watching the rushes, she
turned and said, 'What are the two of you doing in the film? It
looks like you'll kiss any moment.' I told her not to worry. Every
emotion and component is genuine. I actually played the correct
chords when we played in stage. No guitarist can catch me out.
Even Purab Kohli learnt to play the drums. We had to get it absolutely
right."
Commenting upon his role and look in the movie, Arjun said: "Just
feeling for the character was a tremendous high. The long hair
and my look was decided in 10 minutes. I was the only character
who wasn't going to cut his hair. I already had long hair. I added
some extensions to it. Nobody's hair can grow that long in such
a short time."
Arjun learnt to play the guitar from scratch for his role.
"Learning it was tough. But I had a great teacher called
Chandresh from a band called Dream Out Loud recommended by Farhan.
Chandresh came for three hours every day for three months.
"I always wanted to learn to play the guitar. It's a wonderful
hobby to have. The guitar becomes a great companion when you're
travelling. And now I'm hooked on to it. I play the guitar and
entertain family friends and guests with songs.
"I do intend to keep my interest in guitar going, though
I don't expect I'd be able to join any band. I learn one song
every week. And I play to my daughters all the time. But I'm not
good enough to join a band."
He is not at all worried about being typecast.
"'Om Shanti Om' did wonderfully for me. I was never scared
it'd slot me as a villain. Just as I'm sure 'Rock On' won't slot
me as a rock star. I want to grow as an actor, try to do roles
that allow me to grow." |