By Joginder Tuteja

It is turning out to be an eventful year for Pulkit Samrat, even as lockdown is easing out now and things are turning back to normalcy. His Taish released a week back in the film as well as web series version and there is some quite appreciation that has come the way for the actor, who has been known best for his superhit Fukrey franchise. While he was always seen as this sweet looking chocolate face boy over the years, the kind of volte face that he has done in Taish ended up catching everyone by surprise.

“I was so very much looking forward to reactions from the audiences, and thankfully it has been beyond what would have expected,” says Pulkit, who has quite an aggressive part to play in the Bejoy Nambiar directed action revenge drama, “We knew that we were making something special, that’s the hallmark of Bejoy’s storytelling. However the way people have reacted to everyone in the film is so special.”

The stage is set right at the beginning of Taish when a shocking scene set in the lobby of the washroom of a London night club sees him beat up a gangster [Abhimanyu Singh] to pulp, and leaving him practically dead. That sets the stage for the bloody saga that follows, though there is a substantial portion at the start of the film where one gets to see the sweet and fun side of Pulkit as well.

“That was the idea behind me picking up Taish,” agrees Pulkit, “There were so many different shades that the character had to offer and I wanted to grab it all with both hands. This has been the most complex part played by me and thankfully, it has all turned out to be worth it.”

Something similar is expected out of his next release Haathi Mere Saathi as well for which he has waited for a while. The film was supposed to release earlier this year but the lockdown changed the entire scenario. Thankfully though, the makers decided to hold on to its release instead of bringing it digitally. Now, the film with Rana Daggubati would arrive on Makar Sankranti 2021

“Haathi Meri Saathi has been shot as a theatrical experience. Be it the sound, visuals or locations, you feel that you are in a jungle. The makers want it arrive first in theaters due to that kind of experience,” says Pulkit, “See, it is not easy for anyone to be patient as it has been made at such a huge scale and that too in different languages, be it Hindi, Telugu or Tamil. Still, everyone held on to it so that it arrives on the right time.”

Well, come mid-January and it could indeed turn out to be a right time for Haathi Mere Saathi, what with theaters now open in Mumbai as well.