Vijay Varma's Got Competition! Saurabh Sachdeva Is Acing Villainy On OTT, One Release At A Time
Vijay Varma has been acing the antagonist roles so much so that when his fans see him play a positive role, they feel it¡¯s too good to be true. Be it Darlings or Dahaad, Varma has been hailed for his wickedness. However, the man has got competition now!
In less than a month, this one face has been quite prominent in the world of OTT. During my binge marathon of recently released web series Bambai Meri Jaan, I couldn¡¯t help but think about the actor who plays Hajji bhai. Just recently, Nawazuddin Siddiqui¡¯s Haddi featured him as yet another villain. However, he was second to Anurag Kashyap, the face of evil in the story.
Bambai Meri Jaan is based on S Hussain Zaidi¡¯s book Dongri To Dubai. It chronicles Mumbai¡¯s underworld scene and the many gangsters who wreaked havoc in Bombay. Headlined by Kay Kay Menon and Avinash Tiwary, the show has a bevy of interesting characters one of which is Saurabh Sachdeva.
The minute the camera pans onto him, one can feel a mix of calmness and unspoken power. It can be associated with the character that he plays but Saurabh Sachedeva has a certain charm which makes every character work. His villainy stands out because he doesn¡¯t have to necessarily scream and be over-the-top to look menacing. His piercing gaze and cold body language is enough to exude power.
(Also Read:?'Lot Of Bollywood People Are Exploitative', S Hussain Zaidi On Authors Not Getting Their Due)
My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a little research of my own. Turns out, he isn¡¯t just a phenomenal actor but he is also an acting coach. His nuanced acting comes from a vast experience of studying and eventually teaching in Barry John¡¯s acting studio.?
He is a seasoned performer who ventured into the world of acting in 2001. As per wiki, He worked with Imago Theatre Group until 2003 where he conceived and acted in street plays. In 2005, he joined Barry John Acting School in Mumbai where he spent 11 years as an Acting Coach.
Apart from his own acting career, he is credited for training an array of now renowned artists like Rana Daggubati, Harshvardhan Rane, Freida Pinto, Varun Dhawan, Raghav Juyal, Kubbra Sait, Richa Chadha, Dulquer Salmaan, Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwary and Jacqueline Fernandez among others.?
He received critical acclaim for his role of Suleman Isa in web series Sacred Games, which marked a revolution and advent of OTTs in India.
September is a very special month for Sachdeva as he has back-to-back releases lined up. Haddi became a success right after release and he played the role of Inder in it. Mumbai Meri Jaan, which released on 14th is gaining momentum on the internet as fans are indulging in lengthy discussion over both the story and the performances. Parallely, Kaala, another web series based on corruption and black money, got released on the same day in which Saurabh plays a pivotal role. He will also undoubtedly make an impact in Kareena Kapoor¡¯s OTT debut film Jaane Jaan which is set to release later this month.
If you are wondering if his finesse is only limited to the digital world then brace up because he will also feature in the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer action thriller film, Animal, which is slated for release in December.
When asked about the challenges that he faces while working in different genres, he said in an interview,?
"Undoubtedly, there were challenges along the way. The most notable challenge arose during the filming of Bambai Meri Jaan, given the specific style and character demands. Similarly, portraying the character in Jaane Jaan also presented its own set of hurdles. I grappled with the complexities of the role because I was struggling between my own values as Saurabh and the character's values as he is very brutal."
His filmography boasts of some notable projects like Sacred Games, Vadh, Laal Kaptan, Raat Baki and Housefull 4 to name a few.
Mumbai Meri Jaan is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
(To?read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading?Indiatimes BINGE)
