'I'd Love To Romance Rekha Ma'am'

'Romance not in a physical manner maybe, but, you know, where you are just sharing dialogues and looking at each other and conversations are happening.'
'Rekhaji is has always been my favourite, and I really respect her.'

With his recent film Laaptaa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, being selected as India's official entry to the Oscars 2025, Sparsh Shrivastava's career has taken a meteoric leap.

The film, set in rural India, unravels a compelling narrative of identity and resilience, won hearts at home and is now set to captivate international audiences.

In this exclusive interview with Rediff.com Contributor Mohnish Singh, Sparsh shares his journey from a young boy from television with big dreams to starring in a film that has the potential to bring India an Oscar.

"There were some emotions that I had not tapped before. This film allowed me to dig deeper into those emotions," he says.

Congratulations on your film Laapataa Ladies being selected for the Oscars! How are you feeling right now?

I am really happy and looking forward to the win.

I am equally emotional.

It feels magical.

I was having a conversation with someone (when the news was announced). It was a sort of a meeting, and I could not see my phone.

Then my phone started buzzing again and again.

After some 15 calls, I picked it up and saw that a friend was calling, and he was like, 'Brother, we are at the Oscars'. He shouted so loud that it actually quite shook me. I was a little numb after hearing the news.

Who did you call first after learning the news?

I was busy receiving the calls, so I didn't get the time to call anyone, but, yeah, when I got that gap, I called Kiran ma'am.

Actually, I messaged her because she is the one because of who the film is here.

I messaged Aamir sir also.

Your film left behind Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, Kartik Aaryan's Chandu Champion, Prabhas's Kalki 2898 AD, Rajkummar Rao's Shrikanth, Vicky Kaushal's Sam Bahadur, and the National Award-winning Malayalam film Aattam in the competition. How do you look at it?

The way I look at it is not with the lens that our film has left behind all the other films. I look at it in a way that our film is able to represent India at the Oscars.

All the other films are equally good.

I think it's the jury who has a certain lens to look at films and based on that, they make that selection.

I would have been equally happy if they had chosen any other film.

But what I can assure you is that today is the time for the right content. The audience has become smart and that's why films like Laaptaa Ladies happen to make their entry.

Kiran Rao has a distinctive storytelling style. How did her vision for Laapataa Ladies shape your performance and the overall atmosphere on set?

Yes. She's also a very versatile director. I mean, if you look at Dhobi Ghat and then Laapataa Ladies, they are two different worlds altogether.

The way she used to guide me through the film was amazing.

We had multiple sittings with her. I used to ask her how my character would walk, talk, how would his eyes be. She always mentioned that this boy is so innocent that he cannot think of doing anything wrong.

I remember that one instruction that she gave me -- which set the tone for me -- was that Deepak was a little dumb, or maybe he is not corrupt at all.

Before doing a scene, we used to discuss and rehearse.

She is someone who will take you on the journey of performing a scene and then let you play.

'Now do what you want to do'.

She gives you that liberty.

The atmosphere on set was really warm. Though we were shooting in the cold, the atmosphere was really warm.

For an actor, it's very important to have a surrounding. Like, how is the set behaving while the actor is performing the scene. So whenever the take is happening, the whole set supports you to give you that take, to give you that silence. 

Which was your favourite scene?

The scene where I say I love you to my wife.

I was under high pressure. Neither my director nor any of the other makers had said anything to me. They gave me the free field.

But I was pressurising myself because I wanted to make it look very different from all the other 'I love yous' that we have seen in past films.

I wanted to make it look different and have a different impact.

So when I performed it, I was under a pressure of performance. But then when I gave my first take, it came out really well. I remember seeing Kiran ma'am's face. She was pretty amazed and happy to see that particular take.

I think she didn't imagine it that way. I still remember her expression.

What do you hope international audiences take away from the film?

I think the international audience can take over the smell of the film.

The type of beauty it holds, the type of message it says.

We tapped into patriarchy, but we are also showing that the women out here are moving forward, and, you know, taking themselves more seriously.

How has working on this project influenced your growth as an actor?

I think this project has improved my craft in a way that I can't explain. There were some emotions that I had not tapped before. This film allowed me to dig deeper into those emotions.

Deepak is very emotional, very innocent. I think the previous characters that I played were really a little rugged and street smart. But this guy was a little dumb.

After playing Deepak, I realised, 'Okay, these emotions are also there inside me, and I just had to trigger them and surrender to them'.

You started your career as a dancer and won Chak Dhoom Dhoom and then acted in Balika Vadhu. What challenges did you face while transitioning from television to film?

I took a gap of a year because I was also studying.

And I was bored.

I had done serials, and I wanted to jump into films.

So I thought if I jump without taking this gap, I might not be able to justify the performances required because the tone of a serial is different than that of a film.

So I took that one year gap, which was a little daunting, but it gave me a few experiences that are helping my craft today.

Who are some actors or film-makers that inspire you?

I would say Aamir Khan sir, and I am not saying it because he gave me an opportunity to be the hero of his film Laapataa Ladies. I am telling you this because I have spent time with him, and I know him a little better.

He has the vision.

The way he looks at things, the way he looks at cinema, the type of changes he has brought in the Indian cinema is commendable.

Like, Lagaan was completely out of the box film at that point of time. Making and taking risks with such a film needed guts and conviction. And then again, he did Dangal.

In Laapataa Ladies, he took risks with new faces.

Who is your favourite actress who you want to romance on the screen?

This might sound a little off to you, but I mean it with all innocence and with a true heart, I would love to romance Rekha ma'am.

Romance not in a physical manner maybe, but, you know, where you are just sharing dialogues and looking at each other and conversations are happening.

Rekhaji is has always been my favourite, and I really respect her.

Are there any upcoming projects you're excited about?

Yeah. There is one show called Dupahiya, which is coming on Amazon Prime Video.