Rahul Bhat plays DSP Rajesh Tomar in Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh’s Netflix Original Black Warrant. The series is based on a book of the same name by Sunetra Choudhury and Sunil Gupta. The series opened to stellar reviews by critics and audience alike.
Rahul Bhat’s character is a fictional one, in a series based on the ground realities of Tihar prisons, in which almost all characters are out of real life.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Rahul speaks about how he prepared for the role of DSP Rajesh Tomar.
“As it’s a fictional character, I had no constraints. I wanted to make it quirky; add layers. Actually, I don’t want to play a regular officer with short hair, bad temper – predictable traits… I wanted to make it unpredictable, mazedaar (interesting). I think, my message reached the audience,” Rahul Bhatt tells NDTV.
The authors Sunetra Choudhury and Sunil Gupta, the former Tihar jailer on whom the book is based, praised the series, and even said that the screen adaptation was better than the book.
When we ask Rahul to share his thoughts on the remark, he tells NDTV, “Talented people never scream and boast of their talents. They always give credit to others. Had they not written such a brilliant book, the series wouldn’t have been made. So, the credit goes to them.”
Rahul Bhat, who is known for stellar roles in films like Ugly (2013), Dobaaraa (2022), and Kennedy (2023), owes quite a bit of his career to director Anurag Kashyap. Ugly came after a sabbatical; and Kennedy premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
So, what’s so special about Kashyap?
Rahul Bhat answers, “I want him to cast me more and more. It happens when a connection between an actor and a director develops organically. Therefore, the director wants to cast the actor time and again. When Richard Attenborough came to India to direct Gandhi, Naseer Saab (Naseeruddin Shah) almost cracked the role. He gave an audition and was very keen to do the part. But the director wanted to cast another actor.”
Has Anurag Kashyap ever complimented him?
“He casts me again and again. It’s a compliment in itself. I don’t think you need any other compliment,” Rahul tells us.
Recently, Kashyap made headlines when he said he’s “disgusted” with the Hindi film industry and that he wanted to relocate to the South.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kashyap said that he doesn’t find creative stimulation in Mumbai, and that he wanted to move out of the city.
Does Rahul Bhat endorse Anurag Kashyap’s view? “This is called Kashyap-ism,” comes a prompt reply.
“He’s Anurag Kashyap. He’s a genius. He has the right to say anything he feels like. I don’t think I am in a position to comment on his remark. I won’t say if the comments are good, bad or ugly,” adds Rahul Bhat.
“But, deep in my heart, I feel, we make bad films with big stars. The big stars deserve good films. And every industry goes through a bad phase at some point of time. It’s like a cycle. If there’s a slump now, a good time is around the corner,” Rahul Bhatt shares on the ongoing debate over Hindi vs South films.
Speaking of Black Warrant, the series is a gripping tale of the inside dynamics of Tihar prisons where a jailer finds it difficult to make his way among notorious criminals. The series recounts Sunil Gupta’s time as a rookie jailer in Tihar prisons.
Black Warrant stars Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Cheema and Anurag Thakur in key roles.
