I can talk in any language now: Prateik

Filmmaker Prakash Jha is most noted for his chaste Hindi, which was evident in his 2010 hit Raajneeti. Actor Prateik, who is acting in his forthcoming Aarakshan, had to mimic Jha’s dialect for his role in the movie.

Filmmaker Prakash Jha is most noted for his chaste Hindi, which was evident in his 2010 hit Raajneeti. Actor Prateik, who is acting in his forthcoming Aarakshan, had to mimic Jha’s dialect for his role in the movie.

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“Jha sir’s Hindi is the purest version of the language. Nowadays, my favourite line is that if I can talk like that (in chaste Hindi), then I can really talk in any language,” smiles the Dhobi Ghat (2010) actor. Apparently, Jha put him through a “period of voice training” because he felt Prateik needed to work on his diction and accent after hearing him deliver his lines during the shoot.

Despite all the challenges in the film, the actor is ecstatic with the experience. “It’s been a real pleasure to work with Amitabh Bachchan. Even Saif Ali Khan and Deepika (Padukone) are amazing people,” says a reticent Prateik, adding, “Those who are close to me know that I can be talkative as well.”

Not just Prateik, Prakash Jha’s Hindi seems to be quite challenging for Saif Ali Khan too. Apparently, Chote Nawab also underwent voice training for his part in the film set in Bhopal. “I won’t call it challenging, but since the Hindi in the film is very strong, we went in for rehearsals to achieve perfection. I enjoy the training process if it’s essential for a film,” says Saif. For him, working on Aaraskhan has been “special because it’s an interesting and intense project. It has been a good experience to go rural. And plus, I enjoyed the feeling of working outside my own production house,” he says.