Jatin Goswami says Patna Shukla co-star Satish Kaushik wished him on Holi: 'Huge loss personally'
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Jatin Goswami spoke about new perceptions after Gulmohar, upcoming projects and his bond with late actor Satish Kaushik.
In his latest project, Gulmohar, Jatin Goswami has received many accolades for his sensitive portrayal of a loyal worker in the Batra household who falls for the family cook (Santhy). For most of his filmography, the actor is often seen as an antagonist to the main character, so it was a welcome change to see him step into a different space. (Also read: Jatin Goswami: Finally, tide is in my favour)
Jatin credited casting director Dilip Sarkar for seeing him in a new light. He said, “I was pretty surprised because the kind of cinema that he casts [for] is very different from the general work that I have done till now. It was a pleasant surprise for me when he told me he's been scouting for me since 2016 -2017. I will give all the credit to him and Rahul [V Chittella], our director, because early on when I met with him and we spoke about the film, we were on the same page and it really helped.”
In an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor spoke about his journey from theatre to the films, getting inspired by his batchmates like Rajkummar Rao at Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and his last conversation with his Patna Shukla co-star Satish Kaushik who died on March 9.
After Gulmohar, Jatin shared that people have started looking at him differently. He said, “I have got a few very interesting parts which they are considering me for and they are extremely different from what I have done till now. I think people are opening up with that possibility.”
Working with Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore on Gulmohar was an amazing experience, the actor recalled. The cast was well-prepared even before the shoot started and even had a workshop that Manoj himself facilitated. Speaking about veteran actor Sharmila, Jatin revealed that she was supportive of everyone and told stories to the cast of the old days of Bollywood. He added, “She really took me under her wing and she was so protective about me. There was a bond right from the beginning, the first day.”
No one in Jatin’s family is from the profession but he recalled being mesmerised by a play when he was really young. He recalled, “When the lights went off and came on stage, I was so sucked into that world that it really interested me. It all started from there for me, wanting to be on stage. Once that started there was no looking back because I think I was made for this.”
But despite his love for theatre, the actor discussed why it is not sustainable to earn a living in India. Jatin explained, “No matter how much you want to do it, at some point of time, you have to choose. You cannot earn your bread and butter doing theatre in India. Either you find another way of earning and acting could be like a hobby or a side job. I was doing TIE [Theatre in Education] in Delhi, with Barry John, and I used to teach in schools. But after a few years, that was also not something I was extremely passionate about because my first passion was always to perform and act. Teaching and direction was a way of earning my bread and butter. After that I went to [FTII] in Pune, and I decided to work in films after that.”
Last year, he reunited with his FTII batchmate Rajkummar Rao in the film Hit: The First Case. He said, “It was exactly as if we were in FTII. Nothing changed. It was like we were in a classroom doing our workshop or scene work.”
Jatin added he is so proud of his fellow actors and batchmates like Rajkummar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma and Sunny Hinduja. He felt the reason for their collective success was mutual induction. He shared, “All of us were so good and we were all together. I'm sure that we all learnt from each other. It was like all of us inspiring each other and doing better. We were in FTII from 2005-2007. In 2008, at some point, we all kind of came to Mumbai.”
The actor has been busy filming the SonyLIV series Garmi and another film with Arshad Warsi and Pratik Gandhi. Both projects are directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Praising his young cast on Garmi, he revealed, “It's based on student politics in a university. It's all about young people and their aspirations and politics. I'm really excited about that because it has enormous talent in actors and everyone is so good.”
Later this year, he will also begin the second season of the web series, The Great Indian Murder. He teased, “That is being planned and the writing has been done. This season is going to be bigger and better because the story is going out of India.”
Jatin also completed the film Patna Shukla with Raveena Tandon which Arbaaz Khan has produced. He remembered late actor Satish Kaushik as an encouraging co-star. “It's a huge loss personally. I would just love to sit around with him and listen to his stories and anecdotes. He would always encourage actors and motivate you. Tell you what to do and how to go about it, all very light-heartedly. There was always laughter and positivity around him,” he said.
He continued, “I had spoken to him on Holi. We had wished each other. We [had] been in touch all throughout.” Jatin also added that Satish had planned a few films and shows in which he had offered him roles.
