“I want to leave behind a legacy of good art” – Arfi Laamba
By his own admission, Arfi Laamba has had a rather unconventional journey in the world of cinema. The young man, who hails from a small town in Punjab, has carved a distinctive identity for himself as an actor and producer on his own terms. He is somebody who has stuck to his conviction and picked up projects that have fulfilled his creative urges and not the ones that were designed to cater to market diktat.
After leaving behind a career as an engineer, Arfi took his first steps in cinema as an actor with a brief role in the Oscar-winning Hollywood film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. After that, the actor featured in primary roles in several notable mainstream and independent films including ‘Prague’, ‘Fugly’, ‘Singh Is Bliing’, ‘Shinaakht’ and ‘Murakh: The Idiot’. Under Bombay Berlin Productions, a company he co-owns with Katharina Suckale, Arfi has backed the vision of several filmmakers as a producer.
In this interview, Arfi talks about his journey in cinema, what led him towards acting, the importance of training for an actor, handling international productions as a producer, the importance of addressing mental health issues, learnings from Akshay Kumar, wish as an artist, upcoming projects and more.
One of your recent projects has been ‘Murakh The Idiot’. The short film won accolades at several film festivals across the globe and is now streaming on Jio Cinema.
The film is 20 minutes long and we shot all of it in a single day. I was fortunate to be working with a great team on this project. Ruchi and Sriram were incredible as directors. When something troubles you, you should find a way to say something about it. As artists, we have the ability to do that.
Do you think short films have become more accessible to the audience because of the presence of streaming platforms?
More than streaming platforms, YouTube deserves the credit for this. I strongly feel YouTube has democratised the process of storytelling. On ‘Murakh The Idiot’, we were fortunate to find a partner like Jio Cinema. However, many a times, several small OTT platforms exploit filmmakers and do not share the revenue after showing short films and other content made by them. When you put up something on YouTube, everything happens in a transparent manner.
You have had a long-standing association with film festivals. Right from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, most of your films have garnered appreciation at festivals.
I guess it’s destiny. I was working as an engineer with a company and posted to Mumbai. That is when they were casting for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. I worked on the film just for a day and a half but it was an incredible experience. In 2009, Cannes hosted everybody who had a talking part in the film. That was the first time I went to Cannes. At that time, I didn’t even know what film festivals are.
When you know nothing about film festivals and land up directly at Cannes, it turns out to be an eye-opening experience for you. I learnt about world cinema through film festivals. It gave me an understanding of several other things including how one can collaborate internationally. To me, a film getting appreciation at festivals is far more rewarding than it making tons of money at the box-office. When people, who have a good understanding of cinema, speak well about your work, you know you have done something right.
Film festivals are like pilgrimages for me. They help me rejuvenate. I attend film festivals to recharge myself. I have made several friends in different countries by attending these festivals. In the first few years, nobody knew me at the festivals. By the fourth or fifth year, you start becoming a part of different groups. Attending film festivals turns out to be an extremely fulfilling experience for several reasons.
You were born and brought up in Moga, a small town in Punjab. You studied engineering in Patiala, worked with a petrochemical firm in Delhi for a while and then, arrived in Mumbai to become an actor. How do you look back at your journey so far?
When I was growing up, there was no plan to become an actor. My dad was a big movie buff. He loved watching classic Hindi films. ‘Ganga Jamuna’ was one of his favourite films. I remember seeing it five times with him. I have seen ‘Lamhe’ so many times that I can recite each and every dialogue from the film. As a child, I used to think only those who are born in Mumbai get the opportunity to become actors. Becoming an actor was an impulsive decision that worked for me. I followed my heart and it led me here.
I am very happy with the way my journey has shaped up so far. I am looking forward to everything that is to come. I have been in a better spot than I am today. My journey has been very unconventional. As soon as I started my journey, I ended up attending film festivals across the world. I learnt how to do co-productions internationally. People are talking about co-productions and rebates today. We did all this several years ago. People from India are exploring international cinema now. Years back, I did a German film as one of the leads. My journey has been very different from my contemporaries.
Your father was a farmer and mother a homemaker. How did they react to your decision of becoming an actor?
Just like any other parents, they were concerned. My father just said, “jaa, kar le”. I worked with a government firm as an engineer for two years. During that period, I saved up some money. After I arrived in Mumbai, my savings got exhausted in some time. Then, my father had to send me money so that I could sustain myself in the city. I had spent close to two years in Mumbai and that is when my mother told my father that he needs to stop sending me money or I will never come back. My father told me that now I have to earn on my own now.
There was a time when I lived in a barsaati. I faced several hardships but I look at those days fondly as they taught me a lot. My family has always been very supportive. Once a few projects came out, they never questioned my choices and gave me the freedom to do whatever I wished to do. They were happy to see me doing well in life.
Was it easy to build a base for yourself in Mumbai?
I fell in love with Mumbai and that was one of the reasons why I never thought about going back home. A lot of my friends, who were from Delhi, were not too fond of Mumbai. Somebody had issues with the food, somebody said the city is too expensive. However, I always felt love in my heart for the city. As soon as I arrived in Mumbai, it felt like home. I told myself this is where I am supposed to be.
What did Moga teach you?
I was born and raised in Moga, so it will always be close to my heart. Your formative years are very important. When you are 17, you don’t know what’s happening. Between the age of 13 and 16, most teenagers tend to be very confused. Your body changes, your friends change and you end up having issues with your parents. I went to Patiala to study engineering and it served as my foundation ground.
A lot of people dream of pursuing acting right from their childhood. That was not the case with me. For the longest time, I had no exposure to dramatics, theatre or acting. I was a nerdy student. I had stage fear and that forbade me from exploring dramatics. I was in awe of those who were so good at these things. I thought I would never be able to attempt any of this.
Going to Delhi proved to be a game-changer for me. I was dating somebody who was a professional model. She was doing a calendar shoot at that time and introduced me to the photographer. She requested the photographer to click some pictures of mine. After moving to Delhi, I had started working on my physique. The photographer liked the pictures and I, too, became a part of that calendar. All this led to me getting some clarity about what I wanted to do in life. I decided to try my luck in acting. I remember when I worked with Danny Boyle on ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, he told me that we can achieve whatever we wish to.
After arriving in Mumbai, you started learning acting properly. The late Dinesh Thakur was the first person you trained under.
Yes, that’s right! After I arrived in Mumbai, everybody told me that you need to do theatre to become an actor. Doing theatre has had a profound impact on my life. Today, when aspiring actors reach out to me for advice, I tell them to do theatre. To get into the theatre space, you have to start making rounds of theatres. In the beginning, nobody will talk to you. If you hang around for a while, you will find somebody to guide you and eventually, you will become a part of a group.
I started learning from Dinesh Thakur ji after coming to Mumbai. Dinesh ji had stopped conducting workshops since a long time. I was fortunate that he had just started dong workshops again when I came to Mumbai. Six of us were a part of that batch. When I reached out to him and told him that I wanted to learn from him, he told me that he teaches advanced level actors and I didn’t even know the basics. However, I kept persisting and he agreed to teach me. I didn’t even have the money to pay his fee but he was very kind and told me that I can pay whatever I can. I attended his workshop for three months. After that, I worked with him on stage for nine months. Initially, I had smaller roles in the plays. After a while, I started getting bigger parts. I remember the first play I acted in was staged at Prithvi Theatre.
You also had the opportunity to learn from Nancy Bishop, who has been a renowned casting director internationally.
There is an interesting story behind this. I had gone to Cannes to attend the screening of ‘Prague’. Somebody told me that Nancy Bishop was doing a workshop and asked me if I would like to attend it. At that time, I didn’t know who Nancy Bishop was but I was always eager to attend workshops. An individual, who used to represent Richard Attenborough, was attending that workshop as well. At the workshop, Nancy briefed us about a scene and we had to perform it the next day. The scene was from the film ‘Before Sunrise’ but I didn’t know that.
The next day, I performed the scene in front of everyone. Nancy was amused and asked me how I prepared for it. I told her that I tried to create a world around that scene and interpreted in my own way. Nancy asked me if I knew which film that scene was from and I said I didn’t know. Nancy had mentioned the name of the film but I thought ‘Before Sunrise’ was being referred to as a time zone (laughs). At that time, I had limited exposure to Hollywood and world cinema. Nancy was kind enough to guide me through the scene and briefed me on how I should be doing it. After 15 minutes, I performed that scene in front of everyone. Nancy got up and hugged me. She told me that she had never seen an actor process instructions so well, prepare in such a short span of time and deliver such a memorable performance. Richard’s agent came up to me and told me that I can do very well in international cinema. At that time, I was not even aware of the concept of agents. With time, I learnt these things.
How important, according to you, is training for an actor?
It is extremely important! Actors should never stop learning. Recently, I did a workshop at Jeff Goldberg with Vishal Handa. I keep attending and conducting workshops all the time. Sometimes, I get to know about a workshop while shooting or traveling and I feel terrible about not being able to attend it. Somebody like a doctor keeps updating his skills. A treatment, which worked twenty years ago, might not be relevant today. Likewise, an actor has to update his skillset regularly. It is not easy to be an actor. There are a lot of myths surrounding acting. Some people believe that you can do anything after giving 2-3 hit films. You have to keep exploring yourself as an actor and work towards honing your craft. Some of the best actors in the world like Amitabh Bachchan saab, Meryl Streep, Waheeda Rehman ji make acting look so easy and effortless. What people don’t realize is that they work extremely hard on their craft. As an actor, your primary job is to work on yourself. You have to learn new techniques and keep upgrading your tools. Before you come in front of the camera, you have to be prepared.
When you work as a freelance actor, you end up encountering periods when there is no work.
The journey of every actor is unique and different. However, there are some similarities in the journey of most actors. A superstar, who has all the luxuries in the world, might be out of work at times. When you are not seen for a while, you start feeling insecure and wonder if everybody around has forgotten you. The work of an artist doesn’t exist in void. One must also acknowledge the fact that it is a highly competitive industry. When your friend or acquaintance is working and you are not, it could lead to a sense of jealousy or negativity. Becoming an actor is very difficult. Getting work, too, is a very tough. The problem is that most people feel validated by success and not by the quality of work they do.
How does one stay calm during these times?
You need to have a good circle of friends. While you are going to have friends in the industry, it is important to have friends who are not from the industry. When the poster of ‘Fugly’ came out, I shared it excitedly in our family group on WhatsApp. I thought everybody would get excited and congratulate me but none of that happened (laughs). My sister shared a joke and my brother-in-law countered it with another joke. You need to have people who are not bothered by your success or failure and keep you grounded. I am also a producer. I am involved in several aspects of filmmaking and that helps me stay calm even when I am not working on a project as an actor.
If you are aiming to become a star and do not become one, it should not demotivate you. There is a whole method or process behind creating stars. Stars earn money for everyone in the industry. I feel stardom should come because of your talent and not because of a fluke hit. Even if stardom does not happen to you, you can still be a part of a great ecosystem where you can create some good art. You will be valued there.
‘Fugly’ was the first mainstream Hindi-language film in which you played the lead role. While you had done some work earlier, the film launched the careers of Kiara Advani, Mohit Marwah and Vijender Singh. It was produced by Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi. The film completed ten years of its release this year. What are some of your memories of working on it?
I had a blast working on ‘Fugly’. It was the first time I was doing a big, Bollywood film. Through this film, I discovered what a two-camera setup is like. I had earlier done ‘Prague’ which was an independent film made with limited resources. I learnt so much from our director Kabir Sadanah sir. Ashvini was very kind as a producer. She took great care of all of us. Vijender and Mohit were always so energetic and excited. I remember ‘Aashiqui 2’ had just been released and Kiara was a big fan of the songs from the film. She had razor-sharp focus and would keep making notes to understand her character and the scenes better. I had a lot of scenes with Mansha Bahl. She had a natural flair for comedy.
Akshay Kumar co-produced ‘Fugly’. He was also your co-actor in ‘Singh Is Bliing’. Is there something which you learnt from him?
There is so much to learn from this great man. His discipline and commitment to staying fit is very inspiring. These are things which everybody talks about. However, his commitment towards his craft does not get discussed very often. I think Akshay sir is one of the best actors in our country. Comedy is one of the most difficult genres and he has done it well again and again. As an artist, I have tremendous respect for him.
You co-own a production house called Bombay Berlin Productions with Katharina Suckale. You have produced several films like ‘Prague’, ‘Maunraag’, ‘LOEV’ and ‘The Road To Mandalay’ in the past. Going forward, what kind of stories do you want to back as a producer?
We have several projects in the pipeline that will go into production soon. Being a part of the international circuit for the last many years has helped me get an understanding of several things. I want to tell stories that would resonate with a global audience. We have signed August Diehl for a film which we are producing. I might act in it as well. There is also a series in the pipeline. A feature film produced by our company should go on the floors soon.
You have also shot a film called ‘Avni’.
Yes, I am very excited about it. I wanted to do a love story for a very long time. When people in the industry think of love stories, they end up making them with actors who are in their teens or 20s. We need to make love stories for people of all age groups and demographics. I wanted to be a part of a romantic drama where I can play my age. I finally got to do that with ‘Avni’. In the film, I play a man who is in his early ’30s year old man who has come back after 7-8 years to figure out why things did not work out between him and the woman he loved. It is a beautiful story. We have done a lot of new things with this film. The film is in the post-production stage now. I am very happy to see the way it is shaping up.
What do you want to achieve as an artist?
Sahir Ludhianvi saab had written these immortal lines, “Main har ek pal ka shaayar hoon, hare k pal meri kahaani hai, hare k pal meri hasti hai, har ek pal meri jawaani hai”. I hope I live through my stories. I just want to do my work honestly and hopefully, leave behind a legacy of good art. Even if nobody remembers me after I am no longer around, my soul will have no regrets. However, till the time I am here in this beautiful world, I want to make the best use of the opportunities I get and keep towards becoming a better artist.
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