Rajkummar Rao and Dulquer Salmaan have an inherent warmth about them that instantly makes the conversation crackle. With a shared love for cinema, the discussion started off with a trip down memory lane as the Guns & Gulaabs co-stars recalled their favourite films of the ’90s era, which is also the backdrop of the fictional town of Gulaabganj, as created by the maker’s Raj & Dk in their upcoming series. The actors are all in high praise for the seamless concoction of quirk and humour that the show brings to the table with a battalion of grey characters, only to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, the stars reveal how they play unpredictable characters and surprise the audience every time. Excerpts…
Bringing back the ’90s era in style in Guns & Gulaabs, what do you love the most about the cinema from that period?
Rajkummar: Everything. I would watch anything and fall in love with it. Unless it is a really bad film, I would just enjoy everything. For me, the high of going to the theatre and watching a film with the audience, in the ’90s, was the best time of my life.
Dulquer: Same, actually. I think we were too young to understand what was good or bad. I think when I watched these films with my school friends, I distinctly remembered the big hits. I remember Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Andaz Apna Apna was great, DDLJ of course. I think when Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai came out, we bought the tickets in black. It was such an integral part of us growing up and had such an impact on us. The music we listen to, trying to get the hook steps right at school parties, how we dress – I think a big shift took place in the ’90s.
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What appealed to you about the contradicting layers of your character, Panna Tipu?
Rajkummar: I loved this about Tipu like you know this guy. But, you still can’t figure out what this one trait is. Apart from that he is a lover at the core of it but other than that you don’t know how he is going to behave. At one point in time he might be crying about something and then the next laughing and not about the same thing. I loved exploring that aspect of Tipu.
Dulquer, were you easily convinced about your role because it’s a Raj & DK project for your debut series?
Dulquer: Yeah especially because I thought the world was so unique, even for them. I loved the era, the fictional town of Gulaabgunj and all the quirk that came with it, the gangsters and I could just see the humour in it from the very first go. I liked Arjun’s sort of perspective when the audience is discovering the town, he is also discovering the town. It was an instant yes. I had to work with them, I wanted to know how they function. I also wanted to do a long format, as I had not done it before. It is something that I also love to consume. We are very invested in characters and their stories. It’s a great space for an ensemble cast.
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Your character seems ordinary until secrets from his past start getting revealed?
Dulquer: I think every character in the show is very grey and very humane. I liked that Arjun wasn’t this righteous officer. He had all these skeletons in the closet. You couldn’t predict what he was going to do next, or what was going on in his life, what you saw might not be the only thing he showed. That’s what makes a character interesting, right? When you write a character in black and white, it is just a hero or villain. We all have follies and grey shades, and that’s what makes us human. I liked playing a slightly mature character, with a grown-up daughter. Not really had the chance to do that. And all of us have interesting scenes with each other, and Raj and I have a very interesting dynamic. I am this cop, and he’s almost a crook.
Raj, How enriching is your collaboration with Raj and DK this time, post-Stree?
Rajkummar: They are one of the closest friends I have in the industry and in life. We don’t only talk about work. I will call them randomly and just go meet them and talk about everything else. We understand each other really well. I love the kind of films and content they make. I have known them since they made their first short film, Shor, which eventually became a feature film. I love how they think outside the box every time. As an actor, I also love watching stuff. Sometimes you know that this is what is going to happen after this scene. But they break that convention.
SEE ALSO: Guns and Gulaabs trailer showcases Dulquer Salmaan, Rajkummar Rao paying an ode to 1990s Bollywood
How do you make comedy look so easy?
Rajkummar: It’s serious business, you know. I think that’s the fun of comedy. You are not trying to make people laugh; it’s not like, Let’s do comedy. If you see any scene from the series, Tipu is very serious. He’s serious about the situation. The writing, the world, and the situation are such that it makes it all funny. The comedy in tragedy. But no, I take it very seriously. Apart from one or two, maybe Ludo was more physical comedy. But Stree, Bareilly, if you go back and visit these films, he’s trying to be serious. I’m not trying to be funny at all.
Dulquer, you shared some scenes with the late Satish Kaushik. What memories do you recall?
Dulquer: It was so lovely. I have this one scene with him where he is speaking a lot and using cuss words. I was so conscious, you know, out of respect for him. But he was lovely. He could sense that I was getting conscious, and he would say, Just take your time; don’t worry. You can take it all day, too; it’s okay. Generally, he had a lot of warmth. He really enjoyed life and loved to hold a court, get everyone together, and tell stories. I think some evenings after the shoot, he would do that.
Any words of advice from the veteran?
Dulquer: No, I don’t think he was like that. He was just one of those people who used to love youngsters and just wanted to be a part of everything. He wasn’t preachy.
Rajkummar: Yeah, he wasn’t preachy. He was a great storyteller. Off and on screen. You could just sit with him and say, You know that movie, and that’s it, he would start. Really a big loss.
How is it to collaborate with the talented Adarsh Gourav again after The White Tiger?
Rajkummar: He’s very hardworking. That’s what I love about him. He’ll go a long way. I am very fond of him. He’s a sweet guy. He loves what he does. He doesn’t take it lightly. For every film, he will give 100 per cent. It is very inspiring to meet and work with actors like that.
Who came up with such a quirky title – Guns & Gulaabs?
Rajkumar: I don’t know man, who did?
Dulquer: Don’t know, it just happened I guess. Good question. We should ask Raj & DK
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