Mumbai: For Upendra Chauhan, the uniform is the last thing to get right. The Daayra actor, who plays Inspector Vishal on Kareena Kapoor Khan’s SIT team in Meghna Gulzar’s new film, says his preparation begins with two questions: what does the character love most, and what does he fear most.
From love and fear to Inspector Vishal
“I first try to understand what the character loves the most and what he fears the most,” Chauhan said in an interview. He argues that love and fear are the root drivers of human behaviour, so they are the most useful entry point into a role.
That internal work came before any attempt to play a policeman. “With Inspector Vishal, I wasn’t trying to play a cop,” he said. “I was trying to understand the man behind the uniform.” Once Gulzar gave him clear emotional motivations, he says, the body language and other choices began to settle naturally.
This is Chauhan’s second film with Gulzar after Sam Bahadur. He describes her narrations as remarkably detailed. “She doesn’t just tell you what the character is doing; she helps you understand why,” he said, adding that the trust she extends lets actors explore without fear.
What Kareena brings to the scene
Chauhan’s role places him alongside Kareena’s SIT team, and he is measured about what she adds as a scene partner. He notes her strong screen presence, but says the more instructive quality is how she listens and keeps the scene alive. “Kareena has such a strong screen presence, but at the same time she’s very giving as an actor,” he said.
That generosity, in his account, is part of the craft rather than a star perk: it creates room for the ensemble to perform truthfully.
The writer’s advantage
Chauhan has also written for Undekhi and Bhaukaal, and he says that background changes how he reads a script. After years of building screenplays and characters, he can look at a single scene and start forming backstory, motivations and belief systems. More importantly, writing helps him understand rhythm and editing, and how much his character should do—and how much he shouldn’t.
For actors, he frames it as a lesson in serving the story:
- Start inside: identify the character’s core love and fear before physical choices.
- Ask why: let the director’s motivations guide what the scene needs.
- Read the whole film: serve the screenplay, not just your own part.
It is a useful reminder that a supporting performer’s job is to carry the emotional truth of the story—not to collect moments.
Source: MillenniumPost
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