Actor-director and writer Sumit Vyas is currently in the news for his new series ‘Raat Jawan Hai’. Sumit Vyas told what challenges he had to face while directing this series. He also talked about challenges ranging from parenting to career.
Sumit Vyas, who has shown his acting skills in web series-films like ‘Permanent Roommates’, ‘Veere Di Wedding’, ‘Parched’ and ‘Chhatriwali’ and his writing skills in series like ‘Tripling’, ‘Bang Baaja Baaraat’, is now in direction. Have also landed. These days Sumit is in the news for his web series ‘Raat Jawan Hai’, the direction of which he has handled very well. Here is this special conversation with him:
This series beautifully shows the struggle of parenting. You yourself are the father of a 4 year old son. How many stories from your life have you woven into the show? How involved are you yourself in the upbringing of your son Ved?
We have taken many things from our own lives in the story. Most of all, our writer’s fame is an experience of joy. Our producer also has two small children. Actor Barun Sobti also has two children, so we all are young parents and in today’s time, living in a nuclear family in a metropolitan city, raising children along with career and life is challenging. In such a situation, everyone has added their own experiences to it. For example, I myself have been doing only two things for the last four years: work and spending time with my children. If I am out on a shoot, my wife takes more responsibility of parenting our son, otherwise we have a schedule. I am the one who drops him to school in the morning. I am the one who reads the story to him at night. If I am free in the evening, I play with her. These are some of the things I do and I enjoy it very much.
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After showing expertise in acting and writing, how did you decide to direct this series? This is your first series as a director, so how different and challenging was this experience?
The decision to take direction was completely coincidental. Actually, the writer of the series, Khyati Anand and my child play together in the same park. He asked me that I am writing something, will you direct it? I said, ‘Sure’ and when I read the story, I liked it very much. This is his first series and he has written it very honestly, there is no adulteration in it. As far as direction is concerned, almost everything was new for me. Of course, I have been on film sets for a long time, so there was nothing new in that respect.
‘Before becoming an actor, I used to work in an editing studio, so that experience also helped me a lot, because when the edit is in your mind, you shoot that much, but apart from that everything was new. The biggest challenge was to shoot with small children. In my very first project, I took up the responsibility of shooting with three children, one of whom is a nine-month-old boy, one of one and a half year old and a three year old girl… so that was very difficult.
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Sumit Vyas further said, ‘We were also a little serious about not making him do too much work. Shoot her scene when she is in a good mood. What can we say to him that his performance looks completely natural. It is very difficult to get all these things done. It requires a lot of patience, but I was lucky that my entire team and actors were very supportive.
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You are known for your natural acting. As a writer, he has written successful series like ‘Tripling’. Knows editing and now directing. Which of these do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy acting the most. I have been an actor for so many years, so they say that once one becomes an actor, he always remains an actor. Secondly, only the actor has the scope to enjoy or enjoy the work while working, because he has the least responsibility on the set. The rest of the people come in the morning an hour before the start of the shift and leave an hour after the shift ends. As an actor, you handle only one aspect that this is my character, I have to play it honestly, so it is more fun.
‘Actors also get more money. People also get their photos clicked with him. No one gets photographed with the cameraman, but direction and writing have their own pleasure and only those who are really interested in it can feel this pleasure. Otherwise, what is the point in making the same project for two years, you are not getting paid as much as an actor and you are doing the maximum work, so why would anyone become a director. That will happen only when it really wants to tell a story.
During the casting, did this discussion ever arise that you yourself can play the role of Barun?
No, we were clear from the beginning that I will not act in it. I will just direct because I will not be able to do both these tasks. I love doing one thing at a time. When I write, I just write. When I act, I just act. I am not so fond of it that I can do everything myself.
Were there any changes in your life after becoming a father? How has parenthood changed you?
There is a change in life after becoming a parent. ‘I’ takes a back seat from your life and the child comes first. The child takes the front seat of the car of your life. You gain patience with many things. Many of your internal conflicts begin to seem small to you because you have the huge responsibility of imparting the right values to your child.
‘You have to set the right example for him. For example, I tell a small change that if the child wakes up in the morning and sees me with a mobile phone every day, then it is possible that within a few days he too will be on the mobile phone. At the same time, if he sees me reading a book every day, then it is possible that he will also start reading a book, then you will have to bring such changes in your personality.