What Aadesh Chaudhary has discovered about the underworld?

Thanks to his role of Digamber, or Digu, in Laagi Tujhse Lagan, actor Aadesh Chaudhary is getting a close look at life in Mumbai’s underworld. And the hunk from the small town of Aligarh in UP says that it has been an amazing experience. “So far, I had only heard and read about this city’s underworld or seen its characters being portrayed in films. But playing one of them is an entirely different experience,” Aadesh says. For instance, he says, it was the first time as ‘Digu’ that he experienced the feel of holding a gun in his hand. “It does something weird to you. Holding a gun can change your entire attitude to the people around you. As a result, your body language changes too. It can make you feel ruthless and arrogant. Even the way you speak and look at people changes drastically!” he exclaims.

Of course, what Aadesh has also realized is the perennial risks such people are exposed to. “You never know when you could be shot dead. So there is this constant fear and the need to stay alert and on the edge all the time, which is a painful experience,” he says. And it is precisely the opportunity to portray these feelings convincingly that gets him excited. “Behind this roughness, the character also has a soft, emotional core, which makes it even more challenging for me as an actor. And I am just grateful that I’ve got a role with so many different shades. Such opportunities don’t come too often,” Aadesh says. Well, so far, the audience appears to love it too.

                  

                                                                                                                 - Zainab Khan