Utkarsh Sharma may still be best recognised as Tara Singh’s son Jeete in the Gadar franchise. Director-producer Anil Sharma’s son speaks to t2 ahead of the OTT release of Vanvaas (on Zee5), the story of an elderly father with dementia abandoned by his family, in which Utkarsh plays a thief who retries to reunite him with his family.

How did you spend Holi?

With family and friends. As a child, it was the festival I looked forward to the most. Hum khelte they jab tak dhoop nahin aa jaati. Ab woh risk nahin le sakta hoon kyun ki actor ban gaya hoon. Shooting karni padti hai. Rang halka halka lagate hai. Now it’s only dry colours.

Do you have memories of the industry’s Holi gatherings?

Yes, in those days there were no phone cameras. So you got to see a different side to many actors. People were very free. Ab koi bhi camera nikal leta hai. So it’s a bit restricted how you express yourself. Also, people wore the most ruined clothes that they had. But now you have to dress up because there will be people taking pictures.

Vanvaas is now coming on OTT. Do you think the timing of its theatrical release (December 20, 2024) was right?

When we released the movie, the Pushpa 2 craze was high. We didn’t get enough screens, especially single screens in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and in the interiors. Heartland ko pahuch ne mein teen haftey lagte hai. Par picture ka word of mouth achcha tha. We lasted for six weeks. Those who saw it liked it.

This film was made at Rs 5.5 crore, right? Had you already recovered costs so the theatrical release was not crucial?

Obviously we wanted more in terms of numbers from the theatres. Regardless, we had made sure from every aspect that we were safe — satellite sales, OTT sales... The budgeting was such that we were pretty much in the green on the day of release.

How was the experience of working with Nana Patekar?

Incredible. I never thought I’d get a chance to work with him because he was doing very few films recently. He is effortless as an actor, and so dedicated, even at his age and after having achieved everything.

The focus of the story is on him. At this stage of your career, do you consider how big your role is or are you happy to just be a part of a good project?

See, what matters is not the length of the role but the impact. So although I knew that it is his story and I am the support to his character, I wanted to do it as the subject resonated with me. As an actor, I just want to be a part of good stories. Reports of aged parents getting abandoned at places like Kumbh (Mela) come regularly. And the love we got from Gadar 2 inspired us to make films that uplift society.

How was the experience of shooting in Varanasi?

We shot for over a month, and it was amazing. It was my first visit. I had heard that you can see every stage of life on the ghats and it is true. Ek jagah mundan ho raha hai toh aur ek jagah shaadi ho rahi hai toh kissi aur jagah cheetah jwal raha hai. It is the oldest city in India and you can sense a purity.

You started acting when you were six. Do you have any memories?

I actually started (in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha) when I was four. By the time the film released, I was six. But memories are there jaise woh train pe hum ko daura rahe hai dhoop mein. It was a magical experience. To a child, it was a shock, especially to see the people who you have seen on screen walk about in front of you.

Did you recognise the actors?

I remember Sunny (Deol) sir as I had seen Border. I knew he was the hero and Amrishji (Puri) was the villain. Unko dekhte hi khauf aa jata tha aur junoon aa jata tha ki inse ladenge. I think children make the best casting directors because they react to a person’s aura and personality (laughs).

When did your father think of Gadar 2? Sequels were not that common back then.

Gadar was a complete story, and we had never thought of a sequel. It was the public that was prompting us. Growing up, I’ve heard people ask when Gadar 2 would come. Still we were not sure if it would work. Finally, around lockdown, our writer Shaktimaanji (Talwar) came with a single line inspired from The Mahabharat — “If Arjun could save Abhimanyu from the chakravyuh what would happen?” A daring sacrifice of a son and of a father — that was the way forward as the love story was complete.

Were you the only choice for Tara Singh’s son in Gadar 2 or did others audition?

For Gadar 2, I was the first choice because I played the child’s role in Gadar, and now I was available to work as an adult. It was a unique situation which perhaps has never happened before. Most importantly, the team thought that I suited the character.

What news of Gadar 3?

We are already working on a subject and until we are satisfied with the story, we won’t go forward. The only thing I can promise is that this time, we would go on an even bigger scale, and with massive thrills and emotions.

You have worked with other senior actors like Sunny Deol and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. What have you learnt from them?

Yeah, I’m very lucky. Sunny sir is very humble, but at the same time, he’s very fierce within. He brings an intensity of an unimaginable level. From him, I’ve learned that.

Do they stay in character between shots?

When the camera cuts, Sunny sir is his normal self. Nana sir takes his time to get out of character because he has to maintain that emotional energy for a very long time. He has a different style. Nawaz sir prepares a lot. He’s very much a director’s actor. You seek one thing from him. He will do exactly that and add a few things more. He’s very easy to work with. There is no need to discuss things much with him.

Sunny’s son Karan has also debuted around the same time. You two would be of similar age, right? Did you grow up together?

He’s a couple of years older to me. We were from different schools. In Mumbai, your friends are mostly from school. I have interacted with him otherwise, and I only have love for him and his family.

You must have had both options — to follow your father as a director or to face the camera.

Yeah. In my teens. I was assisting Dad, and in the US, too, I was assisting. I did a film course in LA (Los Angeles) and parallel-y I was working there. In those days, there was a culture of short films. I knew that for an actor, there is a certain age when you can get a certain type of roles. But a director’s job is not age-bound. I love writing; when Dad directs, main unhe assist kar leta hoon because I love being on the set. I like acting as I get to express myself. So I thought I’ll focus on acting, and then we’ll see later how life goes.

To end with a fun question, if India suddenly becomes friendly with Pakistan now, how would you react as someone who’s hoping to be part of Gadar 3?

See, Gadar is never a franchise about hatred of another country. It is always about humanity. First film mein bhi yeh message tha jahan pe Amrishji’s character realises that he was dividing in terms of religion and in terms of nations. But Sunny sir’s character was atal in his love for humanity and justice. It was the same with Gadar 2. So Gadar 3 too will stay on the path of humanity. Humanity beyond borders is always the message of Gadar.