 Nandita Das on working with Sanjay Suri in her directorial debut FIRAAQ.
There are some faces you watch on the screen and feel like you know them. So before even I had met him, I knew he would be authentic, straight-forwarded and easy to be with. And without hesitation I can say I wasn’t wrong. In this challenging journey of directing my debut film I am so happy I have met so many talented and good human beings who are going to be friends for life. Sanjay for sure is one of them. He is thoughtful, sensitive and a fun person, who has an ease about him as an actor. I think all first time film makers should cast him! He is incredibly supportive and is a stress buster, as he has also produced films, he knows what all film making entails. Thanks Sanjay for being in Firaaq and for believing in me. May all your dreams come true, but make sure you dream wisely! :)
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 Onir
"I met Sanjay in the year 1999 on the sets of Daman. That was the beginning of a professional and personal friendship, which played a very important part in reaching my dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Sanjay was the first person to tell me that the story ideas I had had potentials and I should start writing. Over the next few years we discussed ideas, wrote scripts, went to producers/financers, got turned down and still kept writing more. And finally one day Sanjay suggested that we forget about getting finance from outside and make a film that we could make ourselves. That was the beginning of “My brother… Nikhil”.
It was this trust and faith that helped me achieve my goal. At the same time what I marvel at is that never as a producer did the “actor” intervene. We argued, fought, sulked but the final decision about the film was always let to me.
Very often I am asked why I keep working with Sanjay. Yes he is my friend, but that is not the reason…. The reason is that I think he is a wonderful actor who is a value addition to my films. For me he personifies the characters when he is in the sets. When I am watching the film I am not seeing Sanjay Suri … but I see Nikhil. I like him because we trust and respect each other professionally. I work with him because he motivates me to write when I am down and lethargic.
As an actor I think Sanjay tries to understand what the director /writer wants out of the character. And then he brings in his interpretation of the character to the actions involved. I think he does not act… he just lives the character. And once the shot is over he is the person who keeps everyone smiling on the sets, at times with really bad Pj’s.
Above all it’s a friendship I treasure and cherish." |
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 Perizaad Zorabian
"Sanjay is an absolute delight to work with...not only is he a very talented actor...but is also extremely generous and respectful towards his co-star. He understands the subtext of a scene and layers his performances so wonderfully...he is one of India’s most subtle actors and his characters are always real and genuine...I have always admired his work and was thrilled when I got to know that we were doing this really intense film together which was about two characters only...It was a film that required a huge sense of responsibility and commitment and Sanjay was always ahead of his game. I found working with him not just exciting and challenging...but also extremely rewarding...can’t wait to work with him again... "
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 Gul Panag
" I first worked with Sanjay on Ashwinwi Chowdhary's Dhoop. The first shot of my first film was with him,he of course was a veteran by then!! I was nervous as hell as it was a song, and Sanjay had this calm reassuring way that instantly put me at ease. And all my scenes in Dhoop with him came out beautifully and the credit goes to him. I then worked with him again, very recently, on Rajeevnath's Anubhav. And my respect for Sanjay went up many notches. For now that i understood a lot more about the process of film making, I realised that, Sanjay's involvement in a project is complete and his understanding of cinema and the business of it, a immense. There's not one scene I've shot with him that hasn't been uplifted due to his inputs. From make-up to costumes to interpretation of a scene to of course dialogue delivery , he's been a powerhouse of, for want of a better word, help. Last but not least, as a person he is so positive, there's never been a time when I am upset or low about something and he hasn't turned it around and put positively. He always see the glass half full and for this reason alone, will be a very content and successful human being, always."
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 Purab Kohli
"Sanjay is one of those actors who completely understands the translation of, “Front of camera performance to big screen projection". Not too little not too much. Just right!!! "
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 Love and wishes - Bikram Saluja
I worked alongside Sanjay in the movie 'PLAN'... there are just so many memories from the movie... right from the shooting of the promo in Mukesh mills... to doing the mahurat for the movie onstage at the IIFA Awards in Malaysia ... to constantly chatting while shooting on that half constructed building on carter road (which acted as the residential address for our
characters in Mumbai), to spending time huddled up in the train (shooting the opening sequence) in Chiplun... the list is just endless... looking back at it, all I can say is that i really had a ball of a time working in that film... not only did I take home a movie in my resume but friends too.
As far as Sanjay is concerned, he has the right balance of fun and seriousness in him, which is what takes to come up with great work time after time... his sense of humor is amazing which has you in splits... but don’t let his humorous and funny side fool you because he has a thinking side to him as well... he always came prepared on the set, having thought of
everything about his character and the story much in advance... also he has a good cinematic mind which invariably offered valuable suggestions from time to time... what I like about Sanjay as an actor is that time and again he comes up with performances that are natural to the core and bereft of any effort... and that’s the mark of a very good actor where they just be, rather than try to be...
On a human level, he is very kind hearted, with a good soul... he is sincere and honest... one incident that comes to mind instantly is during the shoot of the movie 'plan' - in one action sequence while shooting the climax of the movie, i broke my ankle. i was in so much pain that I just couldn’t walk... there was a dilemma as to how would i drive back home since I don’t
have a driver and always drive myself... without even giving me a chance to ponder, Sanjay offered to drive me home while his driver followed us at the back in his car... this gesture by itself would speak volumes of what Sanjay is made of. Though the movie has come and gone, our friendship (that started with the movie) continues to grow.
I am really looking forward to working with him in the future... both as a friend and as a colleague...
As a parting note all I would like to say is that he has held his own inspite of coming from a non-filmy background and is doing the work as per his convictions which is truly remarkable... I wish him all the best ! Keep on doing the good work for years to come buddy! |
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 Rajeevnath (National Award winning director)
"I have been making films from the age of 24 yrs and its 31 yrs and 15 films in several languages and now in Hindi. I have been fortunate enough to work with the best actors like Mohanlal, Mammooty, Bharath Gopi, this list will go on and on. In Hindi also I made sure to work with Actors and not just stars. And I got the opportunity. It was wonderful to work with Sanjay not only as an artist in the film but getting total involvement in the project. This made me feel more at ease and without tension I could finish the film. There are no words to appreciate his involvement. It will be out of place to thank him since I feel it’s essential for a real artist to behave in the manner he does. So let God give us the opportunity to work in coming ventures also to make GOOD films. "
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 Subhash Kapoor (Director)
" We were a few days away from our first shooting schedule of my debut film “Say Salaam India” and I saw a well known film critic marking Sanjay as an actor to watch out for in 2007 ...I immediately messaged Sanjay and wrote I agree with the said statement and am very confident that you will reach those heights very soon' ...most of the people would have replied with a courteous 'Thanks' but Sanjay wrote back "lets give it a best shot and try and reach there together as the true fun lies in that". That SMS said a lot about the man, the fact that he is not just one of the most talented actors of Hindi cinema but also a man who understands the burning desire to reach somewhere in life in others too and he respects that ...for me that is a huge quality to have specially in the film business...as a first time director those two lines meant a lot for me and gave me immense confidence, it felt like a message from a "Pucca dost" who believes in you strongly. I wish my friend Sanjay all the very best for everything in life and would like to end with a couplet of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, "UNHI KE FAIZ SE BAAZAR-E-AKAL ROSHAN HAI, JO GAAH GAAH JUNOON IKHTIYAR KARTE HAIN" keep the fire burning friend. " |
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Ananth Mahadevan (Director - Dil Vil Pyar Vyar)
"Dignity,poise and sensitivity were the characteristics i was looking for in the character of dev darshan suri for my debut film dil vil pyar vyar...sanjay came naturally to mind because he brought these and much more to the role. I could understand [and was amused] by his initial apprehension towards the part since the other love stories [madhavan, jimmy shergill] were author backed. But the critics substantiated my claim that sanjay had the most difficult part and he gave the role the right pitching and cemented his reputation as an actor.
The years to follow only saw the actor in him grow to challenging heights his crowning glory being my brother nikhil where he put his money on the block besides reinventing himself as an actor. Conviction has won the day for sanjay and i feel this is only a beginning...i see sanjay suri as a name to reckon with in the roster of actors who get beneath the skin of a role...it will not be long before a lot of directors would wonder why they havent made a film with sanjay suri..i want to book him before rush hour begins. "
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Rajeev Virani (
Director - My Bollywood Bride )
" Working with Sanjay has been a pleasure and a privilege. As a first time director I found him to be a pillar of support and a source of constant encouragement which really helped me in my initial leap from directing commercials to feature films. When you couple his knowledge of the world of cinema with his very obvious acting talent you get the complete package. In other words, a director's dream in terms an actor, creative collaborator and friend. "
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