Trust exercise

Rohan Gurbaxani and Anurag Basu

If your first year in Bollywood gives you the popular Made in Heaven 2, the wonderful Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) and a bit role in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), where do you go from there? Only upwards, hopes Rohan Gurbaxani. The actor has the second season of Bandish Bandits, and Metro… In Dino in the pipeline.

Gurbaxani describes his experience of working with filmmaker Anurag Basu as "fascinating." "With every project, you learn something new. Here, we didn't even have a script. Let's start with that," he laughs. "Anurag sir called me on FaceTime. My mind was blown that he was calling me [for a role]. Then to shoot with experienced actors like Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sensharma required relentless self-belief."

The sequel to Basu's Life in a Metro (2007) also stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Ali Fazal, among others. The filmmaker is known for his unique approach to shooting, which relies on spontaneity. For a relative newcomer like Gurbaxani, the process can be both nerve-wracking as well as creatively inspiring. "This film has challenged me in so many ways; it keeps expanding my limits like a rubber band. When I asked Anurag sir why he [cast me and did not even give me the script, he said] that he has this process where he trusts [his actors] fully. When the director tells you that, you just trust him and surrender. Trust is a big part of working with him."