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'Things happen when they have to happen': Gagan Dev Riar on his acting journey
The actor plays the lead star in 'Scam 2003: The Telgi Story'
The much awaited crime-drama series Scam 2003: The Telgi Story premiers September 1 on Sony Liv. The first season Scam 1992 (2020) was immensely successful. This time, the series tells the story of fraudster Abdul Karim Telgi who was behind the multi thousand crore counterfeit stamp paper racket. The role of Telgi is played by the popular theatre actor-director from Mumbai, Gagan Dev Riar. Gagan won the META award for Piya Behroopiya (a Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night). He was praised for his performance in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding Musical in 2023. In this interview, he talks about his first lead role and the long journey to achieve it.
'Scam' is a hugely successful franchise. How did you get the the lead role of Telgi in 'Scam 2003'?
This is a scam in itself (laughs)! (Director) Hansal Mehta sir had watched my work and my performances on stage. He perhaps believed that I could be given the responsibility of playing the lead role in Scam 2003. He asked the casting director Mukesh Chhabra to audition. After my audition Mukesh Chhabra had given me a thumbs up saying 'done, done, done!'. By the time I reached home my luck had turned around. I received a call from Hansal Mehta who told me that I am playing the lead role.
The physical transformation you have undergone to play Telgi is incredible. We watched the trailer and for a moment felt that we are looking at the real Telgi.
As soon as Hansal sir told me I am playing Telgi, I checked on the internet how Telgi looked like. This was the first time where I was attempting a biopic where I have to play a real character. I was asked to gain some weight. But how much? I wasn't told (laughs). I started working on gaining weight. By the time the shooting began, I had gained 19 kilos.
Actors around the world talk about how they lost weight for a particular role or about their fitness goals, we want to know about your hard work to gain weight?
I had to eat five times a day. My day began with an omelette of 5 eggs and 5 bread toast with butter. Then at 11 am, I used to have a shake made up of oats, ice cream, dates and almonds. It was followed by a heavy lunch with 5 rotis, rice and veggies. At 5 pm, the morning shake was repeated. Dinner was Allo Parathas and prawn curry. But the most difficult part was the post dinner dessert - five gulab jamuns (laughs). Then I went to bed.
We have seen you in the web-series A Suitable Boy, then Mira Nair’s 'Monsoon Wedding Musical' in 2023. But there was a strong character in the wonderful film 'Sonchiriya' where you acted with the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee and Ashutosh Rana. What are the memories?
Such wonderful memories! We stayed in Dholpur for three months where we were shooting in the ravines as it was dacoit film. We were trained to shoot with real guns and stay in the ravines. It was a difficult shoot. To shoot with director Abhishek Chaubey and all those seniors Sushant sir, Manoj Sir and Ashutosh ji was an unforgettable experience. It was my debut film and that made it all the more special.
You have been in the Mumbai theatre circuit since almost last two decades and are quite well known as a theatre actor. Do you think this lead role in ('Scam') came a bit late?
I believe things happen when they have to happen. You can't really control or predict it. I have been honest to my acting craft and never tried to rush things. I think this role also landed after the name I made by doing good, honest roles in all those years; everything counts. Now that it happened, I think it's a great moment and I want to live this moment.
You're from Punjab.Tell us about your journey from Punjab to Mumbai.
My father was a huge Dharmendra fan and wanted to be an actor himself. He ran away from his home in Punjab to Mumbai. His parents somehow located him and brought him back to Punjab. Then he was married after which we were born - I, my brother and my sister. The initial few years were spent in Punjab. But my father wasn't happy with his life in Punjab. So he decided to leave Punjab with family and we shifted to Mumbai in 1993. I passed my 10th standard in 1996 and then one fine day my father suddenly asked me if I wanted to be an actor. I said, 'yes, I will definitely give it a try.'"
Your father asked you to become an actor? This is interesting because normally fathers dissuade their kids from becoming an actor.
Yes, he was different. May be it came from his unfulfilled dream of becoming an actor. My name is Gagan Riar, the 'Dev' I have added as my middle name is actually my father's name. It was his dream to become an actor. He is no more but I wish he looks at his name on screen as a lead actor and smiles from somewhere up there, thinking he finally made it to the big screens.
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