Saiyami Kher said – Mentally had to enter in very dark for Ghoomar, hands were tied for 10 hours

In ‘Ghoomar’ you are in the role of a one arm bowler. Such a role is every actor’s dream. How was the journey of ‘Ghoomar’ for you? What were the challenges?
It is really a dream role for me. I always wanted to play the role of a sports person as I am very interested in sports since childhood. I used to play cricket, badminton. Even in my Twitter bio, Sportsman, Cricket, Sachin is first. I am passionate about cricket. Then here both camera and cricket are together. On top of that, the graph of my character is very challenging, because I am playing a differently abled character, so the challenge was a lot. Earlier, I am a right hander in real life but becoming a left hander in the film was a challenge. Then, combing hair with one hand, tying shoelaces, cutting lemon or onion, all are very difficult, so I was practicing all that at home before the start of the film. Then there were physical challenges during the shoot that hands were tied for 10 hours. It used to get completely locked. One elbow was completely torn. The nail was gone, but I don’t focus much on that, because okay, all that had to be done, but for this character I had to enter a very dark place mentally, it was more challenging.

Ghoomer Trailer: Abhishek Bachchan teaching Saiyami to play cricket with one hand after paralysis, Ghoomar is the story of Guru-disciple
You were so passionate about cricket, so how did you choose acting over cricket?
I haven’t learned cricket professionally. I used to play badminton professionally. I learned cricket by watching Sachin Tendulkar. The funny thing is that my househelp’s name was Iqbal (film based on cricket), so he taught me cricket. I formed a cricket team to bunk school and we went to the finals at the state level. I was also called for selection in the national team, but then the badminton tournament was going on, so I did not go. Then, once on the sets of ‘Mirzya’, the selector of the cricket team, Kiran More Sir came. Then we were playing cricket in the break, then he also said that if you do one camp then you will be in the Indian team, but I said that sir, now the film is coming. By then I had started acting and once the acting bug hits, it becomes difficult to quit.

One-handed bowler will play cricket for the country, different avatar of Saiyami Kher and Abhishek Bachchan seen in Ghoomer

Apart from cricket, did you feel any kind of connection with this character?
Absolutely. The way Anina goes through a very bad phase where she does not see any light, she rises from there and writes a success story. According to me, we all get disappointed many times in life. We go through ups and downs in our life, so when there are bad times, how to come out of it, for me ‘Ghoomar’ is the story of that courage.

Photo: Insta/saiyami

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Your first film ‘Mirzya’, which was a huge launch, was a failure. It must have been a difficult time for you too. How did you get out of that? What is your winning mantra?
It’s been six years since ‘Mirzya’ released, but people still feel that it was a bad phase because that film was so big. For me ‘Mirzya’ not running was 100% disappointing because you studied a lot for the exam but if you get only 37% marks then it must be disappointing. I had also studied a lot, but that result did not come. Still, I see the positive that ‘Mirzya’ was such a big launch for me that people know me from it. Otherwise, I would have probably still been looking for work, so there was definitely disappointment, but as an actor, we go through such disappointment many times because we face a lot of rejections.
One is rejection at work, on top of that people also do physical rejection that you look like this, you look like that. But my mantra is that it is the job of the people to say, they will keep on speaking. I don’t have to give up, because for me the winner is the one who doesn’t stop trying.

Photo: Insta/saiyami

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Recently you told that at the beginning of your career you were advised to get lip job and nose job done. Then how did that 18 year old Saiyami handle him? Did it also have a negative effect?
It’s unfortunate, but people talk like that. Even now how many people tell me to straighten hair, straighten hair. Those who themselves are insured, they also get everyone changed, but in such a situation, what will be your uniqueness? Everyone’s nose will be the same, everyone’s hair will be straight, so everyone will look machine-made. I am lucky that my family has been so supportive that when I said to play, they said to play. If you want to act, act, so I have never been insecure. But yes, at the age of 18-20 you are very sensitive. People’s words affect you, so when very senior people say such things, it is very scary.

‘People who don’t have support don’t know what to do. These are very uncomfortable things. The good thing for me is that my parents and sports have made me so strong that when someone used to say that aapke toh lip hi nahi hai, aapke toh lip hi nahi hai, aapke kya actress banoge, get lip job done, I used to reply to them that Sir, this is I will show you as an actor with lips and this nose, then you talk to me. I had that determination that if you don’t think I look a certain way, it’s okay, don’t work with me, but I’m very happy and secure with the way I look. My parents worked very hard to raise me like this. I am not going to change it just because someone says it.