Freddy Sodawallah in The Ba**ds Of Bollywood* oozes menacing, evil energy. But the man behind the character, Manish Chaudhari, couldn’t be more different. Warm, cheerful, and always ready with a laugh, Manish is a far cry from the ruthless producer he portrays on screen. And today, his trademark smile is wider than ever, thanks to the phenomenal response the series has been receiving. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, the versatile actor opens up about his breakout role, the overwhelming feedback, collaborating with debutant director Aryan Khan, and much more
EXCLUSIVE: The Ba***ds Of Bollywood actor Manish Chaudhari BREAKS silence on Freddy Sodawallah-Aditya Chopra comparisons: “My character is a mix of many different producers”; opens up on working with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time: “It was hard work; yet so much FUN”
How has been the feedback for The Ba***ds Of Bollywood?
The feedback has been so pleasant and so wonderful. The audiences have loved it and so have the critics. This is like a perfect scenario (laughs). Everybody across the board is liking it. Aryan has really slayed it with this one.
One gets to know the ‘producer ka dard’ thanks to your character like actors not adhering to contracts, harassment from investors etc. Did any producer reach out to you to tell you that he has also gone through the same predicament as Freddy?
No one has said it directly. But I met Ramesh Taurani ji. The way he met me after watching the first few episodes, I realized ki inke dil ko chhu gaya main (laughs)! I guess he understood perfectly where my character was coming from.
Notwithstanding his evil traits, the fact is that Freddy was also in a bad situation and was simply trying to survive and thrive just like others…
Of course. Each and every producer, no matter how successful they are at the moment, have been in some kind of situation at some time.
How did you bag the show?
The casting team, Nandini Shrikent and Karan Mally, called and informed me that Aryan wanted to meet me. So, I went and we did a reading together. It was very simple.
Did the traits of your character get developed once the readings or shooting began? Or was it always there, especially the ‘Sodawallah’ sign akin to the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles…
It was all there in the script. In fact, the script was very tight and strong. We also did a lot of prep work during which a few suggestions came up. Otherwise, the script was very ready.
People are speculating that your character is inspired by Aditya Chopra. The picture of Freddy’s father in the background seems similar to a picture of Yash Chopra. Was Aditya Chopra a reference point or do you think people are going overboard with the comparisons?
That is up to the audience. The audience can make out whatever they want to. Everybody has different references to different people. But I know for a fact that Freddy is a mix of many different producers that I have personally worked with and which Aryan has seen closely. It’s a mix of many. If I have worked with over a hundred producers over my career, then it is a mix of a hundred producers.
How was it to work with such a young director like Aryan Khan?
It was wonderful. He must be 26-27 now and while we were filming, he was 24-25. That is the age group which forms the largest viewership in our country. His voice and vision have resonated not only in that age group but across the board. My 85-year-old aunt remarked that the show is wonderful (laughs).
The epic twist in the climax has stunned one and all. Not one person can claim that he or she was able to predict…
For me, what was important was that I graph Freddie from beginning to end in a way that he becomes as believable as possible. He goes a bit overboard, but he’s also a real guy. I had to ensure that I matched up my steps with the screenplay. Also, the suspense got revealed in the end and it was important that we all kept it close to our hearts (laughs). It is taking everyone by surprise!
There are many actors in the show, but you and Rajat Bedi are the only ones to share proper screen space with Shah Rukh Khan. How was the experience?
It was my first time working with him. I had a great time shooting that scene with him. It’s hard work to shoot any scene, but this one was a lot of fun.
Also Read: Cast of The Ba***ds of Bollywood stars in hilarious new boAt Ad, poking fun at Bollywood stereotypes
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