'Laalo' actor Karan Joshi opens up on playing auto driver: 'I used to ride an auto rickshaw '

Actor Karan Joshi opened up about his role as an auto rickshaw driver in the Gujarati film Laalo. He shared how he prepared for the character and how close the role felt to him.

Talking about his preparation, he told Bollywood Hungama, “I went to Junagadh a week before the shoot. I used to ride an auto rickshaw there. I was given the freedom to choose the clothes and accessories for my character. Ankit told me to buy whatever I feel is right for the character. He is such an understanding director.” Karan felt the film was more than just work. “More than professional, this film is personal,” he said. For him, Laalo was not just acting but living the role.

A personal film for the team

Karan Joshi also spoke about how special the film is for the entire team. He feels Laalo represents the Gujarati film industry in a very honest way. “If we start making films in such a personal manner, a lot of films from Gujarat will get national recognition,” he said. He also added, “In the entire India, the four of us (he along with director Ankit Sakhiya and actors Shruhad Goswami and Reeva Rachh) are representing Gujarati industry. What can be more blessed than this?”

Freedom in acting and emotions

Joshi shared that the character was challenging and emotional. The role goes through many feelings in the film. He explained how he approached it naturally. “I had full freedom in acting. So, I enjoyed it,” he said. “I had the graph with me. I hadn’t thought how I would portray it as I didn’t want to do it that way. It was all about what I do on floors naturally.” He also spoke about how he worked on the character details. “I had a lot of details about the character being marked. I used to extend it with his backstory,” he added.

First film fear and 100 crore joy

In another exclusive chat with ETimes, Karan Joshi spoke about the pressure and joy of his first film. He said, “Since beginning I felt that the kind of work I wanted to do I got that after ages so I have to give it my all to this character and don’t take this for granted.” He also admitted he was scared. “I was scared as it was my first film but at the end everything was on point.” Talking about the big success, he said, “It’s very overwhelming and a proud feeling that my first film has crossed 100 cr.” He ended by saying, “Every Gujarati including the people of Gujarati film industry are celebrating this as a personal achievement which makes me feel very blessed and special.”