Heital Puniwala: I am a theatre actor, and I never bind myself to a particular genre

Actor Heital Puniwala, known for films like Oh My God, PK, Bang Bang, and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, says his foundation in theatre continues to shape his approach to acting across mediums. “I am a theatre actor, and I never bind myself to a particular genre. If I get a character, I don’t think about whether I am like that or not; instead, I focus on how to become that character,” he says. Highlighting his willingness to take on challenging roles, he adds, “It’s not like I can do it well just because it’s my type of character. But I dare myself. In Nayika Devi, I didn’t fit into any role, but I played Jallad. It took hours to get into a hunchbacked, unkempt look, but I did it because it challenged me.” Heital moved from Surat to Mumbai in 2011 and began auditioning while continuing theatre. Recalling his early days, he says, “Wherever an audition was happening, I was there. I’ve always believed in carrying a ‘100-gram smile’. A casting director had rejected me initially, but when I spoke to him with a smile, he gave me a chance to audition—and it worked.” On his acting style, he credits his theatre background and personal practices. “In theatre, you have to be loud, but I noticed films are moving towards more natural performances. In ads especially, you need that,” he says. “Sudarshan Kriya helped me a lot in becoming natural; it brought out my inner ease as an actor,” he adds.