Ranjit Raiz Sharma plays the role of the great grandfather in Udaariyaan, produced by Ravie Dubey and Sargun Mehta’s Dreamiyata Entertainment. The actor is all praises for the team and is thankful for the opportunity he has got in the drama.
“My character is that of a retired brigadier. I am 65. At my age, we mostly get such roles and by god’s grace I might also be one soon. Much like me, my character too enjoys being jolly, loves his wife and bonds with the whole family. So, I can relate to him a lot. In real life I also write poems and films scripts,” he says.
The response around Ranjit’s character has been positive. “I feel when an actor likes his onscreen avatar, he puts it out in a very well-mannered way, which makes the audience love it. Same is for me. Whenever I step out these days, I see so many people reaching out to me and appreciating my work. I’ve also done a lot of films. Today, people know me as bauji, dadaji and all this love is because of Udaariyaan. In fact, the best compliment I got was on Instagram. Some have said that they can relate to my character with their grandfather a lot. Also, a lady once came to me and told me that my nature and personality reminds her of her husband, which was really very sweet,” he adds with a smile.
About his experience of working with Dreamiyata team, Ranjit adds, “It’s definitely amazing. Both Ravie and Sargun are beautiful people and they are also successful in their careers. They always make sure to meet and greet us, and never act like producers. They make all of us feel like family whenever we are together, and make sure that no one of us are uncomfortable or unhappy with anything on the set. We love, respect as well as admire them.”
Since the actor stays in Chandigarh itself, shooting in his hometown is a plus. “The set is hardly 40kms from my home. So, I never miss my family unlike many others who work on the show,” he shares.
Udaariyaan has a very youthful flavour in the story. Agreeing, he says, “All our artists who are young, be it Fateh, Tejo, Jasmin, Mahi, Amreen, Simran etc, they maintain the peace within each other with utmost respect and love. Seeing these children also helps us in upgrading ourselves according to this generation,” he adds.
Punjabi storytelling is being loved by audiences these days. “This is not today’s story, I’ve seen in Hindi cinema that they used to put a hint of Punjabi tradition in many things, or maybe a song. Nowadays even film titles are sometimes in Punjabi. Audiences love Punjabi tradition. This culture is spread worldwide,” he says.
About two trends he has noticed in the TV industry over the years, the actor adds, “There are more and more female-oriented shows being made even now, probably because the ladies can relate it to them better. And shows like KBC, BIGG BOSS, Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent have great viewership.”
Ranjit has been a part of the industry for long. Ask him about his inspiration in terms of acting and he replies, “We have grown up watching and admiring Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Every actor has their own style which helps them recognize themselves. Each and every one of them teaches us something, and we have grown up learning things from them,” he ends.
