Rising star of Indian cinema, Prateik, being of the youngest acting age on the sets of Prakash Jha’s forthcoming blockbuster, Aarakshan, was pampered as well as mentored by Saif Ali Khan throughout the shoot. With a hectic two-month shooting schedule in Bhopal, Prateik was working with the biggest names in the film industry for the first time. However, Saif made sure that Prateik did not feel uncomfortable in any way and would help him with his lines, especially in the scenes where there were hundreds of onlookers.
Prateik said, “Saif was like my mentor on set. I remember how much he tried to make me feel comfortable during a scene that we shot in a college canteen during the first few days. I have learnt a lot from him. He is a gem of a person.”
Commented Saif, “Prateik is a really sweet guy and fun to work with. He reminds me of my ‘Parampara’ days. He is probably better than what I was, but I completely know what he’s going through.”
Apart from serious acting, the two actors also got along very well when there was no shooting. They also went to the gym together. Prateik would often enter Saif’s vanity van with his usual greeting saying, “Intruder Alert” and would spend time hanging out with Saif Ali Khan.
From the makers of Box Office superhit, Rajneeti, Aarakshan is a high voltage, socio-political drama based on one of the most contentious Indian government policies of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The film stars veteran of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, alongside the formidable Saif Ali Khan, beguiling Deepika Padukone and rising star of the Indian screen, Prateik.
Prepare for a controversial exploration of the corruption and caste discrimination that continue to hold back one of the world’s emerging superpowers and tie it to the dark ages, as Reliance Entertainment’s ‘Aarakshan’ causes waves across the nation and beyond from 12th August 2011.
