Mythological dramas often invite comparisons, especially when it comes to portraying Lord Krishna on screen. But for actor Siddharth Gupta, who essays the role in Krishnavataram Part 1, there was never any pressure to live up to the iconic performances of the past.
In an exclusive conversation with India TV, Siddharth, director Hardik Gajjar, and actor Sanskruti Jayana, who plays Satyabhama, spoke about the making of the film, the overwhelming response it has received and their personal journeys with the characters.
Siddharth Gupta: ‘Never watched Nitish sir or Sourabh’
When asked whether he watched the performances of Nitish Bharadwaj or Sourabh Raaj Jain, who have previously played Lord Krishna on the screen and became immensely popular, Siddharth made a surprising revelation. “To be very honest, that’s the beauty of this journey because I wasn’t really that kind of person. But when Hardik sir and the team saw Krishna in me and cast me for the role, I had never watched those shows. I have never seen Nitish sir or Sourabh. They may be better than all of us, but I simply hadn’t seen them.”
The actor admitted that while he was spiritually aware of Hindu Gods, he was never deeply inclined towards spirituality before the film. “Actually, before I got this role, I was spiritually aware of our Gods, but I wasn’t deeply inclined towards that path.”
Interestingly, the makers also advised him against watching previous portrayals. “When I got the role, we discussed it, and Hardik sir, and even our workshop teachers strictly told me not to watch anything. I also decided that I wouldn’t watch anything. So all my preparation came through script workshops and whatever reading I did about Lord Krishna. Since I had never watched those portrayals, there was no question of feeling pressure because of them.”
He added that while comparisons flood social media today, he doesn’t see them as competition. “Today, I see clips and comparisons on social media, but I believe there is no comparison between any of us. We have all been chosen by Him.”
Watch India TV’s exclusive interview with the team of Krishnavataram Part 1 here:
Did director Hardik Gajjar expect the film to become such a phenomenon?
With Krishnavataram Part 1 receiving a massive response from audiences, we asked Hardik Gajjar if he ever imagined the film would become such a rage. His answer was simple.
“No, absolutely not. Every filmmaker dreams that their film will become a blockbuster. But staying grounded and not becoming overconfident is very important because of the product itself, nothing else.”
The filmmaker explained that believing too much in success can often become a creative hurdle. “If I had became overconfident and started believing that the film would definitely become a superhit, perhaps I wouldn’t have done justice to it.”
He also reflected on the uncertainty that comes with filmmaking. “Every filmmaker has a story they genuinely want to tell, and they dedicate themselves to it with complete honesty. But there is a very thin line between confidence and overconfidence. The response ultimately depends on the audience, their mindset, their mood and the environment around them. Those factors decide whether people will like your work or not. And if you enjoy success, you should also be prepared for failure.”
Sanskruti on becoming Satyabhama: ‘Hardik told me to just be myself’
Sanskruti, who portrays Satyabhama in Krishnavataram Part 1, said her biggest challenge was not the technical preparation but understanding the character’s unconditional love for Krishna.
Recalling her first script reading, she said, “When I read the script for the first time, I understood, at least from my perspective, that the essence of Satyabhama is Krishna. Of course, she has a very strong personality. She speaks her mind and has all those qualities.”
She revealed that director Hardik Gajjar gave her a simple instruction. “Hardik bhai told me, ‘You are very much like Satyabhama, so don’t do too much. Just be yourself.'”
According to Sanskruti, that advice made the performance feel natural. “I didn’t have to work too hard in that aspect because even while reading the script, I could see that she was very similar to me. If I had tried to alter or manipulate that too much, it might have gone against the director’s vision and the story’s vision.”
While the team worked on dialogues and body language suited to the era, she said her personal effort was focused elsewhere. “The biggest task for me was to genuinely, as Sanskruti, get closer to Krishna because the love that Satyabhama had for Krishna was so pure and so divine. My only effort was figuring out how I could bring that love for Krishna into my eyes. That remained my personal effort. Apart from that, the script already had everything I needed to perform. Hardik had a very clear vision of how he saw Satyabhama, and in many ways I simply remained myself while responding to the situations given to me.”
After the success of Krishnavataram Part 1, Part 2 has been announced. Stay tuned to know more about it in the second part of the interview.
Also read: Krishnavataram Part 1 Movie Review: Krishna’s mythology story gets a fresh contemporary twist
