He is the transgender goon Inder in Haddi, the mafia boss Suleiman ‘Haji’ Maqbool in Bambai Meri Jaan, Kareena Kapoor’s greedy onscreen husband, Ajit Mhatre in Jaane Jaan, and Bobby Deol’s onscreen brother Abid Haque in Animal. With a career graph in the movies that can be more-or-less termed as ‘a study in evil’, especially given his recent turns, Saurabh Sachdeva is today a man the audience loves to hate.  

The 45-year-old, who has more than 2 decades of experience as an acting coach, first grabbed attention with his turn as Sulaiman Isa in Sacred Games. “Acting was never my passion but after years of living in it, teaching acting became my favourite drill. I wanted to write and direct but by chance, I got called to audition for Sacred Games and got selected. I thought it was a small character, but I didn’t know it would be a game changer,” quips Sachdeva.  

He has trained the likes of Frieda Pinto, Varun Dhawan, Richa Chadda, Rana Daggubati, Dulquer Salmaan, Avinash Tiwary, Kubbra Sait, and Tripti Dimri—the last three have also later worked with him as co-actors. How does it feel to be sharing screen space with his students now? “I feel very powerful when they are in front of me. I feel very proud as a teacher that my students are acting in front of me, and they know their craft well. They treat me like other characters, not as their teacher,” he says. 

Ask him about his much talked about character in Animal, a polarizing movie that is smashing box office records, he admits it to be a challenging one. “In Animal I’m playing Bobby Deol’s brother. I grappled with the complexities of the role because I was struggling between my own values as Saurabh and the values of this extremely brutal character. Initially, I didn’t understand the world of Animal. It took me multiple conversations with the director [Sandeep Reddy Vanga] to comprehend the world.” But talking about the criticism the movie is facing for its excessive violence and misogynistic tone, he says: “I feel not everyone in the world would like everything and we need to accept that fact and work through it. Some movies might not work for my ideology, morals or values, but it will not stop people from making films like this. People will make what they want to.” 

On that note, we sit down for a no-holds-barred interview. Excerpts: 

In Jaane Jaan, Bambai Meri Jaan, and Animal you play brooding villains who have a penchant for violence. What draws you towards such characters and how do you ensure each looks unique?  

I’ve always strived to break free from the limitations of playing a single type of villain. Instead, I delve deep into the character’s psyche, seeking to understand their motivations and the personal history that shapes their actions. For them, what they do is justified, and it’s crucial to empathise with their perspective by delving into their childhood and experiences. This journey of understanding informs my approach to portraying the character, drawing upon my own past, observations, and previous performance experiences.  

As an actor, how then do you ensure that the character remains a villain and doesn’t become an anti-hero? 

I remember reading that every human action, however seemingly ill-intentioned, stems from a place of perceived good for the individual. In this light, I view my characters’ actions, even the most malevolent, as the best possible course they could choose within their own narrative. This is their journey, their story, and I have no right to judge it through the lens of my own morals. Instead, I seek to understand their motivations, the internal compass that guides their choices. By identifying what they consider ‘bad’ decisions, I illuminate the boundaries of their moral landscape and gain a deeper understanding of their core values. This process allows me to develop them as complex, multifaceted individuals, each striving towards what they believe is best. Moreover, I believe a strong antagonist is the mirror that reflects the protagonist’s brilliance. The more compelling the villain, the more triumphant the hero’s journey.  

How much of the darkness of these characters do you carry home, if at all? And how do you deal with these residues?  

Of course! When you come back to your own world, you realise that these are your people, and you can’t behave the same way. But I recommend my students to do certain exercises to get out of it. You can go travel, meet people, do something of your interest. I go back to my studio and teach and do my own exercises for relaxing.  

How did you get into acting? What kind of cinema were you watching while growing up? How did you land up at Barry sir’s class?  

I never used to watch too many films. But Amitabh Bachchan’s Agnipath was my favorite. But I never wanted to become an actor during that time, it was accidental. 

I just wanted to get famous as early as possible. At 22, I just wanted to get famous and show my girlfriend, who by then had left me, that I would be some bigshot. So, it was not that I wanted to act; I was not even passionate about it. I could’ve done anything, ventured into any profession that came my way.  But thank God I joined Barry John. On my second day there, we were asked to make a self-portrait. That exercise changed my life. I realised that this was the place I wanted to be.  

I was dyslexic and wasn’t good at studies; I had difficulties conveying myself properly and used to get severely bullied in school for that. I craved a way to express myself. And that’s what Barry John gave me. I used to do plays with him and after one year he offered me the chance to join as a teacher, and I did. And then I started teaching non-stop. It has been almost 22 years since I have been teaching and I still enjoy it thoroughly. In fact, even if I didn’t get to act, it wouldn’t have been a big deal for me. 

What kept you in that profession for this long? And what made you then get into movies?  

When I first came to Mumbai, I was very nervous about how people would see me and whether they would accept me. But in 2016, I thought about opening my own school. In 2017, I started the Actor’s Truth school and also got a chance to work in front of the camera with Sacred Games. My life changed. Until then, I was just lacking the courage to face the world. 

Being a dyslexic, how over the years have you learnt to deal with the challenges associated with it?  

Being dyslexic is not a problem. I consider it as a gift because it has enhanced my imagination skills. When I was diagnosed with dyslexia; I was struggling with my own education because I couldn’t express myself at a young age. Just because of my lack of vocabulary and words, I always feared that I would be shamed. When I got the opportunity to teach, I felt happy seeing the students express themselves. I had no problem dealing with it as a coach. But it was difficult for me to learn my lines and read something. Though I read a lot, I am a very slow reader. Memorising lines is a little difficult for me. It’s difficult to remember facts. There are many tools in acting that taught me to express myself better. 

How does that impact your profession and what are your ways of dealing with those? What will be your advice to aspiring actors who have dyslexia?  

First, you need to figure out what sort of dyslexia you have. Depending upon that you can start working on it. My advice would be to never take it as a disability but to figure out a way to approach things. 

In my case, I always need to prep. Being a dyslexic I always have problems in learning my lines. My EQ (emotional quotient) is very high, so I understand subjects and characters well. Learning dialogues is surely a challenge that I love to overcome with each acting project. I imagine things and remember dialogues in image format as I can remember images and colours fast.   

There are actors who are known as their onscreen characters and then there are actors who draw the audience with their persona. How much of Saurabh Sachdeva remains in the character you play? 

A lot of actors work on their personality and persona… if that works for them or the story, it’s not a problem then. If they are becoming bigger than the story, then there might be a problem. I would like to play characters which will completely detach me from myself and my personality. 

What is your take on the debate that a trans character should go to a trans actor?  

I feel transgenders should play other characters as well not only trans if they are good actors. Even in Haddi there were a lot of transgenders. Limiting casting based on an actor’s personal identity can not only be exclusionary but also deprive audiences of captivating performances. While it’s commendable to consider actors from LGBTQIA+ community for roles that align with their own experiences, it’s crucial to remember that acting is about the ability to embody different characters. A skilled actor can convincingly portray someone vastly different from themselves, drawing on their talent and training to bring a captivating performance to life.