HRITHIK ROSHAN
After Koi Mil Gaya and Guzaarish you are again playing a person with disabilities in Kaabil. How different or difficult has this role been?
Kaabil is entirely different from my previous films. In this one, my character is visually impaired -- a role which I haven’t done before. In fact, Kaabil has by far been the most difficult experience for me.
What was the hardest part while preparing for the role?
Trying to gain control of my eyes’ sensory muscles as if their movements were involuntary was really tough.
What obstacles did you face as a ‘blind’ person?
Generally we tend to blink our eyes or react when something suddenly comes in front of our eyes. But while portraying the character of Rohan, I wasn’t allowed to do any of that.
Any obstacles that you particularly faced while shooting for the dance numbers?
While preparing for the dance song Mon Amour, we had to put in a lot more hard work than usual as we are portraying visually impaired individuals. It was only after several rehearsals that we were able to complete shooting the song in a day and a half.
YAMI GAUTAM
You too play a visually impaired person. How did you prepare for the role?
I watched a lot of YouTube videos posted by people who are blind in real life. I saw how they cook, eat and ‘feel in the dark’. I also came across videos of blind young girls giving make-up tutorials. I took a lot of cues from them and it helped me immensely.
Was it difficult to match steps with an ace dancer like Hrithik?
I had to prepare myself just to stand next to him in one frame – forget about matching steps. You have to be on your toes and put in your best because Hrithik is among the best in the business. He practises each and every step till it is perfect and that inspired me to come up with my best. I also took tango lessons and it came handy.
How challenging was the dance number – to make look it ‘imperfect’ – keeping in mind that you are playing a blind person?
It was very challenging. We had to gradually learn it in layers. First, I had to learn the tango, then had to rehearse it with Hrithik and the third stage was adding the factor of being visually impaired which had to look comfortable. Making the imperfection look natural and organic was most challenging.
