Actor Arjun Rampal says the year 2020 has been a roller-coster ride, filled with big learning experiences for him. The actor, known for movies such as "Rock On", "Rajneeti" and “Chakravyuh”, said the year, which will be foreever remembered for the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, has taught him how important it is to be surrounded by loved ones.
"It has been a roller coaster, so many highs and a lot of lows. There were big learning experiences, it teaches you the importance of your loved ones, being around them and the importance of not needing as much as you think you need and the importance of our freedom," Rampal told PTI in an interview.
"We are so small and insignificant but at the same time, we can make a huge difference. Nature slapped us and sent us back in our cages as it has to heal. That’s what I took away from 2020," he added.
The 48-year-old actor said that he has also realised that it is important for an artiste to pull back and take a break.
"For me, when you are in good form you should be doing giving your best as you will be in sync with the script and character. It is important to get in good zone. 2020 has taught us that greed is the worst thing in the world."
The actor said in 2020, he was supposed to be working non-stop but the pandemic impacted all those plans.
However, he managed to finish his next film "Nail Posh" and web-series "Penthouse". In "Nail Polish", Rampal plays the role of a defense lawyer, named Sid Jaising.
With the character, the actor said his main aim was to get the nuances right to successfully pull it off.
"I have grown up in a family, where one side of the family is filled with lawyers. My uncle is a renowned lawyer and I have taken quite a bit of his mannerisms, the way he is in person. I also met a lot of lawyers and I got to observe them.
"The important thing for me was to make the character believable. He has goals, ambition, strengths, flaws, insecurities, etc. We created journey and arc for this character. For me, it is important to know the character, so that you can humanise it."
Rampal, who shares a son with girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades, said initially he was hesitant to shoot for the project during the pandemic.
"When they told me, I said, 'No, I don’t want to shoot it during the pandemic because I have a one-year-old child at home and it is too dangerous.' It is our life and this is what we do.
"We took all the precautions, it was all handled well by the team but still Anand Tiwari and Manav Kaul got COVID-19 and I was sitting next to them. We all freaked out and our shoot stopped for three weeks, I had to come home and quarantine myself for two weeks in a room. It wasn’t easy but maybe this is the new normal."
"Nail Polish", which also features Rajit Kapoor, Anand Tiwari, Madhoo and Samreen Kaur, will premiere on ZEE5 on January 1.
