With his phone buzzing continuously with messages and calls, Dhruv Sincro, from Margao has been on the top of the world. Why? He played a role to play in the latest Hindi film, Kalki 2898 AD, starring stalwarts from the film industry including Kamal Haassan, Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Dulquer Salmaan and Disha Patani.
Dhruv plays the role of a guard in the film and shares the screen with actor Deepika Padukone. Seated at his café Mr Busquò – The Goan Baab, in Fatorda, he excitedly spoke of the love he has received since the release of the film.
“I watched the film two days after it was released. When I was shooting for it, I was a bit concerned about how it would look, but I’m very happy with the final result,” says the cat-eyed Dhruv.
Dhruv, who has professionally studied IT Engineering, says his opting for films could be a streak inherited from his father – actor Prasad Shinkre – who worked in films and theatre. He shares a close bond with his papa and this was evident, as when Dhruv was styling his hair Prasad offered him the comb, just one of the instances, besides getting him two different, well-ironed shirts to choose from for the shoot.
In the film, Dhruv wears an armour, which made it very difficult for him to be in it for almost 16 to 17 hours. “In the first section, the latex material the body suit was made from, was very uncomfortable. So much so that it needed three people to help me wear and remove it. I had to control my water consumption. So much so, I developed a prickly heat rash – it was tough but worth it. For the next section, the designers used another type of material, which was breathable,” laughs Dhruv, who he is already working on a new project but is hush about it.
Dhruv has a word of praise for the director, Nag Ashwin, who he says is one of the most patient and calm people. Narrating an incident, he says, “While I was having a friendly banter with Deepika, I didn’t realise he was right behind me. After I saw him, he asked me to complete my conversation and then proceeded to talk to me about my scenes. It truly was an honour working with him.”
Speaking of his debut with Deepika, he said that besides being extremely supportive, she was also very professional. “My part of the shoot was done within 10 days and I didn’t get to speak much with her. Though, I invited her to Goa and to the restaurant to try some local dishes like our famous cafreal,” says Dhruv.
The film Kalki had a good week at the box office. It is the second highest Hindi grosser of 2024, which has surpassed the Rs 700 crore mark worldwide at the box office.