Saurabh Sachdeva says typecasting is an actor’s limitation, not the industry’s fault

Actor and acting coach Saurabh Sachdeva believes performers should take responsibility for how they are perceived on screen rather than blame the film industry for typecasting. Known for portraying intense and morally complex characters in films such as Animal, Vadh, Jaane Jaan and Dhadak 2, he says he approaches every negative character as a distinct individual with their own personality, struggles and motivations.

In an interview with PTI, Sachdeva said audiences might categorise his roles as negative, but he focuses on identifying the differences between the people he portrays and exploring the complexities of human behaviour.

“People can typecast you, but it is the shape that I have to give to the characters. If you see all my negative characters, you might say, ‘Oh, it’s a negative character’, but they are different human beings, different personalities,” he said.

“There’s so much to explore in human behaviour. That’s what we don’t see. If we see that, then there is so much work to do for me,” he added.

Strong antagonists help bring out protagonists

Sachdeva, who plays Maricha in Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological film Ramayana, said actors should not treat typecasting as something imposed entirely by the industry. He believes performers themselves have a role in determining whether they become confined to a particular screen image.

“If I say I’ve been typecast, then it’s my limitation, then I’m putting myself in a box and people will see from that box. Like, you see a negative character, I see different human beings, which have their own problems, struggles and barriers, which I’ve to cross,” he said.

According to the actor, building a convincing antagonist also requires giving the character enough depth and strength to challenge the protagonist.

He cited his film Vadh as an example, explaining that the central character's impact depends partly on the strength of the opposing character.

“And those barriers should be so strong that it enhances the protagonist. Like, in ‘Vadh’, if the antagonist is not so strong, then the protagonist won’t be able to do anything. So, I have to take it to that level,” he said.

Sachdeva has previously spoken about his portrayal of Maricha in Ramayana, describing the character as someone caught in a dilemma rather than a straightforward villain. The film, directed by Tiwari, also features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.

From acting coach to the big screen

Before establishing himself as an actor, Sachdeva spent years working as an acting coach and training performers. His students have included John Abraham, Bobby Deol, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Richa Chadha, Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Harshvardhan Rane and Raghav Juyal, among others.

He attributed the delay in pursuing an acting career to his own lack of confidence, saying he once struggled with the belief that he was not good enough.

“It was my own incompetence and I was operating from, ‘I’m not enough, I’m small’, I was operating from this thought process. Some of my coaches helped me to rectify that and compete with that and move on. So, ever since it was rectified, I’ve been moving forward and forward,” he said.

Sachdeva made his acting debut with the 2017 film Maroon, but it was his portrayal of Suleiman Isa in the Netflix series Sacred Games that brought him wider recognition.

He said he had not expected the character to make such an impression on viewers despite having limited screen time.

“I was surprised when ‘Sacred Games’ came out and that my character became big, despite the screen time being very less. I was really surprised by the love of people,” he said.

His subsequent filmography includes Manmarziyaan, Laal Kaptaan, Vadh, Animal, Haddi, Kaala, Jaane Jaan, Pushpa 2: The Rule and Satluj.

The actor said he appreciates it when audiences recognise the differences between his performances, citing Satluj and Animal as examples of projects that allowed him to portray very different characters.

“When they say that, it’s something new, like you were saying, ‘Satluj’ and ‘Animal’ are completely different. So, when people say that to me, it feels like praise, like a job done well. I feel happy,” he added.

Learning from different filmmaking styles

Sachdeva also spoke about the contrasting working styles of filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Nitesh Tiwari, saying his experiences with both directors have taught him to adapt to different creative environments.

He said Kashyap's approach has helped him learn to work under pressure and respond quickly to situations on set.

“Anurag has taught me how to work in urgency and pressure, like he is always working, he doesn’t let the actors sit, and if you’re like, ‘I am nervous’, he says, ‘No, let’s create something’,” Sachdeva said.

His experience working with Tiwari, by contrast, was marked by a calmer atmosphere. He described the director as soft-spoken and encouraging, saying he had never seen him lose his temper or shout at anyone.

“Working with Nitesh sir was very relaxing, he is very calm and soft-spoken; he doesn’t get agitated or upset. I haven’t seen him screaming at anyone. He just says, ‘You can do this, you can do that’. So, his calmness is very contagious,” he added.