Anyone who has watched Netflix original Extraction will agree that Priyanshu Painyuli has nailed the character of Amir Asif, the ruthless Bangladeshi drug lord. And the young actor’s co-stars include big names like Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Golshifteh Farahani and others. The film, produced by Russo Brothers, is Priyanshu’s Hollywood debut.
New avatar
Priyanshu dons an entirely new avatar in this film. “In India, those who have watched my work would have never imagined that I could play such a role. I, myself could not think that I would get an opportunity to play such a character so early in my career,” he says, adding that along with playing the part, getting the diction right was vital for him.
“I had to make Amir look authentic. I could have easily spoken in English but our director Sam Hargrave took the call that every Bangladeshi character in the film would only speak in local Bangladeshi language which is very different from the Bangla spoken in India. All of us went through a good amount of training for two months,” says Priyanshu adding, “I had to know every shot and scene. But I could only pull it off because the team had confidence in me. I was able to give my 110 per cent to every shot.”
Chris Hemsworth as co-star
Priyanshu can’t stop gushing about his Hollywood co-star. “Chris is a global star. I have watched all his movies and sometimes have repeated them online. I remember, when we were shooting, the first part of Avengers had just released. Everyone was on their edge because we were shooting with Thor. Rudhraksh (Jaiswal), who is playing the lead in the film, was the first one to go and ask Chris about what happens with Thanos, the supervillain from Avengers,” recalls Priyanshu.
Sharing more about his working experience, he says, “These guys have designated vans for everything – makeup, hair etc. and you have to go there at your designated time. I was at the hair van, and Chris walked in from behind, and I saw him in the mirror. He just put on his music on the Bluetooth speaker and started chatting with me. He is such a simple and chilled-out guy, so you don’t feel starstruck.
“He was talking about our film, respective parts, India, shooting in Ahmedabad. Half of the city knew that Thor was shooting there and therefore, there were so many kids around the set to get his autograph. He was very excited because he hadn’t expected such a massive crowd everywhere,” says Priyanshu.
Hollywood vs Bollywood
Priyanshu came into the limelight in 2018 after playing the title role in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi Superhero and went on to work in films like High Jack, Once Again, Upstarts.
Ask him to compare the work culture between the two film industries, and he says, “We are a little loud on the set, which is fun, but over there you have to maintain silence. Nobody talks to each other and even if they do, it’s once in a while. It’s not a tense situation, it’s just that they are very particular about work schedules. If your makeup time is at 6.35 pm, it will start at that time. Vikramaditya was also very particular about maintaining schedules when we were shooting for Bhavesh Joshi.”
Indian actors no longer in stereotypical roles
Before signing the film, Priyanshu had doubts in his mind to play the part or not because Hollywood tends to give stereotypical characters to Indian actors like a cab driver or a millionaire. “Even Randeep told me that he had rejected a role. I had not done any international work except for an episode for a British series. But when I went for Extraction auditions, I was told that I would be playing a Bangladeshi guy, which was new and interesting for me. And after reading the script, I was convinced that each one of us had meaty roles including the supporting actors,” says Priyanshu, adding, “Globally, more and more Indian actors are being accepted, which was not the case earlier.”
OTT has helped collaborations
OTT platforms have boosted international collaborations. “I was speaking to this casting director, and she was telling me that now a global mix is going to happen, thanks to platforms like Netflix and others. When stories are being told globally, why not experiment and have people from different regions come together?” says the actor who will next be seen in Rashmi Rocket along with Taapsee Pannu.
Quarantine lessons
Priyanshu is making the most of the quarantine period by learning cooking and musical instruments like the flute. “I used to play music but got out of habit. I am also writing and reading. I thought we can use the time productively by learning,” he says before signing off.
