History was never my forte: Mohit Marwah

By Natalia Ningthoujam

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Mohit Marwah went back in time to portray an Indian National Army (INA) officer in the upcoming film "Raag Desh - Birth of a Nation", but the actor says history as a subject was not his strong point during school days.

The actor will bring to life the story of Col. Prem Sahgal in the film based on the INA trials following World War II.

"History is interesting. World War II, India's Independence...but I was not very interested in history in school. History was never my forte. It's only after school that I got to learn more about history through the visual medium. I saw films and documentaries. That's what I enjoyed more," Mohit told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

In fact, to prepare for his role, Mohit watched his uncle and actor-producer Anil Kapoor's 2000 film "Pukar" several times. But that doesn't mean he stayed away from books.

"A lot of research was already done by the director (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and the team. It's a real life story, so had strong reference points. We had to recreate the vibe of the 1930s and 1940s."

"There was sufficient information on him (Col. Sahgal) on the internet. I also watched documentaries and read books. I hope I've done justice to him."

As part of his research, Mohit also spoke to the families of those connected to the trials, which happened during 1945-1946.

"Once while travelling, I met someone on the flight. He shared how his grandfather was involved in the cases. People, especially the second and third generations, have a lot of interest in the subject," said Mohit, who shot in places like Dehradun and Delhi.

Now, he is eagerly waiting for "Raag Desh..." -- his second film after "Fugly" (2014), to hit the screens on July 28.

"There's no nervousness right now. I am just excited as our film is looking good. I got to watch the trailer the other day. It (the trailer) will be releasing soon. It's looking pretty good. Something that we have not seen in a while. If something is fresh and new, people will be also excited to watch it," believes Mohit.

"I waited for about two years to get this film. I am happy with the final product and proud of it. Waiting for it was justified."

Asked about the trend of films with patriotism as a theme, he said: "We have a decent amount of films coming out on this topic. As a film industry, all aspects and every genre of filmmaking should be explored."

"From patriotic to romantic to action... it gives out a good blend of different types of things."

It took him a while to sign his second film. After this period drama, what should the audience expect from him?

"I am still reading some stuff. I have not signed anything as of now," said the actor, who has also tried his hand at short films and theatre.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)