Exclusive! Ritvik Sahore: Despite all my fame, my parents would still ask me to go and buy vegetables for them

Ritvik Sahore became the name among gen Z ever since he did Indori Ishq. The actor is now awaiting the release of his next big web series, Escaype Live, which is based on a social media competition. However, Ritvik’s life and social media are completely different from his character. OTTplay spoke to the actor about the same and he made some interesting revelations, which include him going to do daily chores like buying vegetables all by himself despite all the fame he has earned recently.

Excerpts from the interview…

Your Instagram is very you. There's no TikTok or you following the trend for no reason. So, was Escaype Live your own escape from the virtual world you have built?

(Laughs) You can put it that way. I'll be honest. For me, putting out reels is too much work. I have huge respect for people who do that. They have amazing content and amazing following too. It doesn't come naturally to me so I don't want to force that since I cannot make good content if I force myself.

I really wanted to know how this world works and Escaype came my way. It was the perfect opportunity to play that kind of character. I had a lot of discussions. I have seen a lot of TikTok videos of people doing action and it was so cool. We thought about going ahead with that and since it was so cool, we went ahead with it. I really enjoyed shooting for this one.

I would also like to know, have you ever felt the urge to follow the trend? If yes, then how did you control it?

I'm old-school in that sense. I watch the trends, reels and enjoy that but never think about recreating those things. I move on after watching the reels. Only if I have to collaborate with a brand, that is when I do it. All I do is record music and put that up as reels. I just put them out without thinking about its reception.

This urge usually stems from peer pressure. Was there ever a time when you did something out of peer pressure?

I must have done a lot of things out of peer pressure. I can't say no to people because of that. If someone asks me if I can go out with them, even when I have work, I cannot say no to them. I keep them on hold so my friends get pissed off. I'm trying to change that about myself.

Also, you know this. After Indori Ishq, you have somewhere become a youth icon, in the sense that they constantly make references to your character. This show, Escaype Live, obviously caters to the experimental gen Z. So, was this your way of sending across a message to that crowd, because now you know that they follow you?

Yes, we can put it that way. This is the only way I can give my love back to them. They gave me so much love and supported me all this time. I see all the reels and edits. It's so sweet.

To be very honest, I got the opportunity to do Escaype way before even Indori Ishq came my way. I was approached for Escaype three years ago. There are so many characters, locations, stories. It wasn't going to commence shooting soon. This project was being made and then COVID-19 hit us and so, there was a delay. I got the opportunity to do Indori Ishq during the second wave. I received all the love after Indori Ishq and Campus Diaries. This is just me giving it back and the time is right too.

Which project were you working on when you were offered Escaype? How did things unfold?

It happened after Flames. I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra sir's office. I really liked the role and I auditioned for it thrice and then I was selected. We got into discussion about how we could play the character out. There's an arc in the story. We discussed how will he talk, walk and the likes to the details. That was really exciting - creating the character to the t.

At this point of time, Escaype Live looks grand. We see Jaaved Jafferi, Siddharth and it is bankrolled by Hotstar. Did you always know this?

I knew it was going to be on Hotstar and since the platform is huge, I expected it to be huge too. I didn't know that Jaaved sir and Siddharth would be there in the project. I was also in the initial stages. When I got to know, I was blown away but I always knew that the project would be grand. For the last three and a half years, Siddharth sir has been at it. I don't think he even took a break because he's been so into it. It was like his baby and he treated it like one. His energy would spread on sets too. That's the audience to decide. We have made the project with love and hardwork.

This is a very open-to-interpretation question but I'm sure you would have thought about it. So, if you had to escape from where you are right now, where would you be?

If we all had the opportunity from the COVID situation, everyone would say yes. If I would escape, geographically, Norway is my dream destination. I want to escape from everything for a week, go to Norway, see the Northern Lights, rent a car, travel and stay in the car, see the landscape and just be there. That's a place I would like to escape to.

While you always had a niche audience on OTT, currently, with Indori Ishq, Matsya Kaand and Campus Diaries, everybody knows you. And I'm not saying that you weren't known for your films. Even Dangal and Super 30 were a hit. Basically, I'm trying to know if life has changed drastically for you in the past few years?

Of course, change is there in the sense that people even from the industry know me better. I love it when people come to me and ask for photos. I even love talking to them. They've made me what I am today. Without them, there's no point. An actor just wants validation, appreciation or whatever you call it. That is our reward, so I love that. My life hasn't changed much. Even after Ferrari Ki Sawaari, my parents told me that I could be an actor but I still need to help with the household work. So they would send me to buy vegetables. I love that. I have a small set of friends - my school and building friends. So, my family means a lot to me. My friends are real with me and I like that. I really enjoy that comfort. In that sense, my personal life has been the same. It hasn't changed much.

What about professional life? Have you been offered more projects? What does that look like right now?

Of course it has changed. I'm getting better opportunities. People saw a different side of me as an actor after all the projects you mentioned. I was doing similar roles and wanted to try something different and I'm forever grateful that people accepted me and showered love on me for that. People are giving me opportunities because of that.

You have been a part of Awkward Conversations and Awkward Conversations with your Girlfriend was last. So, are there going to be more series in Awkward Conversations?

I haven't been told about it but I'm pretty sure something will unfold because that was the plan. They haven't written something but hopefully something very soon.

What else do you have at hand?

I'm waiting for Escaype's release and then I will move on to Flames season 3. There's a music video featuring me. That will be something different.