Caltagirone has been part of major films like ‘The Pianist’, ‘Legionnaire’, ‘The Fall’ and ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life’…writes Sukant Deepak
He shot with filmmaker Tarsem Singh for six months in Rajasthan, worked with Indian director Shekhar Kapoor in ‘The Four Feathers’ and will now soon be seen as the antagonist Lord Clement in Pa Ranjith’s much-anticipated Tamil film ‘Thangalaan’, starring actor Vikram in the lead, and is set in 19th century in the Kolar gold mines discovered by the British.
Daniel Caltagirone, however, assures that his portrayal of the British officer will not be cliched, as one witness in several Indian films.
He told, “That was my major concern when the director approached me. He assured me that I would be allowed to add layers to bring out something new to the character.”
The actor, who spent a year in India going through spring, summer, autumn and winter, is now said to have developed an unshakeable bond with the country.
He recalled, “Yes, so I became acclimated to the madness of the weather. Of course, it was tough to work with the changing patterns of weather. However, now I am enjoying myself as the filming has concluded.”
Caltagirone has been part of major films like ‘The Pianist’, ‘Legionnaire’, ‘The Fall’ and ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life’.
When asked about his experience working on an Indian film set, he smiled and said that on the first day, he was shocked to see so many people running around and much noise.
“I seriously thought something was wrong. But very quickly realised that it was a controlled chaos. There was a style and methodology that was working for them. I quickly became acclimatised to it and started to kind of appreciate it because there was this ‘anything is possible’ feeling all around. In the West, things are more structured, but it can breed a bit of apathy and boredom,” he shared.
While Caltagirone’s acting style is naturalistic, he admitted it took him a while to hit the mark and level the director wanted him to, who told him that his Western approach towards acting does not belong to the world of this film.
He said, “It is a very heightened world and in this universe, it would not look like overacting.”
In two to three weeks, when the actor saw himself on the monitor and realised that Pa Ranjith was right.
“Of course, I do not know how my Western colleagues will react. I think they are going to be like, what is going on?” he smiled.
Admitting that it was one of the most difficult films he had done but an experience of a lifetime, Caltagirone, who was honoured with the Nations Award in Venice for Outstanding Contribution to Film (2021) and has worked across genres, confessed, “While drama offers multiple chances to prove your acting prowess and range, it is a comedy that I prefer most.”
The actor, who attended the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama (England) and spent a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company, stressed that his training in theatre has been instrumental in shaping him as an actor.
“Some of the finest screen actors boast of a theatre background,” he concluded.
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