A male lead is always accountable for the numbers: Gaurav Paswala

Written By: Harsh KashivAfter an industrious 2025, Gaurav Paswala returned to the silver screen with Paatki in January. The Deda and Sanghavi and Sons actor says, “In D-Town, there’s no star system and films rarely get a grand opening. But as a male lead, you’ll always be held accountable for a film’s commercial success.”‘You have to live with box office pressure’Asked about whether dealing with expectations for success at the box office burdens him, Gaurav says, “I started my journey with lead roles and I’m still getting those parts. Of course, there’s pressure whenever a film releases. For whatever reason, if a film doesn’t earn good money, I’ve heard people saying, ‘Yeh bahut achha actor hai, lekin iss ko opening (box office) nahi milti hai.’ It happened when my film Prem Prakaran (2022) was pulled back one day after its release due to its clash with The Kashmir Files. You can’t escape it and you have to live with it. With great power comes great responsibility. You always hope the film works but when it doesn’t, you feel despair. Eventually, you have to move on because that’s the only option.”‘Playing a hero can't be taught in acting schools’Talking about what he had to unlearn to play ‘a Gujarati film hero’ and how film acting differs from what is taught in acting schools, he shares, “In the West, acting is script-based and here (in D-Town), it’s more about emotions and feelings. An acting school can teach you to express yourself emotionally and technicalities about script and screenplay. But in films, you have to play a character role sometimes and on other occasions, play a hero. This ‘heroism’ is not taught anywhere; you need to develop it on your own. There are a lot of aspects that only come with experience, like improvisation, reacting to your co-actors, blocking a scene, and working on tight deadlines. Aspiring actors should travel more, interact with different communities, and learn by observing and experiencing life firsthand.”‘I’ve never shied away from taking risks’Talking about how he selects films, he says, “I prioritise three things: the story, my trust in the makers, and the strength of my role. If I have doubts about even one of these, I don’t say yes. If you look at my career, more than half of my films have been with debutant directors. I believed in their vision. Going forward, I would like to collaborate with Vaishal Shah and Krishnadev Yagnik.”Talking about his willingness to take risks and explore unconventional choices, he adds, “I’ve always believed in experimenting; I’m a risk-taker in that sense. My debut film, Je Pan Kahish E Sachuj Kahish (2016), was a thriller at a time when comedies dominated the industry. I also did a single-shot film in 2019. I’m open to playing an antagonist as well. At present, I’m working with a few debutant directors, and I hope to do a comedy next.”Gaurav is looking forward to a calmer 2026 with projects spread throughout the year. “At the moment, I’m trying but failing to get a work-life balance. I’d like to spend more time with my partner and my parents. I give all credit to them for bearing with me,” he shares.