Gurfateh Singh Pirzada is the new hottie in tinsel town and one cannot deny that. After catapulting to fame with Netflix's Guilty, he did a special role in Brahmastra. Now, he is once again making headlines for giving an outstanding performance in Netflix's recently released series titled Class. He played the role of Neeraj, a lower-class guy whose life was full of obstacles and hardships. It was one of the lead roles.

In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon.com, Gurfateh spoke about receiving rave reviews for Class, relating to Neeraj's character, getting the mannerisms right and pulling it off effortlessly. The actor further opened up about whether screen time matters to him after doing multiple projects. Gurfateh also shared an update on Bedhadak co-starring Shanaya Kapoor and Lakshya. 

Excerpts from the interview: 

Class is getting rave reviews. Did you expect such a phenomenal response to it?

Absolutely. I came on board because I was excited to essay the role. I was aware that Ashim Ahluwalia wouldn’t filter the narrative and that it would be a risky show. I knew it would be received well.

When you got to know about Neeraj’s character, was it an instant yes?

For me, it was an instant yes but not from the team. I had to audition for almost 6-8 months for this. I had to convince the director to give me a chance. 

Can we call Neeraj a person who is wronged by society?

He is misunderstood. When there’s nothing right happening with you in life, you can start revolting against it. At the end of the day, it was Neeraj who lost everything. I cannot put him in a box by calling him right or wrong. I wanted the audience to go through his journey and root for him. I hope Neeraj comes back in the second season.  

It can get difficult for any actor to personally relate to Neeraj. How did you go about it?

It is not difficult to pull off the grey part because we all have shades of grey. The toughest was to get the body language and dialect correct. I had to focus a lot on my dialect and getting the accent right. While doing so, I had no idea whether I was doing the right thing or not. But now I am proud of it. So yes, such things were hard to relate to as his background is different from mine. 

Class is a dark show. Do you believe grey sells better than pure white or black?

Absolutely. However, the Indian audience prefers watching white content for entertainment to get rid of stress and other problems. But I personally relate more to grey stuff. It excites me as there’s a lot to do. The next project I am doing is commercial and light-hearted, so I am looking forward to it. That's something I never explored. 

Which was your first scene on the first day of the shoot?

The first scene on the first day of the shoot was when Neeraj gave his father a bath after getting beaten up. That was when the show was almost reaching its end and the atmosphere was intense. I had no idea what happened before that scene and how Neeraj’s character reached that stage.

Is Gurfateh similar or different from Neeraj?

I am very different from Neeraj. I am not as vocal as he is and don’t have that lingo. I haven’t lived in the areas Neeraj did to experience the lifestyle. I am not a fighter or aggressive person. It was an interesting process to understand he and the people around him function.

Class deals with the harsh realities of the Indian class system. What’s your take on it?

It has its own repercussions and it will take a long time for change to happen. Though it isn’t rigid now, it does exist in a subtle way. I believe we all are human beings and it doesn’t matter what religion or caste you belong to.

Do screen time and character weightage matter to you?

Screen time doesn’t matter but the weightage of the character does. The character has to be important and there has to be a conflict. I don’t want to work just for the sake of doing something. I would rather do a small film where the character has a lot to say over a big film where there's nothing to communicate. I am yet to establish myself. I am still trying to put myself out there so work comes to me. It is not that scripts are coming home and I am just choosing. I am going out there and looking for work. Maybe that’s when I will be an established actor. There’s still a long way to go.

What's the update on Bedhadak with Shanaya Kapoor & Lakshya?

Bedhadak is pushed for now. I am doing something with Dharma Productions now which will be announced soon. You'll get to know about it when we start. Speaking of Bedhadak, that will take a little bit of time but everything happens for a reason.