The play addresses domestic violence and the need for control that men have: Gurpreet Saini

Well-known actor, lyricist, and poet Gurpreet Saini is known for his soulful posts on Instagram and took his fans by surprise when he essayed a grey role in Zee Theatre's teleplay 'Trial of Satyam Kaushik' with simmering angst. Saini plays an ambitious immigrant in America about to secure funding for his start-up when he is accused of domestic abuse and threatened with deportation.  
 
Mentioning the core themes of the teleplay, Saini says, "The teleplay of course addresses domestic violence and the need for control that men have. There is also an element of racism somewhere, but not in the sense that Satyam is a victim of racism."
 
Discussing his role, Saini concedes that it was challenging for him to portray physical aggression and says, "Yes, Satyam Kaushik was a new character for me to play. For one, he is a typical Alpha Male, who despite his education and his dependence on his wife in a new country, turns into a different person at home. He has issues controlling his anger and wants to dominate his wife even though he needs her for sponsoring his stay in the US. This complexity was difficult for me to play also because I cannot relate to dominating people. "
 
He credits the director Sajit Warrier and his co-star Rumana Molla for helping him to get the character's tonality right through workshops and rehearsals. He shares, "I have never raised my hand on anyone or relied on verbal aggression. I am a poet and a lyricist, so my anger comes out in songs. I do not shout at people and so this experience was very new for me. Rumana was very helpful through moments when I had to push her, pin her down on the floor, and throw things at her."
 
Rituraj Singh, his co-star in the teleplay passed away earlier this year and Saini grows emotional while recalling the time they spent together. He recounts, "Rituraj sir was a brilliant person, actor, and an amazing human being. I knew him even before I met him on the sets of this teleplay. He was my neighbour and we would often take a walk together. He would give me his blessings and tell me to keep working hard, stay physically fit, and work on my craft.  It was so sad when he left all of us suddenly."  
 
Since then he has featured in TV shows like '24' with Anil  Kapoor and in films including 'Rocky Handsome', 'Ginny Weds Sunny' and 'Tumse Na Ho Payega.' Looking back at this journey, Saini says, "It has been a blessing to be able to play different characters like Satyam Kaushik and inhabit someone else's skin as it allows me to learn something new about life, people and relationships everyday."
 
His passion for theatre also remains alive and he says, "It is wonderful that teleplays are now taking theatre to places where plays are not easily accessible. The thrill of performing live drew me to theatre and Zee Theatre's 'Trial of Satyam Kaushik' has put me back in touch with the person within who used to love being on stage. I am now once again feeling a deep desire to get back on stage."
 
Directed by Sajit Warrier, 'Trial of Satyam Kaushik' stars Rumana Molla, late Rituraj Singh, Auroshikha  Dey, Ajay Trehan, Mona Matthew, Alex O’Nell and Zachary Coffin. The teleplay is available on Dish TV Rangmanch Active, D2H Rangmanch Active and Airtel Spotlight.