Shreyas Talpade, known for his versatile performances, is all set to portray a pivotal role in Kangana Ranaut’s upcoming film Emergency, where he will play the legendary Indian leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In a recent conversation, Talpade opened up about his experience working on the film and shared how Kangana’s direction helped him step into such a significant role with ease. He also reflected on his memorable experience dubbing for Pushpa, revealing his excitement and the immense love he received for his work.
Talking about his role in Emergency, Shreyas Talpade acknowledged the responsibility of playing a leader as respected and beloved as Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Atal Ji is such a leader who is respected, loved, and admired by all political parties in India. He has respect all over the world. Many people know several aspects of his personality," Talpade said. "Playing him on screen was a big responsibility, but I think what made my job a little easier was my director, Kangana Ranaut."
He continued by praising Kangana's approach to the film and how her clarity of vision helped him understand and portray the role with precision. "Kangana is phenomenal – as an actress, we’ve already seen her incredible work. But as a producer, director, and lead actor in Emergency, she is just exceptional," Talpade shared. "She was very clear about what she wanted, how she wanted it, and how it needed to be portrayed. She would come to me, speak in a calm voice, and explain things so well. Her clarity of vision made my job easier. The fear I had of playing such a big figure was reduced because of her guidance."
The actor acknowledged how Kangana’s vision was essential in creating a compelling performance, adding, "It was her vision that helped me. She would patiently explain things to me, and the clarity she provided allowed me to give my best performance."
Apart from his role in Emergency, Talpade also reminisced about his experience dubbing for the Hindi version of the massive hit Pushpa. He recalled how he had never imagined that dubbing for a film would have such an impact. "I never even dreamed that I would get the chance to dub for a film like Pushpa," Talpade revealed. "And when I heard about it, I thought, ‘Let’s see what happens.’ I was shooting in Raipur at the time, and I was told that a film called Pushpa was coming out, and I would be dubbing Allu Arjun’s voice in Hindi. So, I watched the film, and I was blown away!"
Talpade went on to describe his excitement after watching Pushpa, particularly how he was drawn to the conviction and style of Allu Arjun’s performance. "What I loved about Allu Arjun's performance was the conviction with which he played his role. I thought, ‘This will be fun to dub.’ But I was busy with my own work, so I decided to do the dubbing early in the morning," Talpade said. "My wife was against it. She said, 'You’re not resting, take a break!' But I had that urge to do it."
In a span of 8-9 days, Talpade completed the dubbing for Pushpa, and his voice resonated with audiences in a way he never expected. "When the film released, it was a completely different story. The amount of love I received for my work was overwhelming," he said, expressing his gratitude to the Pushpa team. "Thanks to the entire team of Pushpa for giving me this opportunity. I’m really thankful."