Beyond the spotlight: Getting to know the real Gurfateh Singh Pirzada

If I told you that a random conversation Gurfateh Singh Pirzada had with Ananya Panday at Soho House Mumbai, as well as a meeting with director Colin D’Cunha, helped him bag the role of the very charming Neel Nair on Call Me Bae (2024), you will take no time in calling it a strange happenstance. I did too, after I read Pirzada’s Instagram post about the same. In fact, the actor also pointed that out in said post: “Talk about the right place at the right time”. But a late-night, long chat with Pirzada—due to the time difference given the 27-year-old was taking a well-deserved break in the European city of Zürich, while I should have been readying myself for my daily dose of doom scrolling in Delhi—had me thinking it is not just kismet after all. There is so much more that’s propelled him to success—his mettle, determination, and the courage to never give up...even when that might have seemed like the easiest option there was.

Pirzada’s perseverance is made clearer when he tells me that he can relate to Charles Bukowski’s Bluebird—lines of which are inked under his chest. It is testament to how he has guised his innate nature so as to blend in in an industry that thrives on influence, power, and the idolatry of actors and their craft: “Despite being tall as an 18-year-old, I was extremely timid and wasn’t noticeable in any room because of my persona. My closest friends would wonder: ‘How will he make it in this world?’ That is when I realised the need to create an alter ego. Now, I have this ‘hidden self’ in me...sort of like that ‘bluebird’, which wants to fly out at times.

However, I will never allow it to as, I feel my alter ego has now taken over. It is a way of protecting myself.” Background noises that ranged from the occasional meowing of my kittens here to the honking of cars in Zürich aside, Pirzada and I spent the next 45 minutes chatting about things both Team Cosmo and I were curious to learn about him. For instance, his dream of becoming a cricketer, one that he pursued for a while. “Now, I want to star in a cricket biopic as the sport is a piece of my heart. I am a huge Yuvraj Singh fan; I wish I could play him...but he is left-handed, so maybe not. Virat (Kohli), maybe (laughs). I don’t know who (I’ll play on screen), but I am sure a cricket film will happen in my life.

And there’s more. Excerpts from an interview where Pirzada bares it all—sort of like he did in ‘The Cosmo Centrefold’. 

Cosmo India: You’ve become THE heartthrob after Call Me Bae. Are you enjoying the attention? 

Gurfateh Singh Pirzada: I don’t think it is the heartthrob this time, it is a green flag apparently (laughs). For the longest time, people would reach out to me after watching my work, and be like, your character was so bad, but, we still loved you. So, it is refreshing to hear out-and-out good things about Neel’s character. I hope this translates into something bigger. We recently announced that Season 2 is in development, and I hope the story goes further along for Bae [Ananya Panday] and Neel...and I get a bigger reel track in the next season (laughs).

C: How challenging is it for a shy person like you to portray a character like Vijay Pratap Singh, a rape accused in Guilty (2020)? 

GSP: That’s acting, right! You always take out from (others’) experiences. I remember, when I narrated the story of Guilty to the closest of my friends, the room was divided—half of them said my character raped her, and the other half said no. That is when I realised that consent is so important. Moreover, in India, because of the lack of sex education, most people do not understand boundaries, which acted as a catalyst for me to understand and play that character in the way that I did. The interesting bit is that as long as I keep doing things that are further away from my experiences, there are people who have lived those experiences. So, I am constantly looking out for interesting characters around me, which can add to my work in front of the camera.

C: Have you ever been discouraged from playing such roles? Also, do you have a sounding board in the industry? 

GSP: I pick up the call on Karan (Johar) sir, and there are other people I look up to, who guide me in making the right decision. But not Guilty...the script had something to say, and, in that moment, it felt like the right move to make. I was new in the industry; I did not come from a film background...So, that role, which most people would say no to, is exactly why it came to me. I would have been an idiot to say no to Guilty. Of course, I did say no to similar characters after; because the industry is quick to typecast you. In the future, I will say no to repetitive work, but not to something that is out of the ordinary...something that scares me a little, but also excites me.

C: It must have been tough to have Bedhadak (with Shanaya Kapoor and Lakshya) shelved early in your career (2022). How did you cope? 

GSP: No one wants a failed film, let alone a shelved one. So, of course, it affected me. In fact, Bedhadak wasn’t the only one...There were a few others before and after. At that point, it felt like a domino effect, and that is when you start beating yourself down. But, once realisations set in that firstly, no one gets out to make a film that never sees the light of day; secondly, sometimes circumstances get the better of the situation; and thirdly, post COVID, this was happening to the biggest of actors...I picked myself up and told myself that ‘it is over; there will be better opportunities’. Cleansing my energies out of the failures took me a little while—I was down and out for a good year-and-a-half. It’s unfortunate that it happened, but I am glad it is over. There was Class (2023), then Call Me Bae...there are other things happening, so all good things now. 

C: Tell me about the switch from modelling to acting. 

GSP: I met fashion stylist and choreographer Prasad Bidappa when I came to audition for Mr India in Mumbai. I was 18 and naive—I knew nothing about this big city, the profession, the people. For instance, when I came to Mumbai, I realised a lot of things. When your body is in fight or flight mode, you learn how to protect yourself. Also, emotionally, I learnt a lot because of rejections. I was never a film geek or obsessed with the movies. Until I got into film school, it was all about survival—I did not really go to college, I could not do a job, so acting was something I could try, and I was good at it too. But after [film school], I decided ‘I’m going to be better than anyone else; I am going to know everything under the sun related to movies’. I made a conscious effort, and started pushing myself to watch World cinema, reading about movies and acting. It was a process. Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with the craft, and I realised I want to be in this for the bigger picture.

C: Navigating life in Mumbai must have been tough, right? 

GSP: Of course, it’s difficult. I had my family—my mom and sister—as well...so the collective effort made it easier. If I was having a bad day, we made up for each other along the way. If someone would ask me to go back [in time] and make the decision of moving to Mumbai, I would probably not do it because as you get older, you also start getting a lot more scared about the things that come along the way. But, back then, I jumped right into it—I don’t think there was even a realisation of how big this move would be, what it would entail, how long it would take. We just thought of taking it one day at a time. I think even now, there is one odd day in a month when I fear ‘what if this doesn’t work out?’ But, then, on the other 29 days, I think to myself, ‘let me just do this one thing, and then I’ll think about the next step’. 

C: So a ‘fake it till you make it’ situation, is it? 

GSP: Isn’t that better (laughs)? Look at the reality around us; it is better to be in your own little fairyland. 

C: You’ve talked about doing odd jobs in Canada while studying. It is refreshing to see a zillennial sharing his struggles instead of adhering to a PR-driven image. Can you elaborate on that? 

GSP: The Canada bit is not a sob story; it happened years ago and I have made my peace with it. In fact, it is now more like self-deprecating humour...I joke about it saying, ‘Remember that one time I worked at a butcher’s shop’ (laughs). But, I think, it was important. If that did not happen, I wouldn’t ever be close enough to face these rejections...because who prepares you for that, right? I went to one of the best schools in India. Cut to being in a basement, trying to figure life out, and make rent for the month. I think that was an important experience for me and the family to realise how fickle everything is, especially with what I do now—one Friday can make you the biggest star, and then, in the next week, you could be ripped apart and not even know why. I would never trade my past experiences for anything else... it doesn’t haunt me anymore; it uplifts me, and I am proud of it. 

C: How much do you connect with your character in Call Me Bae? 

GSP: This role was a cakewalk for me. In fact, the amount of love I am getting for it, I really didn’t work that hard (laughs). With the other roles I have essayed, I was a mental wreck and I’d be so worked up. But, this was a character I could relate to. Neel was real to me, which is why he was real to the audience. I was empathetic because, for the longest time in my life, I had a bit of an existential crisis too. I did not relate to the kind of family I came from, the things that they liked, etc. Now, I feel I embrace the differences a lot better. 

C: Give me an idea of what the 27-year-old Gurfateh is like. 

GSP: I don’t know (laughs). You’ll find me chilling with my dogs, not giving a care in the world about anything. Or partying at 4am, when all the neighbours have slept. In those moments, I am my most alive self. But, the real Gurfateh is not that confident...he’ll hold back a little. The real Gurfateh will be unsure, doubtful, and on the down-low. 

C: You are often compared to Vicky Kaushal...Does it bother or flatter you? 

GSP: I am a huge fan of Vicky; he’s a great actor and a nice person. Of course, I would like my own identity, but it doesn’t bother me. It is a thing, right? We always look for similarities between people or even experiences. Here it is Vicky...in Pakistan, I am compared to the brilliant actor Ahad Raza Mir (laughs). Honestly, it is sweet; nothing to get worked up about. 

C: Who would your dream director and co-stars be? 

GSP: Margot Robbie, Ranbir Kapoor, and me, in a love triangle directed by Martin Scorsese (laughs). 

C: Do you have a fitness routine?

GSP: I don’t stress over it—working out makes me feel better mentally. If I don’t work out or go for a run, I feel like something is amiss. However, I am not the most healthy eater...that is the Punjabi in me, and also a by-product of staying with my mother. 

C: And a skincare routine... 

GSP: I am a sucker for and love experimenting with skincare products. ‘How come you didn’t visit your dermatologist this week?’ is a running joke among friends and colleagues because I love doing that. I get a hydrafacial every 10 days or so because I love it. 

C: Tell me about what you look for in a partner. 

GSP: Honestly, I have stopped looking (laughs). Ananya [Panday] jokes about how I will die single; she thinks I can’t commit. I have had just one real relationship, which lasted a couple of years, on and off. Now, I have been single for a while. Once you have one [sorted] relationship, you realise that it only makes sense to have something better than that. Nowadays, everything is so flimsy; it is difficult to meet a decent person. Also, am I even a decent person anymore? I don’t know (laughs). The list is simple—I look for trust, for starters. It has to be someone who is okay with me being this person and in this profession, because it is not easy. Also, I love travelling, so I want to be with someone who is open to new experiences in life. 

C: We spoke about you being a green flag in Call Me Bae. What are the red (or beige flags) you avoid? 

GSP: I hate the word red flag. Beige flags!? (laughs) I feel these are the reasons why no one is happy—we are so quick to judge people, put them in boxes, when we look for red (or beige) flags. For me, the nos [in a relationship] are checking someone’s phone because you are insecure or don’t trust your partner. Also, being unkind to people, especially your subordinates—but that is a problem with men more than women. Women are usually kinder. 

C: What is the one thing that is inspiring you right now? 

GSP: I am in the process of making my house, which I will move into hopefully by the end of this year. I have never had a three- or five-year plan, but now I do...I am working towards that as well. 

C: What about upcoming projects?

GSP: There’s Class 2, Call Me Bae 2. I am also thrilled about this Punjabi gangster film, which is on the back burner right now but we are working on it—even if it would be my last project or the only film I work in, I will be the happiest actor in the world. Then there’s another period show that I will be starting soon. So, it is hopefully going to be a very busy year.

Stylist: Selman Fazil; photographer: Sasha Jairam; cover design: Mandeep Singh; editorial coordinator: Shalini Kanojia; make-up artist: Eshwar Log; hair stylist: Sandeep Chaupal; assistant stylist: Yaikhom Sushiel; assistant make-up artist: Iksha Iyer.

Gurfateh is wearing:

White t-shirt: T-shirt, jeans, and trunks, Calvin Klein; earring, Talent’s own.
Blue shirt, blue pants: Shirt, joggers, and briefs, Calvin Klein; earring and bracelet, Talent’s own.
Jeans, briefs: Jeans and briefs, Calvin Klein; earring, Talent’s own.
Green joggers, black t-shirt: T-shirt and swimming trunks, Calvin Klein; earring, Talent’s own.