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First Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Christian Cooke on playing chess legend Garry Kasparov in ‘Rematch': ‘He was a very aggressive player…'
In an interview with Firstpost's Lachmi Deb Roy, for 'Not Just Bollywood', English actor Christian Cooke shares how he prepared to play Garry Kasparov in 'Rematch'. He talks about the process that went behind approaching the part and how he tried hard not to mimic him. read more In 1997, the world watched as chess legend Garry Kasparov took on IBM's Deep Blue in a battle that blurred the line between man and machine. Christian Cooke captures Kasparov's brilliance and inner turmoil, while Sarah Bolger brings heart to the emotional storm behind the scenes. This was more than just a match; it was a test of pride, intelligence, and what it means to be human. As pressure mounts and trust falters, the game turns into something far bigger. Rematch dives deep into a defining moment where logic met legacy, and the clock never stopped ticking. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost, Christian Cooke talks about Rematch now showing on Lionsgate Play and how it was a challenge to him playing a real person. Edited excerpts from the interview: How much pressure was there to play the role; since you are playing a real person? I guess there's always pressure when it's you're playing a real person, a real historical figure. And it's an event, a lot of people know about, though it happened 30 years ago. If it was an event that happened five or ten-years ago, then it would be fresh in people's minds. I don't really look a lot like Garry, so I think that helps because obviously a lot of the audience maybe don't know what exactly Garry Kasparov looks like, so they can sort of get lost in the character a bit more. I didn't really want to imitate him, his voice or, you know, like, try and mimic him. I just wanted to sort of capture the essence of who he was as a person, the spirit of Garry Kasparov, which was someone who's very focused, single-minded and driven. If I did any sort of mimicry, it was how he was at the chessboard. When he was at the chessboard, it was his sort of posture, the way he moved the pieces, the way he leaned over the board. People used to say that he was a very aggressive player which I didn't know much about. Well, I find it quite odd that someone could be an aggressive chess player. Because it's you we see it as such a civilized game where people are just using their hands to move pieces. But I think it would I think, obviously, it's his style of play, how sort of, the speed at which he advances. There's always pressure, but I think we need that to thrive sometimes. For me that pressure is very important to do a good job. Christian Cooke on playing chess legend Garry Kasparov in 'Rematch': 'He was a very aggressive player…' How pro did you get with the game? To be honest, I'm probably not much better at all than when I started, I think, because a lot of what I was doing is playing. I was actually learning the actual chess moves that he played as opposed to sort of, like, learning to become a better chess player myself. It was more like we know, the chess games in the show are exact games and moves that were played in real life. It was another learning exercise, really. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD You would sort of have to learn your dialogue and whatever, but then also learn these moves. And the way that Yan shot the chess games, he would do these long continuous takes where he would want to shoot sort of 30 moves at a time. So, we would be meeting up in each other's hotel rooms on an evening to practice the chess games, just so that we really remembered where the pieces went. I am not sure my chess actually improved that much at all, really. Since he's a Russian, just wanting to know from you, he has an accent which is very Russian, so his English was very different right. How did you learn that accent and his mannerisms? He spoke with a Russian accent. Garry studied English at university. He travelled a lot. He spent a lot of time in America. I think he's lived in New York now and since the eighties, I believe. He is now anglicised or Americanised. So, the Russian accent was tough. I worked with a dialect coach. I just wanted to sort of have a convincing Russian accent, but one that wasn't sort of insanely strong. Because I think that can be quite distracting. And as I mentioned, I didn't want it to sound like I am mimicking him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD I think anytime you're doing a strong accent, but you're still using the English language, it's like if you were doing well, if you were speaking with an Indian accent or if you were speaking with a French accent, they're very strong accents in the English language. And I think that sometimes that can be, you know, when the audience might know that the actor is not from that place, that can be sometimes quite distracting. So, I wanted it to flow and be sort of believable, but not be too pronounced. I think that was true to Garry as well because Gary was so sort of Americanised, he didn't he, you know, he didn't sound like a Bond villain. A still from 'Rematch' How difficult was it to get inside the mind of this chess grandmaster? I think one of the things was he was quite like an athlete, I think. He approached the match like an athlete. I'm into boxing, and I watch a lot of boxing, and I used to train in boxing. I think when you have these disciplines and these sports like boxing, tennis, chess, there's a huge psychological element to it. It's not a skill playing the game, but also getting into the mind of the opponent and the mentality when you're on the back foot being able to bring yourself back and stay in the present. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
EXCLUSIVE! 'Metro In Dino' actor Konkona Sen Sharma on work-life balance: ‘There is a certain motherhood penalty & fatherhood premium, not just in Bollywood…'
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost's Lachmi Deb Roy for 'Not Just Bollywood', actor Konkona Sen Sharma talks about working with Pankaj Tripathii in Anurag Basu's directorial 'Metro In Dino', work-life balance and more. read more Konkona Sen Sharma and Pankaj Tripathi play a middle-aged couple in Anurag Basu's directorial 'Metro In Dino'. She says that the film shows how after 10-12 years of marriage, when you have your kids, you have your EMIs, you have your school fees, your jobs and all that, then somewhere the tragedy of domesticity kind of surrounds you. Talking about work-life balance, Konkina says that in today's day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in all industries, not just the entertainment industry. 'It's called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Edited excerpts from the interview: How was this whole experience working with Pankaj Tripathi? A little bit of preparation is required for all roles. But I think it must have been very effortless working with Anurag Basu? I think working with Anurag is effortless only. And I would say that most of his actors would probably feel like this, at least on this film. Anurag has a very easy-going kind of a quality. He's a lovely human being. His sets are often quite stress-free and it's easy to work with him. His energy and vibe is so easy and relaxed that I think that the whole set is like that. So that's actually lovely because I really feel that that's a great way to bring out the best in everyone. A still from 'Metro In Dino' So, how different is the environment? Film sets are often stressful, chaotic and crowded. So, it's lovely to have that kind of an environment which is stress free and Anurag Basu offers you that. I've played many different kinds of parts and some of them are easier than others. Because it depends a little bit on how removed the character is from your daily life. In the sense that your character that you're playing is very different from you economically, socially, culturally speaking. Then you have to do a certain amount of prep and rigor does go into it. But if you're playing somebody who's closer to you in that sense, then maybe not as much. But do you relate to the character that you're playing? What is it like? I do relate to it. I actually find it a very interesting genre. The movie shows the relationship between Pankaj Tripathi and I. Is it a middle-aged relationship? Yes, it is. And why I find it interesting is because very often when we could see ourselves in the characters that we played. Anurag seems to be exploring the theme of love through four different relationships at four different stages of life. So most of the time what happens is that we, in our films, once the protagonists kind of meet and realise that they love each other and they come together, the film is over. You know, we don't really explore further. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So what I like in this very much is that this is a couple who, I mean, we have a good marriage, everything is fine. But I think let's say after 10-12 years of marriage, when you have your kids, you have your EMIs, you have your school fees, your jobs and all that, then I think there's a domesticity that surrounds you. I think this is a challenge that many couples face. Especially so many of us are in long-term relationships or are in long-term marriages, you know. And then after 10, 12 years, that initial spark and that romance or whatever, that spark is gone. Or at least it changes. So that is something that many I think couples grapple with, that issue. And I feel like Anurag has really handled that sensitively with a lot of humour. This I think many couples will relate to. A still from 'Metro In Dino' What do you have to say about work-life balance in the entertainment industry or any industry for that matter? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD I genuinely want to say that in today's day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in any industry which happens. It's called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty. Because what happens is that fathers, as they have children and they become more and more senior, they earn more and more. But for women with every child, there is a financial setback because you're not able to kind of participate in the way society expects you to or for that matter what the office work demands. Now what's going to happen ultimately is that women are not incentivised to have children at all because it's becoming more and more difficult. You know, to participate in the work life, and to be a good mother at the same time is becoming more and more difficult. So, I feel that this is something that eventually the governments will have to kind of change policies for working mothers. Otherwise it's not going to happen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On working with Pankaj Tripathi… Pankaj himself is such a good actor that he really gets the fine nuances of the character and relationships. Plus, he's married to Bengali himself. So, I feel like he really has an insight into this kind of a character, this kind of a relationship the role asked for. What do you think to be one of the biggest hindrances of couples who are in this age that you're playing when it comes to love with so many responsibilities on your plate? And what does love mean to you? I think many people confuse stability and peace for being boring. Many people are addicted to the drama. So initially when you have a certain kind of a stable connection, then it seems boring sometimes. That's one thing. And the second thing is really this, what you're saying is right, that when you have so many responsibilities and duties, sometimes you have aging parents or you have children, you have pets, you have houses to run, you have jobs to look after. It's very, very taxing. It's very challenging actually. So, then you're not really focused on love and romance as much. It's just kind of a partnership which has its own strengths. But it may be seen as boring to many. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But how do you tackle this in a relationship? Does the film have any answer? I think it's just kind of a slice of life showing what happens to a couple who are in this stage of life. I think there isn't any solution. I mean, couples will have to find their own solution. This I think is more to kind of a film that shows that you're not alone, that many couples face this problem and it's a common thing. And it's just something to relate to. What are your expectations from this particular movie? Because it's releasing theatrically considering that Bollywood movies are not doing too well. I feel like my expectations were just to have a great time shooting with Anurag. That was my main expectation. Now, how the film will do at the box-office is not in our control now. What do audiences like, not like, how would you do? I mean, all this, we don't really have control over. So, my own wishes were fulfilled. I wanted to work with Dada (Anurag Basu) again. I got a lovely opportunity with this. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What's next? My mother's done The Rapist. We're hoping that we will be a little bit about is a very interesting and very relevant film actually. It has won many awards, especially the top award at the Busan Film Festival a couple of years back. I think it's the fifth or sixth collaboration with my mother. So, we're hoping that it will be released later this year. And besides that, there is a film with Fatima which is a kind of a relationship drama. And there's also a web series, a TV show called The Killing for Hotstar. And there's also Lust Stories 2, which I have done with Vikramaditya Motwane. So, let's see, these will hopefully come out now this year or next year.
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First Post
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
EXCLUSIVE! Rana Daggubati on Netflix's Rana Naidu Season 2: ‘This time the story is more personal and the stakes…'
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost's Lachmi Deb Roy for Not Just Bollywood, Rana Daggubati talks about Netflix's Rana Naidu Season 2, coming back after two years and more. read more EXCLUSIVE! Rana Daggubati on Netflix's Rana Naidu Season 2: 'This time the story is more personal and the stakes…' | Not Just Bollywood Rana Daggubati made his OTT debut with Netflix's Rana Naidu Season 1. In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost, he talks about how the show has evolved, working with the team and more. Edited excerpts from the interview: How does it feel to come back after a gap of over two years? It's a character that got so much love, so much appreciation and it had such a large audience. Being able to live that one more time is fun. This time the story is more personal and the stakes are higher. It is much more fun and it is exciting to get back. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rana you made your OTT debut with Netflix 's Rana Naidu Season 1 two years back… was it a conscious decision? When I did it for the first time, I didn't know enough of it to miss it. Rana Naidu was a pandemic idea. We also run cinemas and all of them were shut and I have a FOMO problem. So, I was like 'How do I be a part of a show?' The Bombay film industry has done a lot more shows. The south is prevalent also. In the south we had no reference to it. A bunch of directors came together and tried to write a series. None of us knew how to do this. Sundar was the first to connect for the license of an International show. From there the group got together. Karan Anshumann got on board and I got excited. What do you have to say about your journey with Rana Naidu? The show is about a family, but it is the most dysfunctional family there could be. It played out in the long format in very beautiful ways. These are the people you want to keep knowing. This is something you can never recreate in a movie. In this landscape, it's almost like a life journey. And that was the reason why it was so exciting for me to do it. I'm really happy that season one did really well and we continue the journey. On the look of the show and the characters It starts with the writing because the brief is so clear. Karan is extremely detailed in that way. He has been so specific about every minute thing including the brand of the watch of the character was also mentioned in the script. WATCH the trailer of Netflix's Rana Naidu Season 2 here:
