Yesteryear actor Vinod Mehra’s son, Rohan Mehra, made his digital debut with ZEE5’s 420 IPC. Directed by Manish Gupta, the film also stars Gul Panag, Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey. The legal drama gives ringside view of what goes on inside an Indian courtroom.
Rohan spoke about his character Birbal Chaudhary, who fights on behalf of his client, played by Vinay Pathak. He said, “I think I can describe him as a young maverick. He is not only a lawyer who will go by the books, as he has a detective-like approach while investigating the case. He will go on the spot of the crime or use unconventional ways. He also seems very inspired by international lawyers, or people like Sherlock, to solve his cases.”
While theatres have mostly reopened across the country, the film is getting a direct-to-digital release. However, the actor said that this seems like the logical decision in the current circumstances. “For most filmmakers, and even actors, what’s most important is that more and more people can watch and consume the film. Coming to theatres, apart from scripts and actors, there is also a lot of other factors that affect the footfall. The film may not be bad but people may just miss it. However, when it’s on a platform like ZEE5 with such a wide reach and huge subscribers, it’s very encouraging. Just to know that it gives the film an opportunity to be watched by so many people is just amazing.”
Talking about his father, the late Vinod Mehra, the young actor said that while he is blessed to have him as his dad, he also feels fortunate that people don’t refer to him as just ‘his son’. Talking about creating his own identity in the industry, Rohan said, “Honestly, I am really proud to be my father’s son. From what I have heard from others, he really was a great man. He really worked hard, and probably did not get the credit he deserved. He was an incredibly hardworking man, and I have heard so much about him. Also, in this industry, I feel thankful that I never got to bear the burden of the tag. There was no one pointing fingers at me that you are Vinod Mehra’s son. I think I did manage to create my own mark but the audience and filmmakers will be able to talk better on this. However, I also hope that I never stray away too far from his shadow as I am really proud of it.
