Bollywood Hungama

EXCLUSIVE: Sumit Gahlawat is amazed to see memes on his and Manoj Bajpayees characters from Gajab Raat: I am experiencing this 1st time; also shares release plans of his show with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Dia Mirza

Netflixs Gajab Raat is generating positive reactions on social media. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee as the Delhi Police cop Ajay Nirvit along with Sumit Gahlawat as his colleague Tomar. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Sumit said that he is happy with the reactions the film has generated and this also includes memes being made on his and Bajpayees scenes. I am very overwhelmed by the amazing reactions, he said. Its been one week since the release and (I am) still getting countless messages on social media. Specially, when people noticed small gestures where I am not even speaking any dialogues. That means a lot to me. On social media, there are many memes I saw where me and Manoj sirs scenes were involved. That is something I am experiencing for the first time. For Sumit, one reaction stayed special. Best message I got was when someone said, For Tomar, his senior Nirvit is his world. Tomar doesnt want to know what is right or wrong. He only knows that his senior is always right. So, people saw this level of chemistry between us. As far as preparations are concerned, Sumit relied more on what his co-actor did. I had to rely on the most basic and necessary thing listen to your co-actor very actively, especially for this role. Manoj sir improvised a lot, so for that you have to react genuinely on what he is saying in the moment. He added, Also, I dont think of this role as only a cop. For me, I had to think how Tomar is as a human, what is his thought process as an individual, etc. The cop part comes on at a very later stage, and in that also I just had to make a backstory of how Tomar and his senior Nirvits relationship is. That is the centre point for me because that chemistry between these two must be very authentic. It was a dream-come-true for Sumit to share screen with someone as veteran as Bajpayee. But there was also some nervousness. I am a huge admirer of Manoj sir since my childhood, from Satya to Shool to Gangs Of Wasseypur to Raajneeti and many more. Honestly speaking, I was very nervous before the shoot as to how I am going to perform with the legend, what if I make a mistake and he has to give another take because of me. Many things were going on in my mind. However, all went well for Sumit at the start itself. On the first day of the shoot itself when I shot my first scene with him, I realized how easy he is as a co-actor. He is so funny off camera; no serious attitude. I just went with flow with him and everyday was a day to remember for me, he said. In the near past, Sumit has acted in Vipul Amrutlal Shahs The Kerala Story (2023). Later, he became the only actor to be repeated in its sequel The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond (2026). In between, he also acted in Shahs Bastar: The Naxal Story (2024). Speaking about his equation with Shah, the actor said, Vipul sir is such a relaxed person and so supportive always. I dont have to be formal in front of him anymore. Thats the ease I have with him now. It always feels good when you get to perform challenging roles and the trust makers show in you that they repeat you in their films consistently. When asked about his forthcoming projects, Sumit Gahlawat revealed, Next, I think in December my show with Nawaz sir (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Dia Mirza maam named Hassan MD will release on JioHotstar. Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee, Boman Irani and Divya Duttas Last Man in Tower to premiere on Hindi Zee 5 on November 6