Actor Vivaan Shah says playing a scrap dealer in the film “Kabaad: The Coin” helped him know the hardships that scrap dealers as a community face in life, even as they keep the city clean.
“We see kabaadiwalas (scrap dealers) and those who collect garbage from our homes and offices every day, but we do not take a moment to pause and think about their lives. It is their relentless efforts that keep our city clean, but they live in extreme poverty and hardship,” Vivaan told IANS.
“Playing a kabaadiwala actually made me more compassionate towards them. There are people who earn less money but still have respect in society. We do not give any respect or financial support to these garbage and scrap collectors. Imagine, if they stopped collecting garbage and waste, we would almost live in a garbage yard! But do we even say ‘thank you’ when they collect the trash from our homes? No, right?” he continued.
For Vivaan, the role was an exciting one. “It was exciting for me to play this part who speaks in typical Bombaiya tapori dialect. Me being a Bombay boy who has grown up listing to this language, it was fun to speak in that dialect,” he said.
The story of the film revolves around a young student Bandhan, who is forced to take up the job of a scrap dealer for survival and eventually comes across a bag full of gold coins. As the film progresses, it unfolds how that changes his life – rather, puts him in danger through emotional turmoil and betrayal.
The film is directed by Varadraj Swami and also featuring Zoya Afroz and Abhishek Bajaj. “Kabaad: The Coin” streams on MX Player.