Adinath Kothare is set to be seen in two much-awaited projects that showcase him in vastly different worlds. The actor will play Bharat in Nitesh Tiwari‘s highly anticipated big-budget ‘Ramayana,’ which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram. While the film is still awaited by audiences, Adinath is gearing up for the release of his next project, ‘Nayyi Naveli,’ directed by Balaji Mohan and slated to hit theaters on October 16, 2026.In ‘Nayyi Naveli,’ Adinath shares screen space with Yami Gautam, and the actor has nothing but praise for his co-star and the film’s ensemble cast. He also opens up about working with the team, preparing for the Meerut accent, the camaraderie he shared with his co-stars, and what made him say yes to the film. In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Adinath also spoke about his experience of working on ‘Ramayana’ and described being part of the project as a “divine process.”What can you tell us about your character in ‘Nayyi Naveli’?I wish I could tell you about the character, but I can’t right now. I would love to talk about the character after the release.Then what made you say yes to the role?The script and the team. Anand Sir and Mukesh Chhabra are such amazing people to work with, and it’s a great team. The script is written by Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma. Himanshu Sharma has done ‘Raanjhanaa.’ He has also written ‘Tanu Weds Manu.’ Divy Nidhi Sharma has written ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and ‘Chillar Party.’ They have come together for this project.Himanshu Sharma has written the story, while the screenplay and dialogues are by Divy Nidhi Sharma. So, it’s a great team. Balaji Mohan is the director. He is the maker of ‘Maari’ and ‘Maari 2,’ which were big blockbusters in the South. And, of course, the casting is an ensemble cast spearheaded by Yami Gautam, who has been one of my favorites for the longest time. Right from ‘Vicky Donor,’ I’ve been following her work very closely. It was overwhelming to get an opportunity to work opposite her and with her. It’s truly an honor, and I’m really grateful that this opportunity came my way.What was it like sharing screen space with Yami Gautam, especially since you have been following her work for so long?She was extremely down-to-earth. Considering the kind of success Yami Gautam has seen, when you are standing in front of her and communicating with her, she doesn’t come across like a person who has achieved so much. She comes across as a very normal person. She’s so easy to talk to and so easy to work with. The entire family and the whole chemistry were wonderful. Anurag Thakur, who plays my younger brother, is also such a gem.In fact, the story is based in Meerut, so we had to bring that Meerut accent. I was the only non-North Indian actor in the entire team, so I had to do a lot of studying and preparation for it, and everybody helped me. Balaji sir and Himanshu sir helped me a lot with the accent, and especially Yami was there. She was a great support. But I want to mention Anurag Thakur, who played my younger brother. We truly shared that chemistry as brothers because I think he’s an amazing, amazing human being. In fact, he comes from UP and was very helpful to me during this process.He used to help me. I would go to him with every dialogue, and we would work on the scenes together.In fact, there was a moment when I had a very big scene. It was almost the first or second day of my shoot, and it was a kind of monologue that I was quite nervous about. I was excited but nervous because of the accent. It’s something that I had not done before, so I had been preparing for it.I remember calling Anurag the night before the shoot. He stays in Andheri, and I stay in Kandivali. I called him and said, “Bhai, kya karna hai? Yeh kal ke scene ka thoda tension hai mujhe.”He said, “Arre bhai, kyun tension le rahe ho? Milna hai kya abhi?”It was around 8:30 in the evening, and we had a 9 am shoot the next day. So I asked him if he was free and whether we could meet for a coffee. He said yes.At around 9 or 9.30 that night, we met at a coffee shop somewhere in Andheri. We sat and worked on the lines. We continued working on them till around 11 or 11.30. When he felt that I was satisfied and a little more comfortable, he said, “Okay, let’s see. I’ll see you on the set.”That’s the kind of camaraderie and family that the whole unit has brought in. I think the credit goes to Anand sir and Himanshu sir because it always trickles down from the captaincy. That’s how they brought the entire team together. They made sure that we all gelled with each other and bonded with each other. That chemistry of the family is very crucial for the film. It’s a family entertainer. That family bonding is very important. Hats off to Mukesh sir as well for bringing such a beautiful ensemble cast together.Now that you have worked with Yami, how would you describe her as a co-actor?I think she is an amazing, amazing human being. She doesn’t come across like a Bollywood star or anything like that. She is an absolutely intelligent and empathetic actor and human being. I think it’s truly an honor and a delight to be working with her. I’m really blessed that I got to work with her on this project. She was helping not just me but everyone, even the other actors and some of the smaller parts. She was extremely helpful and cooperative.I think that’s what it takes to make a good film. You need that kind of energy, and when that kind of energy is on the set, it reflects in the content. She’s an amazing actor. I got to see her working from close quarters, and it shows. In fact, when I went on the floor to work with her, I had recently seen ‘Haq.’ I was mesmerized by her performance in it. And then to get the opportunity to work with an actor who has done such great work in ‘Article 370,’ ‘Haq,’ ‘Vicky Donor,’ and so many other films is really amazing.Did you prepare differently for this role?I did. There is a lot of excitement in the film that I don’t want to reveal right now.While watching the trailer, it feels like there is more to the story than what has been revealed.Yeah, there is more to it. It’s one of the finest screenplays I have read and worked on in recent times.
