Gurfateh Pirzada on Neel's Style From 'Call Me Bae' And Why Jacob Elordi Inspires Him

Born in Chandigarh in 1996, Gurfateh Pirzada may have started on the runway, but he was made for the big screen. He first made waves in Guilty (2020), followed by the hit shows Class (2023) and Call Me Bae (2024), where he played Neel Nair opposite Ananya Panday.

Pirzada's jacket and trousers are from Eka, paired with a shirt from Sandro Paris, Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

But beyond the screen, Pirzada follows a no-fuss approach to fashion and fame. Whether he’s in all-black basics or curated designer pieces, he’s all about comfort, confidence and conscious choices. In this conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor opens up about why he hates skinny jeans, the exhaustion of 20-hour days on set, and how he’s reshaping the modern leading man — one bold choice at a time.

Edited excerpts from the conversation.

The actor wears a sweather and jacket from Almost Gods, with Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

THR India: You modelled for years before you got into acting. Do you ever miss the fashion world?

Gurfateh Pirzada: I loved the ramp for however long I was on it, but it was always a stepping stone for me. It’s where I got the exposure — a window into what life would be like if everything got bigger and better.

THR India: What are the trends you’re currently into?

GP: Contrary to what I just said, I’m not following anything as of now. I’m just putting my head down and working.

Pirzada is in a jacket from Sandro Paris, a shirt from Almost Gods, trousers from Kanika Goyal Label, Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

THR India: What do you wear to set before you’re styled?

GP: Nowadays, it’s just a black Zara T-shirt, or anything black. There was a point when, for four months, I was shuttling between three different sets, 10 hours here and 10 hours there, and catching up on sleep in the car in between. So, I just wanted to wear something comfortable. I didn’t want to get ready.

THR India: And when you do get dressed up, are there any designers or brands you love to wear?

GP: We’re wearing Almost Gods in the shoot today. They’re doing some very exciting stuff. There’s another brand called Cravings. There was an exhibition at Soho House [in Juhu, Mumbai] and I saw some of their clothes. [It's]very interesting.

Gurfateh Pirzada wears a blazer and trousers by NM Design Studio, with a shirt by Back Alley Bodega, Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

THR India: Speaking of style and taste in general, is there anything you feel strongly about?

GP: I hate skinny jeans. Anything that’s too tight makes me feel uncomfortable. My shoe size is also a huge problem because it’s 12 and difficult to get anywhere. Otherwise, when I’m styled, I love it when I don’t have to worry about what I’m wearing because someone else is in control.

THR India: The way that you were styled in Guilty and Class was a far cry from Call Me Bae. Which do you prefer?

GP: In Call Me Bae, it was all blue. Though I dress more like a Neel nowadays, I prefer Guilty because that was more experimental and freer.

Pirzada's jacket and trousers are from Eka, paired with a shirt from Sandro Paris, Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

THR India: Is there a type of project you want to take on where you might be styled differently?

GP: I would love to do something to break the stereotype a little bit. I don’t just want to be a jock — like a decently good-looking guy put in the usual clothes a 30-year-old would wear. I’d like to do the kind of stuff Jacob Elordi does.

THR India: What’s next for you?

GP: A few things are coming up, most of which I can’t talk about. A show called Dynasty on SonyLIV, which we started last year, Call Me Bae season 2 is starting [soon] and should be out next year as well, hopefully. I’ve shot a rom-com for Netflix and also The Revolutionaries, which is with Amazon Prime Video.

Pirzada is in a jacket from Sandro Paris, a shirt from Almost Gods, trousers from Kanika Goyal Label, Jeetinder Sandhu footwear (through Bon Vivant Consulting LLP) and a necklace and ring from Shoplune.Photography by Agnidhra Ray; Styling by Pratyasha Sarkar, assisted by kopal agrawal; Hair by Swapnil Diwakar; Make-up by saher gandhi; Location: Miss Margot, Bandra.

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