‘Was willing to be even a lamp post on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sets,’ says Adhyayan Suman

Sheetal

There’s no bigger attraction than Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He is on every actor’s bucket list,” says actor Adhyayan Suman, who is living a dream as his Netflix series Heermandi: The Diamond Bazaar is finally out. And it’s not just Adhyayan, who plays a prominent part in SLB’s debut OTT outing, but his father Shekhar Suman is part of the cast.

Adhyana’s excitement is palpable as he talks about the challenges he faced and the hopes nourishes.

Looking back at his journey Adhyayan recalls how he auditioned for the part, but didn’t make it. Howevr, later he was informed that he was in. “I was willing to be even a lamp post on SLB’s sets. I feel lucky that I got to play Nawab Zorawar Ali Khan, who has shades of grey,” he says.

Shekhar, who plays Nawab Zulfikar in this magnum opus set in the pre-Independence era, says he regrets that he refused to play the character of Chunnilal in SLB’s Devdas years ago. “I wish I had played Chunnilal. I would have interpreted it differently from Motilalji, who played the same character in Bimal Roy’s Devdas. It was my bad luck but when things are not meant to be, they are not meant be. I am happy that God has given me another opportunity to work with Bhansali sahab.”

Bonhomie on sets

The father-son duo has just one scene together in the series, but it really means a lot to Adhyayan. “Working with dad was fascinating and exciting. The scene that I share with him is that of a confrontation. I was little nervous, but dad asked me to calm down and take deep breadths before the shot. We had a great time.”

Shekhar is paied with Manisha, who plays Mallikajaan, whereas Adhyayan is paired with Richa Chadha. Shekhar says, “Most of my scenes were with Manisha, who is an accomplished actress. We have known each other since long and our camaraderie helped.”

Adhyayan too is all praise for Richa. He recalls, “Richa is humble and grounded. There was an important scene which needed to be canned in a single shot. I managed it in a single take, and I received an applause from SLB and the team. Richa later she sent me a voice note later saying, ‘I had heard things about you, like you are spoilt. But you are opposite of what I had imagined you to be... I am actually angry at myself for judging you... I wish you all the best… you are supper talented… I can’t wait for the world to see what you have done.’”

Of learning & unlearning

“No matter how much you prepare, it’s never good enough to be on a Bhansali set,” says Adhyayan. But that’s the exciting part, to be put in a spot and deliver under pressure. “He probably is the best film school I have been to. I would always say, jahan ek actor ki soch khatam hoti, vahan pe SLB ki shuru hoti hai. You can rehearse as much you want but everything change once you are in front of the camera. It was a learning curve — working on my Urdu diction, using the props and costumes to my advantage,” shares Adhyayan.

Shekhar has his own anecdotes to share. “Playing a Nawab from the pre-Independence era was quite a challenge. I have read about them and heard stories from people. I drew a lot from my memory and the rest, the writer delineated everything very succinctly. Also, Mr Bhansali gave me everything that I needed to create this character.” For Shekhar, there was an urge to play the character in the best possible way. “I was constantly hoping that Bhansali sahab liked what I did. He was pleased with my first shot and that gave me confidence,” recalls Shekhar.

Role call

Adhyayan is currently shooting for a film with actor Vijay Raaz, producing a series and hoping to release nine singles soon. Yes, Adhyayan is an accomplished singer too.

On the other hand Shekhar, who feels his talent had been by and large remained untapped, wants to play characters with grey shades. “I am just hoping that after Heeramandi people would look at me differently as an actor. Serious roles have eluded me so far when it comes to the big screen.” Shekhar is reading three scripts but hasn’t zeroed down on anything. He is not in a hurry!

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