Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is happy that he is finally essaying a romantic role, even though he gets to romance his Nawazuddin Siddiqui ‘bhai’ in the film ‘Haddi’
Nonika Singh
From Imran in Scoop to Irfan in upcoming film Haddi, it’s not exactly a leap for the Chhalaang actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. Rather he has no hesitation in admitting that in Haddi, headlined by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his part is not a big one. But it sure is an important role, new and exciting too as he gets to romance Nawaz, who plays a transgender. He jokes, “Somehow no one has ever offered me a romantic role before.” And he is happy that debutant director Akshat Ajay Sharma who ‘has so much clarity of thought and vision’ saw this shade in him.
Working with his senior from the National School of Drama, Nawaz bhai, too was exhilarating. Though he qualifies, “When two good actors work together, they do not necessarily talk about acting,” Watching the supremely talented actor up close and personal did turn out to be a learning lesson in how to do things differently.
On the film that also stars Anurag Kashyap as the main antagonist, he says, “It’s a good thing we are exploring these marginalised characters and our cinema is becoming more inclusive.” Tired of playing the righteous person time and again, he can’t say whether his Haddi character of a lawyer is challenging, a word incidentally he does not use liberally to define any of the stellar parts in his oeuvre.
Keeping it simple
Invariably, Zeeshan is spot on. Yet his acting process is not very complicated. He says, “To understand the script and communicate truthfully is sort of the baseline. Then there are a number of things, which if a part is complex could involve talking to others.” But if it’s playing the ever supportive friend, a part he aced in Dhanush-starrer Raanjhanaa and many other films, he doesn’t need to work very hard.
“Of course, for Raanjhanaa, I did think very hard and added many layers to it. But if I am being typecast, I just read the script and deliver my lines,” he adds. Though, in his long journey he is ‘still waiting for the big moment’, but he would not sign just any film. “For when I am a part of a film, viewers do expect some sense in it, and I can’t let them down.”
In future too, he promises his fans, “I will do my best to entertain you. I won’t be lazy in my work and will keep on trying.” And that’s exactly the same advice he proffers to aspiring actors out there. “Don’t just focus on your dreams, focus on your performance. Even if it’s a one-liner part, give it your 100 per cent.” Now you know what makes him stand out in meaty parts or cameos.
Watch him strike home once again, as Haddi streams on Zee5 on September 7.
‘Great appetite for consuming content’
Among the plethora of choices this week, which also includes Jawan’s theatrical release, Zeeshan is not unduly perturbed about Haddi’s fate as it streams on Zee5 today. For one, the OTT release frees it from box-office pressure. Moreover, he reasons, “We have a great appetite for drama and consuming content. We can watch a film and start watching yet another after a half-an-hour break. We love story-telling; look at our folk forms which continue all through the night.” Besides, he quips, “Not everyone will get tickets for Jawan.”
Walking the thin line
Playing two Muslim characters back-to-back, he doesn’t think his roles in either Scoop or Haddi are the best examples to comment on Muslim characters’ representation on screen. “In both Scoop and Haddi, Imran and Irfan are part of the group, and become one with the narrative organically. Irfan could well have been Ramesh and that is a sign of very good writing. It becomes a problem or tricky when you make them special characters because of their religion.”
