Actor-writer ZeishanQuadri, recently seen in OTT film Bloody Daddy, says as a writer he likes the crime genre and prefers to stick to it than venture into the unknown

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Actor, writer and director Zeishan Quadri was recently seen playing a negative role in Shahid Kapoor-starrer OTT film Bloody Daddy. While his role of a corrupt NCB officer was praised by many, it was his writing that stole the hearts of the masses years ago. The writer of Gangs of Wasseypur talks about his journey so far.

He shares, “Director Anurag Kashyap was in talks with Viacom. We had thought about part three during the lockdown. We cannot confirm as yet if it’s going to happen and who will be directing or producing it. But at the same time, when we made the two parts we always had a basic script in mind, so that we could come back and reignite the Wasseypur world.”

Ask him the name of an artiste who could be a good addition to the Wasseypur cast and pat comes the reply, “Barun Sobti.” Asur and the recent Netflix release Kohrra has done some good to Sobti, who was earlier a star only on television. Quadri adds, “As a writer-producer of Halahal, I was convinced about casting Barun Sobti in the role of a cop. Now when I saw Kohrra, I am happy that Halahal director-actor jodi has come up with such authentic series. The best part, even though its crime drama, is that it’s so much more than that and talks about relationships, and the tragedy of it all. It has redefined crime thrillers all together.”

Legal tangle

Like every other famous and successful writer-producers, Quadri has also courted a few controversies. A fraud accusation was made by producer Shalini Chaudhary and an FIR was registered last year. He explains, “I didn’t feel it was important to address it then and the High Court of Mumbai dismissed the case in June.”

Lanes of crime

Currently focusing on his acting, he has earlier been a part of films like Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Revolver Rani, Halahal and Meeruthiya Gangsters, apart from OTT film Bloody Daddy. Not just his acting projects, but also his writing revolves around crime. He says, “As far as acting goes, as an artiste it’s always good to try different roles. As for writing, I have grown up in Wasseypur, Dhanbad, in Bihar, and in my writing I can very well represent the realities of the area. It is as close to reality as it can get. Thus, I focused on what I do best rather than imitating anybody’s style or trying to sell genres that I do not relate to.”

While Quadri and mentor Anurag Kashyap get majority of the credit for initiating the new era of crime genre with Gangs of Wasseypur, Quadri believes that Indian directors have the means and stories to execute world-class crime stories.

Clear take

Talking of Chandigarh or Punjab, he has no connections or stories to share except that he shot here for Your Honor 2, which was an enriching experience. “I enjoyed my time there and at the end of it, could feel like I was a Punjabi.”

Although Quadri also ventured into direction and production in 2017, making his directorial debut with the film Meeruthiya Gangsters, he has more upcoming projects as an actor. He recalls, “When I came first to Mumbai, like anybody else, I had dreamt of becoming an actor. But it is Mumbai, so you never know what it wants you to do to make a living.”