Mumbai: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah had an important observation to make Monday. Naseeruddin Shah said he doesn’t consider it a compliment when fellow actors confess being ‘nervous’ in front of him.
Making new talent feel at ease
Shah has straddled the worlds of cinema, TV and theatre with equal prowess for close to 45 years. He said he tries to make the new talent feel ‘at ease’ whenever he collaborates with them.
“It doesn’t please me when young actors say they are nervous when they are working with me. I don’t think that’s a compliment,” Shah said. “If my presence disturbs a co-worker, that’s not a compliment or an accomplishment on my part. I try to help them overcome their nervousness, I don’t always succeed,” added the veteran actor.
Best known works
The actor, is best known for his work in films like Nishant, Ijaazat, A Wednesday, and shows like Mirza Ghalib and Bharat Ek Khoj. Shah said he learnt this lesson from his seniors in the industry. They never made him feel overwhelmed with their presence.
“I don’t remember being nervous in the presence of an actor who I liked very much. Among them are Dilip Kumar, Sean Connery and Ashok Kumar. So if an actor gets nervous in my presence, it’s not a good thing,” Shah pointed out.
Happy birthday Naseeruddin Shah
Shah turned 70 Monday. He was interacting with media at the virtual press conference of his upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Bandish Bandits.
The 10 -part show follows the story of two lovers, Radhe and Tamanna, played by Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry. Both are from different musical backgrounds.
The series has been created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari. Shah will be seen playing the role of ‘Pandit Radhemohan Rathod’, a celebrated classical musician. He inspires his grandson ‘Radhe’ to follow his legacy.
The reason for doing ‘Bandish Bandits’
The three-time National Award winner said he was drawn to Rathod’s part as the character had shades of grey. “What interested me was that the character wasn’t purely white. Parts with grey shades interest me more. If this man would have been a good grandfather who takes care of everyone and sacrifices his life for the hero, then maybe I wouldn’t have done it,” Shah asserted.
Directed by Tiwari, the show also stars Atul Kulkarni, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Sheeba Chaddha and Rajesh Tailang. The show features an original soundtrack, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who makes their digital debut with the series.
Bandish Bandits will start streaming from August 4.