The actor emphasized that his choice of roles often involves navigating challenging narratives, which he finds rewarding
By: India Weekly
ADIL HUSSAIN has expressed his enthusiasm for complex and nuanced roles, a quality he found in his recent film “Ulajh”.
The movie, directed by Sudhanshu Saria of “Loev” fame, features Jahnvi Kapoor in the lead and is set within the world of Indian Foreign Services (IFS). It was released on Friday.
Hussain, known for his work in films like “Life of Pi” and “English Vinglish”, discussed his preference for intricate storytelling in an interview with PTI.
“I crave complexity, nuance, subtle aspects in the storytelling and writing. I understand my life becomes extremely difficult while executing it, but that’s where the fun part is,” he said.
He emphasized that his choice of roles often involves navigating challenging narratives, which he finds rewarding.
The actor also highlighted the efforts of director Sudhanshu Saria in portraying the depth of human nature in “Ulajh”.
“During the shooting of ‘Ulajh’, he (Saria) tried his best and succeeded most of the time in helping the actor bring out the complexities of human nature, which is endearing for me, and I’m a sucker for it. I don’t like to play a binary character,” Hussain explained.
He commended Saria for his dedication to portraying multifaceted characters, which aligns with his own artistic preferences.
In “Ulajh”, Hussain plays the role of the father to Kapoor’s character, who is depicted as a young IFS officer representing India at the United Nations.
Hussain described the film as an exploration of complex interpersonal relationships within the diplomatic arena, labelling it a “truth hunter’s story”.
He elaborated on the film’s themes, noting, “I thought it (film) was a thrilling story of a world I’ve been interested in and read about since my childhood about detectives. It’s a truth hunter’s story. My profession as an actor is about hunting the truth of the moment. Also, it was (an exploration of a) complex, interpersonal relationship in the diplomatic world with so many interests clashing, like the personal interest, the interest of the country and a few people. Then, the reputation is also at stake. All these things were woven extremely well in the story.”
Reflecting on his career, Hussain mentioned his previous collaboration with Sridevi in “English Vinglish” and noted the opportunity to work with her daughter, Jahnvi Kapoor, in “Ulajh”.
He observed, “The similarities between Sri ji and Janhvi is the sincerity and dedication to the work, listening to the director and co-actor intently. Sri ji had the greatest quality of listening and her timing was correct because she listened so well. Janhvi has that same listening quality. Seeing her as a grown-up and being her father (in ‘Ulajh’) is a joy.”
Hussain also touched upon the challenges faced by independent films in the current market. Despite having several independent films upcoming, including “The Storyteller” with Paresh Rawal and “Raahgir – The Wayfarers” directed by Goutam Ghose, he noted the difficulty of promoting these projects. “The few films that I’ve acted in, which are independent, it means that there is no big production house or the big name behind it. So, releasing those films in a market which is not friendly towards these kinds of stories, which are not laced with masala, is very difficult,” he said.
Despite these challenges, Hussain commended independent filmmakers for their commitment to bringing unique stories to the audience.
“Thankfully, there are still people who are making such films for the love of cinema. So, the ecosystem is shrinking for these kinds of things, and it’s not a good sign. It shows the lack of vision among the people who have the money to produce films,” he added.
Hussain recently signed two offbeat films with “Aamis” director Bhaskar Hazarika and Narasimhamurthy.