Once in a while, Talat Aziz is happy to trade his place behind the mic for one in front of the camera. The singer, who was last seen in an extended cameo in Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor (2016), is currently shooting for director Rahul Chittella’s Gulmohar in Delhi. While the script was reason enough to give his nod, the senior actor says the talented cast — Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee — was another draw. After all, he wouldn’t let go of an opportunity to share screen space with Tagore, his friend of many years. 

“Sharmila remains the gentle, classy and graceful person she always was. We have known each other for years through her husband Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. I was a young cricketer, and would often practice with Tiger [Pataudi] and M L Jaisimha. The last time I met Tiger and Sharmila together was in London in 2004. She remains as down-to-earth today as she was the first time I met her,” he says.

The singer-actor is tight-lipped about his role in the family drama, only revealing that a sequence sees him sing a ghazal. “It’s an interesting role. I will leave it to the audience to decide whether it’s a positive or grey character.”

Aziz will also be seen in Hansal Mehta’s upcoming short film that features Pratik Gandhi. Asked why he doesn’t take up acting offers more frequently, Aziz says, “While I have been offered many movies and web series over the years, I am selective about my roles. I will only sign projects to which I can do justice as an actor.”