The biggest benefit of hindsight is probably the objectivity it offers. Looking back on his career, Zayed Khan admits he wishes he had done a few things differently. After a 12-year run in the movies, the actor tried his hand at television with Haasil in 2017, but went missing from the screen a year later. Five years on, as he gears up for his comeback with The Film That Never Was, he says the break and the following years have been a learning lesson.

“I took a step back from acting [then] as I got into family mode. I shouldn’t have detached myself completely from acting; it wasn’t the smartest move. To earn those stripes again takes a lot, and that was a lesson I learned,” begins Khan, adding that finding his way back in has been tougher, this time around.

“There is so much more competition and professionalism today. Actors bring so much to the table now. Just because you have access to people doesn’t mean that you get the opportunity.”

Khan, whose résumé includes Main Hoon Na (2004) and Dus (2005), understands that the language of cinema has changed dramatically in the past few years. This knowledge has led him to launch his banner, Hungry Wolves Entertainment to back stories that resonate with him. First up is the mockumentary, directed by Mohit Shrivastava.

“Mohit had a good script, we worked on it, and made it a tongue-in-cheek and entertaining project. Now I am [approaching] acting with much more subtext. I have lived my life and experienced so many things that today, I don’t have stars in my eyes.” 

The Film That Never Was, produced by Aseem Merchant and him, will be the first of varied subjects he wants to explore.

Going forward, Khan is keen to attempt a role with grey shades a la Lucifer. “Many people have told me that Lucifer is a character I can nail,” he laughs, before adding, “Playing a dark character also depends on who the director is. Tapping into your dark side is not tough. The idea is to work with people who make you think, ‘This can be done, what a superb point of view.’”