Actor Adil Hussain, who was born and raised in Assam, says the state’s recurring floods continue to leave him “terribly angry, frustrated and sad,” as the situation there has remained unchanged since his childhood.

“The authorities haven’t been able to manage the situation. Unauthorized townships have grown, marshlands have been filled with industries and trees are being cut. There’s no investigation into how to reduce the misery of people facing this situation every year,” he says.

As Assam battle floods again, the 62-year-old says he has been in constant touch with singer Papon for updates while trying to help his own family stranded in the deluge. “My sisters’ daughters, my nieces and their respective husbands are stuck with flooding in their house in upper Assam’s Sivasagar. The family is looking for a way to help them,” he says.

Calling for a comprehensive flood management plan, Hussain shares, “Indian scientists are sending satellites to the moon and so many countries, including The Netherlands, have reclaimed land from the sea. So I cannot understand how government after government cannot find engineers, landscape planners and city planners to solve this issue.”

The death toll from this year’s Assam floods has reached 68, with more than 5.24 lakh people still affected in five districts.

Anshuman Jha-starrer 2023 action-thriller Lakadbaggha is gearing up for the release of its sequel, Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business in mid-2026. Now, we have learnt that actor Adil Hussain has joined the film’s cast replacing actor Milind Soman in the role of the sensei in the sequel.

The role has been significantly expanded in the sequel and will see the sensei character play a pivotal role in the protagonist’s journey. Confirming his casting, Adil says, he was inspired by the first film of the series. “It felt like someone was finally making a film that stood up for the rights of animals—something we haven’t seen in decades, perhaps since Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) in the seventies,” he says, crediting Anshuman for his support during the action training and sequences:

“The martial arts training and action sequences were challenging, but Anshuman was incredibly supportive and generous throughout the process.”

The film features martial arts legends Sunny Pang, known for Headshot (2016), Havoc (2025) and Dan Chupong from OngBak series. The Indian cast includes Sarah Jane Dias, Vikram Kochar, and Anshuman, who reprises his role from the first film. The sequel’s shoot wrapped up in June 2025, and Anshuman also takes on the director’s chair for this film.

At the Dharamshala International Film Festival, Adil Hussain reflected on the craft of acting and the mark Irrfan left on audiences. When asked about overcoming the challenge of being different in films of the same genre, he said, “It will be always different if you are truly yourself, even if the genre is the same, if you don't fall into the cliches of acting. It is extremely difficult. When you are not that person who is wearing a social mask, the one you wear when you are with your parents or lover or husband or when you are at a party and nobody is watching you and therefore, you are quieter, and from there when you act, you will be different. And the one actor who comes to my mind who was like that was Irrfan.”

Adil opined that Irrfan embodied a rare honesty in his work. “He tried his best to do that and that’s why when he died, I was shocked despite knowing that he was suffering from a terminal disease. I had a tough time accepting his demise. He tried his best to be as vulnerable and as transparent as possible. Did you see him very different in different characters? No. He was trying to be as open and vulnerable as possible. Not in all films. He was brilliant in The Warrior, The Namesake and Qissa - he was at his best in these films.”

Despite meeting Irrfan only a handful of times, Hussain recalled the deep personal impact his passing left on him. He shared, “I had met Irrfan only thrice during the promotions of Life Of Pi. I never had any conversation with him about acting or anything, but despite that, I felt a punch in my heart when he passed away. I was surprised about the way I felt.”

(L-R) Raj Vasudeva and Adil Hussain in ‘Mercy’. Pics/Instagram, Youtube

There is an allure to quieter cinema, the kind that satiates the soul. That’s what Adil Hussain seeks with every project. And achieves too. A case in point being his latest indie film, Mercy, which won the Best International Feature Award at the London Independent Film Festival earlier this week. “I play a sort of conscience keeper,” says Hussain of his character, Father Joel, in the Mitul Patel-directed drama. “He resolves people’s crises — moral, emotional, or spiritual.”

Despite its recent international win, Mercy is yet to release in India. The senior actor is disappointed that meaningful stories are often overlooked in the Indian market.

“Such films don’t meet the market’s appetite for gloss and spectacle. The market is dominated by big-budget, flashy storytelling, leaving little space for quieter cinema. People assume films like Mercy will come to streaming eventually. Meanwhile, social media floods them with shallow entertainment. People have become lethargic about seeking stories that touch them deeply,” he reflects.

Hussain — who has championed quality stories with Life Of Pi (2012), English Vinglish (2012), and Mukti Bhawan (2016) — notes that meaningful cinema can survive only if both creators and the audience make conscious efforts.

“Unless distributors, producers, and OTT platforms collectively push to promote such films, they’ll keep getting lost in the noise of short-form entertainment and cheap thrills. We must not forget that true art entertains the soul, not just the senses.”

In his four-decade career, the actor has built a rich filmography. His appearance in Kabir Singh (2019), however, was a departure from his usual projects. Later, he expressed regret about being a part of the movie, leading director Sandeep Reddy Vanga to state that Kabir Singh brought Hussain more fame than his other “art films”. He also threatened to replace Hussain’s face with an AI version of him in the movie. 

Broach the subject, and Hussain, with his usual grace, admits, “It’s my fault that I did not read the script. I was travelling extensively with Mukti Bhawan then and didn’t have the time to go through the full script or watch the original Telugu version [Arjun Reddy]. I even told my manager to quote five times my usual fee, hoping they’d back out — but they agreed.”

He eventually accepted the role after reading what he thought was a “brilliantly written” scene. However, his perception changed after watching the film. “I found it misogynistic. When I saw the film, I thought, ‘What have I done?’”

He, however, emphasizes that his regret was personal, not accusatory. “It’s not about what Sandeep Reddy Vanga has done — it’s my responsibility. I could have said no. Several women friends expressed disappointment. It was important for me to say I regret doing that film.”

Even after four decades in the film industry, the way Paresh Rawal chooses a film is the same as it was on day one. Even a small role is welcome, the actor says.

Paresh, who was recently seen in Ajey – The Untold Story Of A Yogi, elaborates, “My reason for choosing a role has still not changed at all. Main koi bhi chhota role karne ko taiyaar hoon, bas film aur uski kahaani sahi honi chahiye. Mujhe koi dikkat nahi hai screen time ki.”

For the 70-year-old, the scale of a film isn’t a deal-breaker either. He shares, “I did The Storyteller (2022), which was a terrific film. Shastry Viruddh Shastry (2023) bhi aayi thi, I have an upcoming film with Adil Hussain. Maza aata hai aisi films karne mein. When you get such roles, it satisfies the actor in you. If I like the role once, then chaahe woh film chhoti bhi ho, and they tell me ‘We won’t be able to afford your market price,’ that is fine by me.”

He adds, “Main phir paise discuss bhi nahin karta hoon. Bas uss picture ka completion hona chahiye. Acchi filmein karne ka aise dil bhi karta hai phir.”

Through the years, Paresh hasn’t just experimented with different film genres but also dabbled in politics. The actor had contested in the 2014 Indian general elections with the Bharatiya Janata Party and was voted Member of Parliament. How does he look back on his stint in politics, given the recent controversies Ajey attracted due to its political plot points?

“Usko political career bolna galat hoga. Ek term tha mehez. Mujhe political career banana hi nahin tha,” Paresh shares. “But I was sure about one thing: main apne character par daag nahin lagne dunga. I wanted to come out clean, and I succeeded in achieving my motive,” he ends.

Hailing from a town on the border of Assam and West Bengal, Adil Hussain grew up in a melting pot of culture—films, literature, dance, and music. His father introduced him to Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray’s works. So, when director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan offered him The Storyteller—inspired by Ray’s short story Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro—he knew he was going “to be part of something beautiful.”

“I think any actor, especially the ones I admire, would definitely come on board for it. The Storyteller is such a beautiful [story]. It is an actual delight to embody a character written by Satyajit Ray and wonderfully brought [to screen] by Ananth ji,” states the actor, who plays a Gujarati businessman suffering from insomnia.

He credits Mahadevan for his choice of actors—Revathy, Paresh Rawal, and Tannishtha Chatterjee—and the way he tells the story.

“It’s a delight to work with him because he is a sucker for good and untold stories. I trusted him completely, and I was right. Recently, I shot another film with him called The Past Tense—that’s another brilliant and true story,” says the actor. Hussain acknowledges that while Mahadevan has not received his due recognition, this is true of many great filmmakers throughout history.

“Tapan Sinha is the finest filmmaker in India, with films like Ek Doctor Ki Maut [1990] and Safed Haathi [1978], and has made several phenomenal Bengali films. Yet, very few people know of him. Only the rasiks probably know of his legacy. Even Satyajit Ray was probably appreciated only when he won awards. Otherwise, who would have known about him, except for some people in Bengal? So, with Ananth ji, I think it is a difficult path he has taken to tell these stories, and he has to face the consequences—just as I accept the consequences of being part of independent films. I take it with a lot of gratitude and delight,” adds Hussain.

When asked if it is a good time for independent cinema, the actor believes India is in the “initial phase of a good time.” “It can grow into a great banyan tree. It would be wonderful to see that happen in my lifetime. And I hope that actors—those who believe in the craft and the joy of acting rather than the gloss and the glitter—will have more space in the future,” he shares.

Talking about the making of Deewaar, Rajiv Rai, son of the film’s producer Gulshan Rai, says, “Deewaar has inspired many films in various Indian languages. The film received a massive response upon its release. My father, Gulshan Rai, who produced the film, didn’t really talk much about its success. I believe that when you make a film, you don’t come home and discuss it – you let the film speak for itself. Every scene was a gem, and everyone has their favourite moments from it. Pran Mehra, an ace editor of his time, played a major role in the making of the film. He was a highly sought after editor at the time and instrumental in making this film what it became.”

Film historian Gautam Chintamani says, “Deewaar made the anti-hero cool 50 years back. It was among the first few films that made the anti-hero, the hero. The 70s was the point in Indian cinema where films focused on anti-establishment themes, changing the system, and how the system oppressed the common man and his fight against the system.”

Writer Saurav Dey adds, “The film talks about taking a stand against the establishment, capitalism, and has social commentary – but the entertainment value of the film is still high. It is not a morose, silent film despite the heavy topics it deals with. It made the grey, varied, flawed character very cool 50 years back.”

“Films like Deewaar, Shakti, Zanjeer, and other such films of Bachchan sahab, gave us the confidence to stand up against those who were superior to us. These films gave us the belief that one can stand up for something we truly believe in,” says Adil Hussain, adding that Deewaar was one of the films that inspired him to get into acting.

In the documentary The Romantics, Amitabh Bachchan talks about Deewar and says, “Yash ji was looked upon as this new-age young director wanting to make different films. Salim-Javed suggested that he should direct Deewar. Yash ji, by that time, had established himself as a director who worked more in beautiful sceneries, objects and the beauty of nature. Deewaar was very rugged and one wondered if he would agree to do something like this. He never lost his mind towards nature and towards romance, even when he was doing a film like Deewaar.”

Talking about the cult status of Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man persona, film historian Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, shares, “Deewaar has had a very strong influence in enhancing Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man persona – a rebel who takes on the system and almost single-handedly revolutionized the ideology surrounding workers’ rights. At the end, the film shows the triumphs of righteousness, as his own brother kills him. The intensity and drama between the two brothers and their mother, combined with the way the angry young man became a powerful symbol after this film, are unforgettable. Deewaar cemented Amit ji’s legacy as the Angry Young Man.”

- Deewaar’s screenplay was written in 18 days and dialogues were written in only 20 days

- Two songs were removed from the film because of its length

- Aruna Irani and Deven Verma are credited in the film, but their scenes were removed because of the length

Director Ananth Mahadevan’s next, Past Tense, sees father-son Paresh Rawal and Aditya Rawal share screen space for the first time. What makes their on-screen dynamics interesting is that they play two strangers confronting each other in the human drama. The director says that he had gone to narrate the script to Paresh at home, when he met Aditya.

“As I started conversing with Aditya, I realized he was the perfect fit for Past Tense. Rarely do you find an actor so sensitive to his socio-economic environment, and having cinematic sensibilities,” says Mahadevan of the actor, who was last seen in Bambai Meri Jaan (2023).

Inspired by a real-life episode, Past Tense revolves around a young man, who lives with his adoptive parents and is consumed by the desire to know why his biological parents abandoned him. “The newspapers had reported about this boy, who had discovered that he was abandoned by his biological parents [and set out to find them]. The media reports didn’t go that deep, but I took it beyond the abandonment and discovery. It’s a mistake he makes because sometimes the truth can hit you so badly that you wish you had never sought it,” shares the director.

While Aditya plays the protagonist, Paresh essays one of the five pivotal characters he meets on his journey. Mahadevan says the two actors had to undergo workshops to slip into their roles. “Their chemistry was intriguing to watch. They had to shed the father-son mindset. Since it was the first time they were acting together, it must have taken them a lot of energy to assume their volatile parts.”

The film also stars Adil Hussain and Sharib Hashmi.

If you’ve been waiting to watch All We Imagine As Light, which won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month, you might have to wait a bit longer. For several critically acclaimed film festival, AWIAL’s fate depends on if OTT platforms or theatrical distributors deem it potentially profitable.

While the Payal Kapadia directorial might still get a release due to it bagging the prestigious honour, of late films such as Gajendra Ahire’s The Signature, Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy and Karan Tejpal’s Stolen — all of which have travelled to global film festivals, drawn rave reviews and even bagged awards, are yet to release in theatres in India or find a home on OTT.

The Indian distribution system “is heavily lopsided in favour of mainstream films” over independent, smaller festival entries, notes film critic Murtaza Ali Khan. The general uncertainty around the return on investment, too, dissuades takers.

National Award-winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria, who directed the much-raved-about Sanaa, points out that for middlemen “whose job it is to figure out which film should get to viewers, it seems less risky to go with [films] that feature known faces”.

Actor Adil Hussain, whose Footprints On Water recently won the Audience Choice Award at the Indie Meme Film Festival, says, “How do decision makers on OTTs know a film won’t work, if they haven’t gone all the way, like they would, for a commercial film?”

Actor Shahana Goswami, whose film Santosh had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month, notes that since smaller films are made on modest budgets, they can’t compete with blockbuster releases.

“These films are made independently and there’s very little money to market them well enough, especially since you don’t have big stars. That’s where we fail — because mostly only a small section of people who follow the prestige of it going to an international film festival, know about a film,” she elaborates.

Last year, Stolen, directed by debutant Karan Tejpal, was the only Indian film selected for a World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival. This selection came after a notable three-year absence of Indian films from the festival’s lineup. The film has since travelled to more than 30 film festivals but still it struggles to get a release in India.

“We wanted to go directly to OTT, since we don’t have access to the kind of funding that is required to market and release a film in India. But the pandemic changed it all and the market has suddenly dried up. Maybe we’ll partner with a bigger production house to present the film,” says Tejpal.

They get standing ovations, prizes and glowing critical acclaim. But why are distributors and OTT platforms not enthusiastic about smaller films?

Nandita Das-directed Zwigato travelled to multiple film festivals over the world before releasing in India in March 2023, to a positive response. But the film has struggled to find a home on a streaming platform.

“We got an amazing response [for Zwigato] not only at A-list festivals like the ones in Toronto and Busan but also from Indian media and the few who saw it in theatres. Yet, we wait for an OTT release. The perception is that films with a unique voice and no mainstream tropes do not have an audience. Barring very few passionate individual producers, hardly anyone supports them.

Censorship remains another significant hurdle, with outdated regulations under The Cinematograph Act (1952) posing challenges to films that defy conventional narratives. In the past, Fire (1996), Hawa Aaney De (2004) Water (2005), Firaaq (2008) and S Durga (2017) have either struggled to secure a wide release in India or faced obstacles due to their them es, content or controversies surrounding them.

Despite these challenges, Sanaa director Sudhanshu Saria hopes that India’s fantastic run at international festivals — especially in the past few years, with movies such as The Shameless (2024), Sister Midnight (2024), Nirvana Inn (2023), Pebbles (2021) and The Disciple (2020) — “inspires a wave of filmmakers, who were going to give up or not going to work on their passion project, to step out and take that shot”. “I hope it also inspires entrepreneurial distributors to understand that we have a massive audience that is looking for different things,” says Saria.

Nandita Das, who has also helmed critically acclaimed films such as Firaaq (2008) and Manto (2018), remains hopeful of a shift. “We need producers, distributors and platform heads who will have faith and commitment towards diverse stories and ways in which they need to be told. Otherwise, we will keep celebrating the few and far between wins and yet not give the same films the space and respect they deserve in our own country,” she says.

In a fresh update on the war of words between Adil Hussain and Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Hussain recently told Zoom that he wouldn’t have acted in the director’s2023 blockbuster Animal even if he was “paid Rs. 100-200 crore” for the film. This comes after Hussain, in April, called out “misogyny” and “violence” in Vanga’s Kabir Singh (2019).

Actor Indira Krishna, who played actor Rashmika Mandanna’s mother in Animal, says Hussain’s comments “surprised” her and that she “loved working” with Vanga.

“I support Sandeep because when you watch a film, you have to be very open to what the director is trying to say,” says Krishna, addressing opinions around the misogyny depicted in Animal: “It is the director’s vision of what Rannvijay (the protagonist, played by Ranbir Kapoor) is and how he is dealing with this character. It is high time we watch a film for entertainment and don’t take too much to heart”.

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(On Animal’s protagonist asking Triptii Dimri’s character to lick his shoes) It is the director’s vision of what Rannvijay is and how he is dealing with this character with anger issues and trauma. - Indira Krishnan

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘alpha’ instinct seems to have kicked in after actor Adil Hussain said recently in an interview that he regrets being a part of Vanga’s 2019 film Kabir Singh.

“Ur ‘belief’ in 30 art films didn’t get as much fame to u as ur ‘regret’ of 1 BLOCKBUSTER film did... I regret casting u, knwing that ur greed is bigger than ur passion. NOW I’ll save U from the shame by replacing Ur face with AI help Now smile properly (sic),” Vanga wrote on X alongside a clip of Hussain’s interview.

In the aforementioned interview, the actor said that he became a part of Kabir Singh (played the college Dean) without reading the script. He added that he told his manager to ask for more money so that the makers would say no, but they still agreed to it.

Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani-starrer Kabir Singh emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2019, collecting over Rs. 250 cr at the domestic box office. However, a section of the society also called it misogynistic. Vanga’s 2023 film Animal faced a similar storm of controversy.

“I have said it before that the only film I regret doing is Kabir Singh. I think a film like it celebrates something which is not beneficial for the society. It legitimizes male misogyny and violence against anybody (does not have to be a woman),” Adil Hussain had told AP Podcast recently.

The roles of a chat show host and producer come easy to Neha Dhupia, but she asserts that she will always be an actor first. Naturally then, she is delighted to showcase her acting on an international stage with Blue 52. Egyptian director Ali El Arabi’s film revolves around a 22-year-old boy Ashish, who, raised in Kerala by a controlling father and a loving mother, escapes to Qatar with the hope of meeting his idol Lionel Messi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“After all these years, I managed to get an international film. Maybe the time is right for me now,” smiles Dhupia, excited about her international debut. Adil Hussain and she play the protagonist’s parents in the drama that was shot in Kochi and Qatar.

“I felt so liberated every day on that set. My look was different; it was exactly how I wanted to be cast for a long time. It didn’t happen in India for me. I’m hoping more filmmakers see the movie and think of me in different roles. Adil is such a wonderful actor and a great teacher. You feel cocooned in his company.”

Blue 52 gave her not only a rich experience, but also an age-appropriate, meaty role. The actor reflects that in India, female artistes in their 40s are hardly seen in diverse parts. “I’ll be honest. It’s very hard to cast women in their 40s. We don’t want to play mums to old kids, and we aren’t getting cast as young women. I’m offered acting jobs, but the ones I want to do are few and far between.”

Dhupia juggles her acting commitments with her production, No Filter Neha. She has taken the chat series’ latest season from a podcast to a video show. What does she say to the same celebrity guests over and over again after six seasons?

“You never run out of conversations. For instance, Vicky [Kaushal] wasn’t married when he came the first time, and now, he has a wife. This time around, one of the most pleasant things I heard was from Ananya Panday. She spoke about learning from Deepika Padukone on Gehraiyaan [2022]. She learnt how sometimes if your hair or dialogue delivery is not right, [one must] ask for a second take. I had never asked for what’s mine on set. But Ananya [noted that] as long as no one is being inconvenienced, it’s okay to ask. It’s a part of giving your 100 per cent.”

Spotting Saiyami Kher shopping in a narrow lane in Janpath, which is known for its silver jewellery and ethnic clothes, was a surprise for many visitors and sellers. “Ye toh woh hi hain na jo abhi cricket wali movie mein aayi hain?” was their reaction as they approached her for selfies. The actress, who was in the capital recently, took some time to take a round of Janpath and reminisce about the time she spent in Delhi before making her acting debut.

Saiyami says that Delhi is the place where she fell in love with acting and that is why the city will always remain close to her heart.

“I have very fond memories of Delhi. Before starting to shoot for Mirzya, I was living here for four months. I was staying in an apartment in Greater Kailash and doing an acting workshop. I came here at a time when I was still an aspiring actor and used to hear all kinds of toxic things. At that time I came to Delhi and met Dilip Shankar and Adil Hussain, who are my acting gurus. They guided me in the right direction. So Delhi was my acting school, I stayed here for months, learning acting and horse riding. I still come here every year to do workshop with my gurus,” says Saiyami.

Saiyami says that she did all touristy things when she came to Delhi before making her acting debut. “I visited India Gate, Qutub Minar, went to Old Delhi and many restaurants in Khan Market. At that time Shabana maasi (Shabana Azmi) was an MP and had a home here. We used to go to Lodhi Garden and I find that part of Delhi very beautiful. I used to shop a lot from Dilli Haat. My mom would come here and we would shop for mojaris and bags and my sister is very fond of handloom stoles and I used to take her entire stock from Delhi. I explored Delhi in those four months I was here. After that I have mostly been coming here for shoots. I shot for Breathe here and some parts of Special OPS. I will be coming here in mid-October for another shoot,” she says.

Saiyami has been getting a lot of appreciation for her last release Ghoomer and she says that it is overwhelming that so many women are loving the movie, where she plays a paraplegic bowler. 

“Ghoomer is closest to my heart. It has been a life altering film for me. I haven’t received this kind of love ever. It is surreal. Everyone who has watched it has loved it. Unfortunately, it came at a time when Gadar 2 and Jawan were running in theatres and we didn’t get enough screens but we still survived. It is surprising how much love we are getting from women, some 80-year-old women, some mothers of teens. They tell me they want their children to watch the film. A lot of schools are doing screenings of the film and it feels special,” says Saiyami.

For Saiyami, celebrations started before the festive season kicked off as her movie Ghoomer received appreciation from the audience. She says that now she is looking forward to spending some time with family during the festive season.

She says, “Be it Diwali or New Year’s, the festive season for me is all about spending time with family. Honestly, festivals are the only time we get to be at home, eat ghar ka khaana. I don’t even feel like dressing up a lot on festivals when I am home, as that is something I do all the time as part of my profession.”

Actor Adil Hussain has a lot of reasons to be happy. His film Footprints On Water premiered at the UK Asian Film Festival recently, with Hussain winning the Best Actor award for the same. Directed by debutant British filmmaker Nathalia Syam, the film also won the award for the Best Debut Film at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF).

“This is the first attempt to make a film on a subject that is generally unspoken of in this part of the world,” says an elated Hussain of the film, which is based on the plight of illegal immigrants in the United Kingdom. Even as this project continues to make waves globally, Hussain rues the fact that despite the attention they receive at international film festivals, such projects are often ignored at home.

“The kind of films that the Indian masses have been given to watch are often typical ‘good boy, bad boy’ [stories]. That’s probably one of the reasons why Indian audiences are not used to watching complex films and their awareness of watching good films is not really cultivated,” explains Hussain, adding, “I’d like to put this responsibility on the filmmakers and tell them that it’s easy to sell films that are black and white, instead of those with grey shades.”

Another major reason why such films often go unnoticed is the lack of funds to produce and promote them, feels the 59-year-old. “Producers [in India] are not ready to trust the content and put in money to bring these films into public consciousness and awareness,” says the actor, adding that unless such films are given their due share of promotion, viewers might not even know of their existence.

Even on streaming, which is often considered revolutionary for cinema and cinema-watching, “People ask, Who is the star?’ Platforms are following mainstream Indian cinema in that regard, except some series”, points out the Tooth Pari: When Love Bites actor, adding that the makers are still searching for buyers for Footprints On Water.

While fame and luxury might seem like the key facets of a celebrity’s life, erratic shoot hours, sleepless nights and prioritizing work over personal life are often part of the fame game, too. Recently, in an interview with author-lyricist Neelesh Misra, politician and former actor Smriti Irani said that back in the day, she had to return to the shoot of producer Ekta Kapoor’s TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi a day after suffering a miscarriage. “I returned because I needed money to pay EMIs for my house,” Irani said.

Here, actors tell us about instances when they kept a personal crisis aside to fulfil their work commitments.

Sometimes, you can be emotionally in a totally different state and you have to shoot for an opposite emotion. I remember a day when my mother was unwell, but I had to shoot a comedy scene. Darshakon ko isse matlab nahin hai ki aapka emotional state kya tha jab aapne koi scene shoot kiya. Yahin pe actor ka commitment aa jaata hai. Another instance was two weeks ago. I was so sick that I couldn’t speak. But I went for the shoot because I didn’t want the entire unit to suffer.

I broke my knee in 2022 on the set of Indian Police Force (her upcoming web project). It was the most debilitating moment of my life. I had committed to a lot of things and everything came to a standstill. But there was one event that I could not back out of as the organizers had arranged everything. I kept my word and reached on a wheelchair, but it was really hard.

I was running a 102-degree fever when I shot for the song Vaddi Sharaban (De De Pyaar De; 2019). My mum did cold pattis in-between the shots. Another difficult situation was when I was shooting for a project and I heard that my grandmother passed away. My dad asked me to come immediately, but I finished that day’s shoot, because I couldn’t have left it [midway]. The bright side is, we love our job so we push our physical and emotional boundaries.

In 2001, I was shooting for my show Jasoos Vijay near Jaisalmer. My brother called and said that our father had passed away. The next minute, I was told the shot was ready, so I shot for the next two hours. There were 150 people on the set and if I’d left, they’d have been stuck for four days. Another instance was in April last year. I fell flat on my nose on the set of The Storyteller. The director asked me to go to the hospital, but I asked them to cover the cut with VFX and finished work.

The most difficult time was when I lost my father (filmmaker Ravi Tandon) on February 11, 2022. I was shooting for One Friday Night (2022) and since the makers had an urgent shoot to finish, I returned to work on February 13. I was not in the right frame of mind, but sometimes, you should keep yourself aside and think of others.

A dil Hussain was recently in Delhi to be a part of the annual pop-culture festival Delhi Comic Con. The actor, who played Aditya Sahil in Star Trek: Discovery, spoke to us about his upcoming projects, how OTT has given good actors opportunities they didn’t have before, his favourite comics and more.

Having been a part of multiple OTT projects and with a few more lined up, Adil feels that while films are like short stories, OTT is like reading a novel as it gives creators more freedom to tell their stories. 

“Because it has the liberty of giving creators longer formats and due to its sheer reach and expanse, we can go home with the smaller characters, who otherwise remain in the background, and explore their worlds. You can go home with someone playing a havaldar and see their world. We get to see so many good actors, who we wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of. Actors like Jaideep Ahlawat from Paatal Lok or Rajesh Tailang from Delhi Crime, who was my classmate at the National School of Drama, would not have gotten such opportunities if not for streaming platforms. Rajesh would’ve been playing some hero’s friend or a smaller role, which is a disgrace,” says Adil.

The actor adds, “Apart from that, audiences are now being introduced to different lifestyles and cultures. For instance, I have the freedom to watch a film like Kantara any time I’d like and on whichever device I want. So I feel OTT is not just here to stay but is set to get bigger and bigger. I feel lucky to be a part of this boom.”

When asked about what he feels about a surge in films belonging to the action, adventure, sci-fi and fantasy genres (like Brahmastra, Minnal Murali or the upcoming Shaktimaan film), Adil feels that while it is a good start, creators need to work harder to achieve perfection.

“See, if I have two or three hours to watch something, I’d rather watch something that is very well done. Although I’d love to see Indian films making a mark in the superhero genre, and I can be biased towards an Indian cinematic creation, but I’d prefer giving marks to quality rather than just being a loyalist. In many Indian projects, I feel the VFX and storyline both need work,” says Adil.

Talking about his upcoming projects, he says, “There is one upcoming international project I’m doing with a popular streaming platform, but I’m not allowed to talk about it (laughs). I’m also doing a few films, which audiences shall know about soon.”

Since we caught up with Adil at a pop-culture convention, how could we let him go without knowing his favourite superhero? “I know new heroes have come in, but my favourites shall forever remain The Phantom and Mandrake The Magician,” he says.

Over the last few weeks, the internet has been abuzz with conversations on Twitter chief Elon Musk’s new policies, including the one that warrants a fee for a blue tick. Actor Adil Hussain, who has a follower count of over 75K on the microblogging platform, says that he may choose to decline paying for verification.

“The policy hasn’t been made public yet, so I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do. But, I may decline. I believe that won’t affect my following, because those who already do are aware that this is Adil Hussain’s account. They will continue to follow me,” he says.

The Delhi Crime actor says he doesn’t see a blue tick as a necessity. “There are so many people who do not have blue ticks, but have credible accounts. A blue tick does not really define credibility. Blue tick should not be the symbol of prestige, but of authentication,” he says.

However, he draws attention to how confusion could arise from this pay-for-verification move: “Let’s say there is a second Adil Hussain, who qualifies for a blue tick and pays the fee. Who will be regarded genuine? Will there be a documentation process? Is there going to be a second blue tick to distinguish between actors with the same name? It’s difficult to say much at this time.”