Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 16, 2020)

Like many in the industry, actor Namit Das, too, was itching to go back to work for the last six months. And now, the actor has started shooting for a web film in Nashik. He says that although, there is a lot of fear of the Coronavirus, he’s stepping out because he has to work. “I am not partying. It’s not like I am out there shaking my legs with 150 other people. In fact, my wife (Shruti Vyas) has also started shooting in Kolkata, and we both avoid meeting our parents because they are more vulnerable. One is apprehensive, but one has to move on. It’s been six months,” the 36-year-old exclaims.

But lately, even though Bollywood is trying to get back on its feet, there are reports about drug abuse and the toxic work culture in the industry, which has taken centre stage. Das feels that not everybody in the industry consumes drugs and this is just a generalisation. “Generalisation can lead to the death of anything and anyone. Putting everything under one umbrella is easy. Human beings exist in the society in different professions and we are far more complex. If someone is consuming drugs, you can’t say everyone does it. I don’t know why we are suddenly being looked at ki hum log toh aise hi hai. Every individual is different, and that is what I don’t agree with in today’s world, that negativity catches on much faster than positivity,” says the Arya actor.

Das is also a singer and he used the lockdown period to make some covers along with his band. “My lead guitarist told me ‘let’s do something fun’. So, our bass guitarist, who is in Virar, our drummer, who is in Vancouver, our saxophone player, who is in Ahmedabad, all worked remotely to make some Bollywood covers including songs like Badan Pe Sitare. We call it the Virar to Vancouver project,” says Das with a laugh.

The two actors talk about their real-life equation
Akash Wadhwa (BOMBAY TIMES; September 13, 2020)

Not many know that actors Sumeet Vyas and Namit Das are not just friends, they are saala and jeeja, too. The two were close buddies before Namit married Sumeet’s sister, Shruti Vyas. In an exclusive conversation with us, they talk about how their dosti has matured over the years. Excerpts...

You began as friends, and now, you share a jeeja-saala relationship. Has your bond changed over the years?
Namit: Well, the bond between us is not like that of a regular saala and jeejaji. We are friends first and family members later. I was friends with Sumeet before I started dating his sister (Shruti).
Sumeet: True, we became friends when we were doing a play together. Namit is also like a son to my parents. In fact, my dad is closer to him than me. More so, because they share the same interest — astrology. Not many people know that Namit has studied astrology and whenever our families meet, he and my dad sit in a corner and talk about the planets and their movements, which none of us are able to understand. And yes, I always seek Namit’s advice in astrology if things are not going great in my life.

Sumeet, did Namit tell you that he was dating your sister?
Sumeet: It was a weird night when Namit broke the news. We were sitting together with another friend of ours, when he told me that he is dating Shruti and that they are serious about the relationship. What they didn’t know then was that I already had an idea about it.
Namit: I didn’t know that he was aware of our relationship. I did not start dating Shruti when I first met her through Sumeet at their house. It was later, in a separate set of events, that we started going out. After 15 days, I told Sumeet that I was dating his sister and was serious about it. He was like my elder brother and a good friend, and he understood the situation.
Sumeet: But let me admit it, I was really scared that night; a lot was going on in my mind — questions like what will happen if things don’t work out between them. But thankfully, all is well.

Are you both critical about each other’s work?
Namit: Absolutely, there is no sugar-coating in our relationship. We are really critical of each other’s work.
Sumeet: We discuss a lot of our work with each other. Namit is also a good singer and I am a great listener. So, whenever he composes something new, he always sends me the scratch first.

Being in the same industry, the two of you haven’t really worked together…
Namit: We have worked together, but that was a long time ago, in a small music video directed by me. I was looking for a ‘sundar ladka’ for my music video, so I requested Sumeet to act in it, which he readily agreed, free of cost (laughs!).
Sumeet: These things happen when they have to. I don’t like mixing work and personal life. I think if we work with each other, things will get messy, and I don’t want that to happen!

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 25, 2020)

During the last few months, actor Namit Das has been looking after the financial requirements of his driver and house help. He informs that the post-lockdown phase has been stressful for them as the members of their families lost other sources of income. Das remarks that the economic threat has posed a challenge of education among the have-nots of our society.

The Wake Up Sid (2009) actor is worried and puts forth a big question that has no “solution for all” as yet. He raises concerns about education for the poor while we’re coping with the current Coronavirus crisis. He says “Virtual learning has not boded well for many who are on the have-nots spectrum. The fees for my driver’s children could not be paid because their school is not properly operational. On this account, they left for Uttar Pradesh and they are being informally tutored by a teacher in the inland.”

Das adds, “I worry about the quality of education that’s being imparted across inland areas. A generation of kids will have to lose a year and 2020 might become a gap year that was not intended for many. Not having a smartphone and a tablet means no education, I find that really concerning. I’m afraid that the virus might not kill us, but poverty will if we don’t support each other.”

Urging people to come forward to help those in need, he says, “If you are blessed with privileges you should try to do your bit to reduce suffering. While I have great respect for people who donate generously to causes, I think it’s important to reach out to those who are in your vicinity.” The actor, who has two web show releases this year, has been garnering praises for essaying the baddie in Aarya and Mafia.

Apart from the fact that the digital medium serves as the primary source of entertainment for cinephiles, Das credits the platform for increasing employment opportunities as well
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 12, 2020)

The success of his last web offering behind him, Namit Das has trained his attention towards his next, Mafia that aired on July 10. As the brightest of B-Town have been gradually opening up to the possibilities of the digital medium, Das was among those who realised its potential, early on. "It is the need of the hour and I can't imagine what the Coronavirus lockdown could have been without it. I was never hesitant to explore this platform," says the actor, who was last seen in the acclaimed Sushmita Sen-starrer, Aarya.

Apart from the fact that the digital medium serves as the primary source of entertainment for cinephiles, Das credits the platform for increasing employment opportunities as well. "It enables creators to come up with more stories, and actors to find employment. It has the potential to lift an actor's career," he says, quick to add that despite its immense reach, he doesn't see the platform getting the better of mediums like cinema or television. "Everything will co-exist," he says. A suspense thriller, Mafia, says Das, revolves around six friends who find themselves in unexpected situations. "[An event from the past] affects them and viewers realise that everything that looks rosy from the outside, is not actually so."

Meanwhile, Das wrapped up shooting for Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy before the lockdown was imposed. "A Mira Nair project is always on an actor's bucket list. Working with her is a dream come true."

Even as he disagrees with the novel's resolution, Namit Das on bringing the hero alive on screen in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 14, 2020)

When you sit through nearly 1,500 pages of Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, you expect a fairy tale ending. But Seth doesn't give his readers the pleasure — in a surprising climax, an unlikely suitor by the name of Haresh Khanna marries the feisty protagonist, Lata Mehra, even as the readers root for her union with her college sweetheart, Kabir Durrani. In an interview, the author had famously stated that he himself questioned his heroine's decision to marry Haresh.

As Mira Nair brings the book to life as a BBC series by the same name, we ask Namit Das, who plays Haresh, if he struggled to imbibe the character that suffers from an inherent disadvantage. "I questioned [the climax] myself when I first read the book in 2015. After 1,500 pages, you feel a bit cheated with the ending," he quips.

Of course, he is assured that Nair, with her mastery over the craft, will be able to sell the unconventional couple with conviction. The auteur has another advantage — she shares a deep bond with Seth, whose creation Haresh was inspired by his father, Prem Seth. "Vikram is one of the producers on the show, and we spent a considerable amount of time on set with him. As I went through the process of filmmaking, I realised that Haresh is modelled on Vikram's father. One has to understand that the unusual romance between Leila Seth and her husband Prem is mirrored in the book through the union of Lata and Harish. Even in Leila Seth's autobiography On Balance, there's a chapter that draws similarities between Haresh and Vikram's father. Mira is close to Vikram and his family, so all the characters have been designed with a personal touch."

The prep wasn't easy for Das, who had to transform into a paan-chewing shoemaker from a bygone era. "I learnt the art of shoemaking, in theory. I would sit with a cobbler on the cobbled street near [Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj] Terminus in Mumbai and practise mending shoes. Mira was also sure that she wanted us to be comfortable in the clothes that we would be wearing at shoot. [Since the book depicts the '50s] I got high-waist pants at home and used to sleep in them. I did this so that when at shoot, I had a lived-in experience and it didn't look like I was trying them on for the first time."

Even as Nair has brought together a powerful ensemble cast that includes Tabu, Ishaan Khatter and Vijay Varma, it is inevitable that some characters from the literary world haven't made the transition to screen. "Andrew Davies [writer] and Mira have managed to keep the essence of the novel intact," states the actor, adding that the director is "brilliant at adaptations". "The Namesake [2006] is a masterpiece. She beautifully blends the Indian culture with the understanding of the Western world. Her focus is always on characters who take the story ahead, which is why her ensemble films work perfectly."

Actor Namit Das gives his musical heritage a real chance by composing for Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy, taking forward his father's legacy
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; January 19, 2020)

When we tell actor-musician Namit Das that we remember him fondly from Wake Up Sid, he smiles wryly. "Recently, I have met so many people who have told me that. And I am happy about it, because when we were making the movie, we didn't know it would be successful. But then sometimes I feel, I have done so much more [than Wake Up Sid!]. Even dad can't help saying, 'Oh, he has worked with Ranbir Kapoor'."

Namit, 35, has done, and is doing, so much more. He is readying to spend the year acting in Mira Nair's musical, Monsoon Wedding, for the England stage. He plays P K Dubey, essayed in the 2001 film by Vijay Raaz. He has also composed three songs for, and acted in Nair's soon-to-release, A Suitable Boy. The musical gene comes from his father, well-known ghazal singer Chandan Das, a contemporary of Jagjit Singh. He released his first album in 1982, two years before his only child was born. He is best known for his albums, Inayat and Kitne Hi Rang, and has toured the country and beyond.

"When you are born into a musical family, you really don't know when you 'start'. It happens organically. In my family, the first word said in a baby's ears is 'sa' like in sa re ga ma. I was waking up every day to the sound of my father doing riyaaz. I remember Sunday was [dedicated to] raag todi. Soon, I was singing too," says Namit of a childhood spent in a one-room home in Mahim. He confesses that although his father says he wanted him to be a singer, he didn't. At this, Das breaks into a smile. "In our profession, bahut khaali bethna padta hai, bahut intezaar hai. In these gap periods, you can drift. It could kill your spirit. So it's good to have a back up [profession]," he explains. "Dad's grand plan was for me to do an MBA and get a high-profile job at a music company, so I would be in a decision-making position. But I became an actor," Namit adds.

Acting happened because he studied at St Xavier's College which had an active performing arts group. A comic role in Sumit Sambhal Lega, a 2015 television series inspired by Everybody Loves Raymond, was memorable as was the character of Guddu in 2018 Varun Dhawan-starrer Sui Dhaaga. But it's working with Mira Nair that might be a game changer, he thinks. It was she who pushed him to compose the songs for A Suitable Boy, based on Vikram Seth's celebrated novel. "She had some lyrics in mind, and her intuition is terrific when it comes to music. All three are love songs, and have a classical, folk vibe. In fact, my mother, Yamini, who is also from a musical family, wrote the lyrics for one of the songs." The director is an inspiration, he says, for finding beauty in everything. "Even in a movie like Salaam Bombay, she found it [beauty] in filth."

Das says Namit's musical talent is God given. "He has a lovely voice. But, now I hear that he composes too." Das helped Namit on one of the songs although they had different points of view, and the jury is still out on whose method was right. "Dad said, this is the right way to go with this raag. But the guitarist and I wanted a more discordant tone," he explains, to which senior Das says, "Well, I am more old school. He has a modern aesthetic, but also has the advantage of past experience. So, he obviously has an edge over me." Namit quickly gives credit where it's due— "I have got it all from dad. When I sing, it seems as if he is singing. I even have his discipline; I just need to give it more time."

Whatever their differences, the pride they feel for each other is evident. Recently, Namit was shooting in Lucknow with Nair and Das was performing at a show right there. "Places like Lucknow are great to perform in. People have grown up around literature and classical music. It's [the arts] still flourishing there. And I have to say, it's not just an older crowd. It's even among the young," he says. Namit attended the concert and saw it house-full. "Every line he sang, people hooted and clapped. It was less like a classical show, and more like a rock concert!"

Namit Das (second from left) and Mira Nair (in white) during rehearsals

Namit Das on gearing up to reprise the iconic role of PK Dubey in the Monsoon Wedding Broadway musical
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 17, 2016)

The first thing that Namit Das tells us about Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is that it was the first film he watched with his first girlfriend at a Bandra theatre. Now prepping for the musical adaptation of the 2001 award-winning film to open on Broadway next year, the actor says it will be a three-way attack.

“Broadway has always been challenging. Singing and acting while the world is sitting out there and judging you is no mean feat. I have no idea how I will manage that,” says Namit.

Even if he’s nervous, he does well not show it. Last seen in television show Sumit Sambhal Lega, a remake of Everybody Loves Raymond, the actor will reprise the role of PK Dubey (played by Vijay Raaz) for the musical. “I was selected on the basis of my skill set — singing and dancing, specifically. I am not considering a career in Broadway, but I want to do a good job at it. I don’t want anything to hamper my growth as an actor,” he says, insisting that he has decided not to meet Raaz for insight into the character. “That would have been a convenient option, but I want to bring my own to it.”

Interestingly, the musical will be a heady mix of English writing and Indian classical notes composed by Vishal Bhardwaj. “The tunes are intrinsically Indian and mostly raag- based, but the words are in English. I am doing my riyaaz every morning. I also have a band, so my vocal skills never lack rehearsal. Vishal sir is quite busy with Rangoon, but soon enough, I must visit his house and understand a few nuances he had mentioned to me in the last workshop,” says Namit.

Namit believes Broadway culture in America is on the brink of a massive change. “People tend to play safe at times. But, that’s not Mira’s style. Broadway is opening up to new ideas. Their current favourite play is Hamilton and it traces the history of rap music. That’s unusual too,” he says.