Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming film Main Vaapas Aaunga boasts a cast worth looking out for — Vedang Raina, Sharvari, Diljit Dosanjh and the legendary Naseeruddin Shah. In a recent interaction, Imtiaz opened up about directing Shah and how he kept interrupting him and asking for retakes, even at the risk of getting slapped.
Imtiaz on directing Naseeruddin Shah
Imtiaz told The Hollywood Reporter India that he took liberties with the veteran actor which was not the same case for Vedang Raina and Sharvari. In retrospect, Imtiaz said that Naseeruddin should have ‘slapped’ him. The filmmaker shared that he would often give instructions to Shah in the middle of a take, and while the veteran actor would absorb the feedback and instantly channel it into his performance, he would also end up exhausted by the end of it. However, that still did not stop Imtiaz from pushing boundaries and daring to ask Shah for one more take.
Sharing the same, he said, “He is the kind of actor who, if you say something, there will be a change instantly. After a beautiful take (for the climax), when he was finished, exhausted everything, I remember telling Diljit that I was going to ask for one more take from him. Diljit said, ‘Oh baap rey, main toh bahar jaa raa hu, aap maanglo, all the best sir!’ Then Naseer said, ‘What nonsense… how can I do another take, what (exactly) do you want?!’ I said something and then he agreed. He is like a kid; he reacts like that. Because it (the scene) is painful, and he is doing it with full intensity, which isn’t easy. But he did it.”
However, despite asking him for another take, Imtiaz admitted that he eventually used the first take of that particular scene in the film. “He is someone I am genuinely excited for people to see on screen because I have never seen him like this in any film. I didn’t want to cast him just to play a version of who we think he is. There has to be something new for a Naseeruddin Shah, because the man has already done everything,” he said.
About Main Vaapas Aaunga
The film is a love story set during the time of Partition. The recently released trailer of the film showed Naseeruddin Shah talking about his unfulfilled love story to Diljit Dosanjh. Vedang Raina plays Shah’s younger version in the film, while Sharvari stars as his love interest. The film will release in theatres on June 12.
