He is unpredictable and always prepared

Mumbai:

Veteran star Naseeruddin Shah says working with an actor like Pankaj Kapur is like playing a tennis match where the players have jealousy as well as deep respect for each other.

Considered among the most admired actors of Indian cinema, the duo has shared screen space in Anubhav Sinha’s Netflix series “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”, which is based on the dramatic story of the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in 1999.

Speaking at the show’s press conference here on Tuesday, Shah said Kapoor’s presence in a joint project motivates him to work extra hard.

“It’s a great pleasure to work with him because he’s unpredictable and you know this guy has prepared himself completely. I try to be fully prepared too. It’s a lot of fun. It’s like playing tennis where you envy his game and respect him at the same time,” the 74-year-old actor told reporters.

Shah and Kapoor, who are brothers-in-law, have starred together in several notable films over the past three decades, such as “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro”, “Mandi”, “Khamosh” and “Maqbool”.

Kapoor, 70, said he deeply admires Shah and his art.

Kapoor added, “Such kind words from someone you admire from the bottom of your heart. When I work with him I have a sixth sense in me that I am always ready to learn, to see what he is doing and what new things I can learn from him because that is the kind of respect and awe I have for him. He has said some very beautiful words for me and I am going to enjoy them for the rest of my years.”

Based on true events, “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” tells the story of the longest hijacking in Indian aviation history.

Shah plays Cabinet Secretary Vinay Kaul in the series, while Kapoor plays Foreign Minister Vijaybhan Singh.

Shah said he was upset when the incident occurred, as he feared it would lead to “another wave of Islamophobia” in the country.

“When it (the incident) happened, I was about 50 years old. I remember being very upset, because I was afraid it would spark another wave of Islamophobia, and luckily, that didn’t happen at the time.

“But I remember being worried about the situation and its outcome,” he said.

The senior actor said the unfortunate incident has brought no relief to the passengers and the pilot.

“There was a sense of ambivalence at the end when the whole crisis was resolved because I had a feeling of uneasiness when the deal was done. I can’t explain why I felt that way, but I felt the passengers and the pilot had faced a very horrific time and this was no closure. That’s what I felt.” Shah said that what he liked most about the show was the opportunity to work with some of the best actors.

The cast of “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack” also includes Vijay Varma, Patralekhaa, Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Kanwaljit Singh, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajiv Thakur and Yashpal Sharma.

“I’ve never been in a crisis management meeting anywhere close to any of these things, but what attracted me was the idea of ​​acting with all these amazing actors.

“Being with seven-eight actors whom you love and admire, it feels like you are in heaven,” the actor said.

Despite the controversy, the show has been praised by critics for its storytelling and the performances of the lead cast.

Shah said the success of “IC: 814: The Kandahar Hijack” has instilled a sense of hope in all members of the team.

He said, “It would be too much to say that the audience has grown up. But the success of films like Anubhav’s ‘Mulk’ or ‘Thappad’ and many other films, which were unconventional films that did not cater to the popular taste… gives us a ray of hope.” He also acknowledged the fact that many “wonderful actors” are being discovered through OTT.

Kapoor said that he read the 200-page long script of the series and was very impressed by it.

He said, “I thought it was a very dense script and a very well-written script, which is why I wanted to be a part of it.”

He further added that Sinha is like his younger brother, having previously worked with the director in “Dus” (2005) and “Bheed” (2023).

Kapoor said, “I have a kind of a soft corner for this gentleman (Sinha)… So, when he offered me the film, he was half apologetic about it… And when I got to know that these actors were going to be a part of it, as Naseer sahab said, it was a pleasure for me to be amongst all of them.”

The six-episode series has courted controversy after a section of viewers raised objections to the human portrayal of terrorists and references to Hindu code names.

Earlier on Tuesday, Netflix India content head Monika Shergill met Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju, following which the streamer issued a statement saying it has updated the series’ initial disclaimer to include the real and code names of the kidnappers. PTI KKP RB BK RB

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)