Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah she underwent a drastic emotional and physical transformation Imtiaz AliMain Vaapas Aaunga next movie. The actor, who plays a bedridden patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, was so deeply immersed in the role that it affected him throughout the shoot. The film also stars Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari Waghand Vedang Raina in key roles.
“He had to stay in bed for almost the whole movie”
Speaking to NDTV, Imtiaz Ali shared that one of the toughest parts of the role was that Shah had to stay in bed for most of the film.“One thing that was very challenging is that Naseer, such a profound actor, had to stay in bed for almost the entire film,” said the filmmaker.Imtiaz further revealed that Shah spent nearly three hours every day getting into character as he portrayed someone much older than his actual age.“He would come in and take three hours to get ready, he’s acting older than his age,” he shared. “There were all these things stuck to his body because he’s a patient; EKGs would be stuck to his chest and his hair would have to be cut off.”
“Actually, he was forgetting the lines”
According to Imtiaz, the emotional depth of the character gradually began to affect Shah mentally during filming.“It’s very hard when you have to half remember and half forget,” explained the director. “Because he’s playing an Alzheimer’s and dementia patient, he was actually forgetting lines and forgetting which scene it was.”According to the filmmaker, actors often internalize the emotional realities of the characters they portray, especially when they approach their performances with sincerity.“When actors actually play a part, they start to become like that part, because there is no other way to act than to take it on,” Imtiaz said. “Naseer, of course, is a seasoned actor. So his memory was swimming when he was shooting.”
‘He was getting angry’
Imtiaz also admitted that the emotional strain of the role occasionally made the actor irritable on set, something he empathized with as a director.“That was tough, and he was getting angry. I knew he would be, because when you do something honestly, you get emotionally invested,” he said.
