"Iss baar ishq sachcha hai, humara bhi aur unka bhi," asserts actor Naseeruddin Shah to put across his unconditional love for Begum Para (Madhuri Dixit) in Abhishek Chaubey's 'Dedh Ishqiya'. While the actor talks about his affection for Begum Para in the film's most quotable quote, as a viewer, I interpret Shah's 'Ishq' as his never-ending love for his profession. Whether it the iconic star's ability to change himself into a wide range of characters, or keep the need for acting in his life both fresh and compelling, Naseeruddin proves with each film why he has no competition in Bollywood. And as Khalujaan Iftikhar Hussain (a small time thief in 'Dedh Ishqiya'), Shah is as impressive in conning a jewellery owner as he is in wooing Begum Para Jaan.
Abhishek Chaubey's 'Dedh Ishqiya' is one of those movies that has it all - a convincing story, great performances, and Naseeruddin Shah of course! As Naseeruddin introduces to the viewers the seven stages of love - dilkashi, uns, mohobbat, akidat, ibadat, junoon and maut in the film - we bring to you the seven qualities that make him one of the greatest performers on the screen.
There are spoilers ahead, we would suggest you to come back to this write-up after you have watched the film.
Even though there are several reasons for the cine-goers to watch Abhishek's film multiple times, it is the confidence with which Naseeruddin brings out the personality of Khallu Jaan in 'Dedh Ishqiya' that makes it a must watch. His quirks, shaayeri, and strategies to out-con Arshad, help Naseeruddin come across as a personality that one will always remember.
Filmmaker Govind Nihalani, who has worked with Shah, had once spoken about the actor's ability to get better as he gets older. In one of his interview the filmmaker had compared the actor with old wine, which only gets better with time. And yes, the filmmaker was quite accurate in his assessment. In the 39 years that he has spent in the industry, Shah has shown huge versatility when it comes to the characters he has played on the big screen. From his first film 'Manthan' to his much-applauded film 'Dedh Ishqiya', the actor has managed to do justice to each role - of being an insensitive, witty, self-absorbed individual - he has essayed. When one compares his role of Khallu to the rebellious Sarfaraz Khan in 'Junoon', the intense advocate Bhaskar in 'Aakrosh' and the endearing Parsi in 'Pestonjee', one can only be in awe of the gamut of his acting ability.
Those who have watched almost all the popular films in which Shah has featured, would agree that only a performer like Shah can pursue a career in acting, which is undoubtedly a constant battle. Call it his focus or determination, Shah is a thespian who can do virtually anything.
Is there anything more that tells apart the average actor from the truly surprising actor like Shah? Yes. The willingness to understand and experience the truth of a character. Unlike others, Shah knows how to open himself up emotionally as an actor. His ability to combat the human leaning to shut down and the insight into human behavior helps him to successfully convey the emotions in the film makes Shah such a fine actor.
When one watches 'Dedh Ishqiya', the viewers forget they are watching Naseeruddin on screen. That's because the actor gets under the character's skin so flawlessly, which further explains his true attachment to his work. When an actor manages to make the viewers stop thinking about who they are watching on 70MM, he certainly gives a memorable performance. The fact that we respect Shah for the dignity and elan with which he plays pseudo Nawab in the film, the viewers will not have anything negative to say about the actor.
While many are calling 'Dedh Ishqiya' much better than its prequel, we feel Shah has outdone his act as the uncontainable Khalu Jaan, a character which is a perfect blend of romantic and discontented. The unavoidable charm he exudes is precisely why we all gaze at him. Shah uses his body movement and voice to act like a nawaab and add to the old-world charm, proving how delightful Shah still is.
With each film he does, Shah wows the viewers with his high-nuanced performances. His act in 'Dedh Ishqiya' looks so effortless. Since Shah experiences a feeling of great ease in his work, it translates to his onscreen persona as well, which is why will keep our 'sachcha ishq' for him going, right?
Comments
0 comment