Shekhar Suman recently compared himself with the Indian legendary actors Dilip Kumar and Aamir Khan while discussing about the choice of project roles in an recent interview.
Shekhar Suman stars in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar as Zulfikar. He was last seen in the 2017 Bollywood movie ‘Bhoomi’ along with Sanjay Dutt and his Heeramandi colleague Aditi Rao Hydari.
The Actor’s Comparison with Dilip Kumar And Aamir Khan
The actor said in the interview that he is a basically a stage actor and it is not a comeback for him in the web series. He is still waiting for a perfect role to appear so that he can show his stage acting skills. He said that there must be a gap if the role gives him the vibes for a thrilling role since he is part of 10 OTT series and five films and he don’t work only to be seen in the big picture.
Shekhar Suman also compared himself with the Bollywood legends Aamir Khan and Dilip Kumar and stated that ‘I have taken a leaf from Dilip Kumar sahab. He used to probably do one film in two-three years. Aamir Khan… they all sort of preserve themselves in a manner that people have this thirst to watch them. There is no point getting steeped into mediocrity, that is very painful for an actor. In the midst of a show or a movie you realise that you’ve made a mistake. That’s the worst feeling.’
In the interview, the actor was asked whether he feels pressure when he performs in a well-known work, the actor replied to the question in a negative way that he wants the desire to perform on the big screen if the role and the script challenge him to do so.
Shekhar Suman on Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Shekhar Suman also revealed about working up with his Heeramandi director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stated that ‘It depends from actor to actor, if you are prepared and you are ready, then he is the easiest to work with. However, if you are terrified and you are not confident of your own self then there might be a problem.’
He also said about the Gangubai Kathiawadi director that working with him is amazing and he thinks as an actor that is the greatest achievement for him to work especially under a director like him who gives freedom to the actor to do the scene in so many ways if the actor is not comfortable and categorized, he gives the actor the freedom to open up and complete the scene in the actor’s way.
Shekhar Suman’s Role and His Infamous Scene In Heeramandi
Shekhar Suman portrays the role of Zulfiqar Ahmed in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar which was released on 1st May in Netflix.
The eight-part web series is set against the backdrop of the Indian freedom war in the 1940s where a cunning chief courtesan by the name of Mallikajaan commands an exclusive house of courtesans but a new rival comes for her position as the historic saga of love, power, and revenge continues. The web series stars veteran Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Adhyayan Suman, and Taha Shah Badussha in lead roles.
The most highlighted and infamous scene in the web series is the oral sex scene between Shekhar Suman’s Zulfiqar Ahmed and Manisha Koirala’s Mallikajaan in the web series Heeramandi. Shekhar Suman also revealed the information about the scene and he even asked the director’s permission to use it in the scene before the shooting since the scene was unscripted.
The director Sanjay Leela Bhansali said to him that if he didn’t like the scene he could repeat the scene for hours and hours. Shekar Suman said that it was an unusual scene for a web series, something no actor has done before.
Despite getting some mixed reviews in the web series, the netizens praised the performances of Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Shekhar Suman who once again highlighted his reputation as one of the most diverse and versatile performers in the Bollywood industry.
