Danny Denzongpa was mostly given negative roles because he looked different: Adil Hussain

Adil Hussain has said that Danny Denzongpa was mostly given negative roles in Hindi films because he looked different. Adil often speaks about all-inclusiveness in films and pop-culture. He is best known for his performances in films such as Life of Pi, English Vinglish and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. (Also read: When Danny Denzongpa revealed why he didn’t work with Amitabh Bachchan)

Adil, who was born in Assam, never shies away from promoting or featuring in movies from the north east and believes that voices from the region need to heard in the rest of India.

“We know what Bombay (Mumbai) looked like since our childhood through films starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Randhir Kapoor. We know about the Sun-n-Sand hotel in Juhu sitting in Goalpara. We know Bombay culture and the way they talk. The more you see a place, its people and culture on screen, the more you familiarise and accept them,” Adil told The Better India in an interview.

He added, “When I see the history of Indian film industry, apart from Danny Denzongpa, who was mostly given negative roles because he looked different, when have you seen faces from our part of the world? Cinema is a very powerful medium for people to educate and familiarise them with different cultures. Across the Northeast, we have such talented people.”

After working in theatre in the north east, and in Delhi during his days at the National School of Drama, Adil first made his debut in Bengali films alongside Soha Ali Khan in the 2004 period drama Iti Srikanta. Soon, he was seen in the BBC TV show Jasoos Vijay and a few Assamese films.

Abhishek Chaubey gave Adil his major break with Ishqiya and he was soon seen in popular films such as English Vinglish and Lootera. He also bagged the national film award for the 2016 movie Hotel Salvation. Adil has also worked in international projects including The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Life of Pi, and Star Trek: Discovery.

Adil’s Assamese filmography includes Bhaskar Hazarika’s horror film Kothanodi (2016) and Wanphrang Diengdoh’s debut Khasi film Lorni – The Flaneur (2019) He was also seen in Dr. Bezbaruah 2 that came out earlier this year.