Vivaan Shah: My struggle continues…I have come to terms with it’

It has been 13 years since actor Vivaan Shah debuted with Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) which was followed by the blockbuster film Happy New Year (2014). He is candid enough to agree that less work has come his way but with theatre and writing books, he is not too bothered by it.

“The fact is that actors don’t pick their characters but vice versa! Career-wise, I’m still not in a stage where I have many choices so whatever comes to me I pick from that. Thankfully, I do at least one good project every year. It’s a different thing that all projects can’t be as big as HNY or The Suitable Boy (2020). I have still not reached that stage of my career where I can make choices. My struggle continues and I have come to terms with it,” says Shah.

“Besides acting, I do theatre and I write novels. With my experiences I can say that in everyone’s career, a stage comes that all doors are shut but then you need to believe in yourself, keep hoping for the best and create your work. In our family (parents Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah), theatre has been the biggest support. Then, I started writing and my third novel The Forsaken Wilderness got lots of love. It has given a lot of meaning in my life and given me artistic satisfaction,” he adds.

The actor has three projects ahead including the film U Shape Ki Gully that he shot in Lucknow. “I have shot Vishal sir’s Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley and play an economically weak person in the film Coat with Sanjay Mishra sir.”

‘We need level-playing field’

He is open about nepotism and the star kids’ debate. “Nepotism does exist in industry and it’s also true that star kids do get an easy opening but then that’s it! Till a few years back, I too used to defend the star kids but with personal evolution, now I feel there should be a level-playing field without any biases – not just nepotism, region, outsiders or any aspect. People should get work due to merit and not contact or any other thing! Not just in the film industry but everywhere and globally a big debate is going on about this.”

Deep Lucknow connection!

“In 2019, I shot for Mira Nair’s Suitable… so that was a different world – estates, bungalows and heritage buildings – whereas in this film (USKG) I got to shoot in real Lucknow – in lanes and by-lanes between commoners. I was able to get close and get the feel of life on the streets, which while living in Mumbai, in a well-to-do family, I never got a chance to see. This genre of aam-aadmi and mohalley ki kahani is an important aspect of Indian cinema and I’m happy that I was able to explore it.”

He adds, “Another connection with his city is that in our play Shatranj Ki Khiladi in Motley (theatre group) we have a song Nakhlau which was composed by Vishal (Bhardwaj) and was sung by Rekhaji (singer). As a student, I remember coming to City Montessori School for a debate and otherwise too as a child with my parents.”