Mridul Das’ latest offering has been ‘State of Siege: Temple Attack’ which is currently streaming on ZEE5. The actor recently spoke to BizAsia about the show, his role and what’s coming next for him.
What first attracted you to ‘State of Siege’ as a show?
State of Siege 1 was a massive hit and it was always a dream for me to be a part of something like this, and has real life story also showcase the bravery and respects the Indian army. I always wanted to do something like this. I gave audition for State of Siege 1 but I didn’t get it because my Punjabi was not good. And when State of Siege came out I luckily got opportunity to audition for it. I knew that State of Siege 1 was big hit and the audience were waiting eagerly for its sequel , hence It was a responsibility for me to make sure that I get my accent right, so I learnt speaking Pakistani – Punjabi, Pakistani – Urdu, I did a lot of research, watched Pakistani shows. So all of these practices everyday rewarded me with shortlisted actor for that project. And then Ken Ghosh when he saw the top 5 actors potential for the role of Farooq, he saw me and spoke to me for few minutes and then he finalised me on the spot by just looking at me and hearing me. So it was months of auditioning soo many actors that he finally got his Farooq standing right in front of him. So I always wanted to be a part of a show like this, when you are part of something so big like this sequel it gives a boost to you as an actor.
What did you find unique about your role?
The thing is the character like Farooq comes in a million I guess, they don’t come again and again. And when you have an opportunity like this knocking at your door you have to grab it. And characters like Farooq are seen, are established and have massive impact on audience. The movie is just released yesterday and I’m bombarded with text messages by people. Everywhere people are talking about Farooq because the character is written so well which is worth talking about. This character is psychotic, who has been through a lot of trauma in life and had a worse childhood and now he has turned into a beast with no remorse, he loves brutality. It was a dream for me to play such a double layered character , and it came true. That’s the unique part about Farooq and I hope it turns out well for me for the hardwork I put for the last 7 years. I also rejected many film offers because I wanted a strong role for my debut in movies that people would remember.
Can you reveal anything about your bonding with any of the other actors?
I bonded very well with Akshaye sir it is because we had many scenes together. He always rooted for perfection, whenever we shooted he used to advise and help me to perform much better, he gave me insight tips, spoke to me and made sure that the scene we execute should turn perfect. And because we had very similar interests we bonded well.
He always had a very warm gesture towards me. He hugged me and told me how much he liked my character and is proud of me. I bonded with Ken sir as well very well, I was very lucky to get the opportunity to work with Ken sir. As an actor he gives the full freedom to you to execute the scene the way you want it, and also helps us to improvise with every shot. Also I was lucky to get such great co-actors too. They helped to work on my Punjabi accent because they were from Punjabi background. And they really helped me to perform my best.
How did you find shooting for it?
I enjoyed shooting for this movie. I loved it because shot in some of the big cities of India like Jaipur and Manali and some more cities. The view of Manali was soo amazing, there was waterfall and snowfall. To play a character of a terrorist was also very unique and difficult to get into their mindset and find innocent lives as nothing and desrupting them and find peace in that. This was a very good experience for me.
Are there any similarities with the real Mridul and the character?
There are absolutely no similarities in me and the character I played Farooq. He is the most psychotic, brutal and heartless guy, he enjoy butchering innocent lives. And in real life Im a totally different person. I’m an animal love, I support animal and human rights. I’ve been part of many NGO’s as well as me and my mom feed stray animals in our locality on daily basis. So there is a huge difference between Farooq and me. I feel for people, and my ultimate aim is to give it back to society. Help people who are under privileged.
What’s next for you?
I’m eagerly waiting for it for my next project and it’s a horror. This is something the audience have never seen before, it’s an huge experimentation and a very unique show. It’s a horror but it’s also a based on many things like time travelling and stuff. I’m not allowed to reveal much about it yet.
BizAsiaLive.com thanks Mridul Das for talking to us.
