Adil Hussain is currently starring in his new show Mukhbir. The web series, which deals with the fictitious tale of an Indian spy in Pakistan in the 60s, draws from real events. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Adil talks about the series, the OTT boom post pandemic, and how the medium differs from cinema. Also read: Adil Hussain locked out of his house ‘without cash or cards’ after earthquake, spent night at friend’s house
Adil’s character in Mukhbir is inspired by real life intelligence officer Ramkishore Negi. He says that in such a scenario, he depends on the director’s interpretation on how to approach the character. “I generally follow the instructions of the director. For example, I did the film based on the very famous novel Life of Pi, I was told not to read the book. Different directors have different approaches,” says Adil.
The actor says he was already familiar with the man much before he was approached for the show. He explains, “Before I was even approached for this role or knew that this show would be made, I had been digging about this man for some reason. I found him very interesting when I learnt how admired he was across the globe.”
The OTT boom post the pandemic has meant that actors like Adil, who were limited to a few artsy films every year, are now working on multiple projects at one time, some very mainstream. Expressing pleasant surprise at the development, Adil says, “I didn’t know this was going to happen. It’s absolutely a pleasant surprise. I thought that for me, I’ll do certain kinds of films and for my growth, I’ll do theatre. But now, it seems there are so many different kinds of roles in different languages from across the world. Sitting in Delhi, I am getting these offers. I’ll still say India is still in the beginning of that golden age. There is a long, long way to go.”
But is there a difference in the way an actor approaches his role and character in a web series as opposed to film? Adil responds with a cricketing metaphor, “The journey becomes more nuanced, more subtle. If you are playing a larger role and if it’s written well, you see the journey taking place. It almost becomes a character sketch, rather than an event-driven film. It all depends on the story. But it demands more nuance. It’s like a long Test match as opposed to a T20. There is nothing like ‘I have only one scene toh main kar ke dikhaunga (I will show them)’.”
Mukhbir – The Story of a Spy is directed by Shivam Nair and Jayprad Desai, and stars Zain Khan Durrani and Prakash Raj, apart from Adil. The eight episode series premiered on Zee5 on November 11.