Exclusive! Adil Hussain: The role of art is to bring people together, especially in a polarised society

National Award-winning actor Adil Hussain's latest project is the recently-released spy-thriller web series, Mukhbir - The Story of a Spy. The story is set in 1965, around the time of India-Pakistan war. The show highlights some sensitive situations that still exist between the two neighbouring sparring countries, and Adil says that it is important to find room for coexistence in a society that has become too polarised.

Mukhbir - The Story of a Spy is an adaptation of the book Mission to Kashmir: An Intelligent Agent in Pakistan. It revolves around a spy named Harfan, played by Zain Khan Durrani. Adil plays IPS officer Ramkishore Negi. In a special conversation with OTTplay, the actor tells us his thoughts about the responsibility of art and artistes in such a situation.

Adil said,"I think the role of art — be it cinema, poetry, painting or any other art form — is to bring people together. And it is especially needed at a time when we are living in a society that is polarised. The role of an artiste is to bridge the gap and empathise with all kinds of people in our society, even when people have diametrically opposite views on an issue. Look, in human history, we have seen such elements exist to spread hatred and break anything that is otherwise united. The point is this: I do not have to hate you just because your opinion is different from mine."

In recent times, there have been many films with stories that deal with socio-political subjects, where untold self-censorship came into play, as films and web series have become soft target for attacks. And Adil believes that the power of storytelling can never be taken away from a storyteller. "Even if my power of telling a story is taken away from me officially, I can still talk to people like my friends, family and neighbours, and keep the hope alive. Conflict is something that has always existed, but what has also existed is a variety of opinions," Adil adds.

Directed by Shivam Nair and Jayprad Desai, Mukhbir - The Story of a Spy also stars Harsh Chhaya, Satyadeep Mishra and Barkha Bisht. The series is be available to stream on OTTplay and ZEE5.