EXCLUSIVE! Shahab Ali: During the shooting of The Family Man 2 I was told not to smile at all

Raj and DK’s much anticipated Amazon Prime original The Family Man 2 opened to a thunderous response from the audience and the critics alike. While the fans had a chance to watch some amazing performances by noted actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Akkineni on the show, they also witnessed brilliant performances by relatively new and lesser-known actors who’ve been gathering a lot of praise.

One such actor is Shahab Ali, who played the character of an antagonist Sajid, in both the seasons of The Family Man. In an exclusive interview with OTTplay the actor bared his heart about his experience of playing a non-hero character in the show as well as his working with the South star Samantha Akkineni. Shahab also shared some fun stories from the sets of The Family Man and more.

After The Family Man 2, the actor has often been referred to as Sajid (the name of his character on the show) by the fans. Talking about the same Shahab said, “It’s actually a good feeling. Honestly, I didn’t expect this much of a response for my character. Actually, even in the marketplaces, people are referring to me as Sajid. The amount of love I’m getting is really overwhelming and I’m very happy.”

Speaking about his prep for the character of an antagonist like Sajid, the actor revealed, “This was the first time when I was offered a proper non-hero character, so I was a little scared whether I would be able to pull it off or not. The first thing I had to do is to gain weight to look convincing for the part. Apart from that, I had the acting experience of almost a decade as I’ve been performing on stage in a theatre and I used that experience and skills over here. Also, I had done two workshops especially for this part to get a hang of the intensity and gravity of an antagonist’s character like Sajid.”

We never get a glimpse of Sajid’s happy face in the show, not even that wicked smile that a non-hero generally sports. Shahab explains, “Honestly, it was a conscious decision. I remember Raj and DK Sir told me not to smile at all. They said that when I smile, I look very sweet and innocent and the role demands a certain seriousness. Sajid’s intense and inexpressive look made him unpredictable and even more dangerous, which was needed in the show.”

Ask him about his experience of working with Samantha Akkineni for the first time, the actor quips, “I had a wonderful experience. I think I couldn’t have asked for more because she is the starlet of Telugu cinema. She is very talented and a brilliant actress. It was a great opportunity for me to work on the same platform with her. And I actually learnt a lot that will definitely help (me) in future.”

"It was a very professional space and we both had clarity about what exactly we needed to do and we were really focused. It was a very smooth and effortless experience of working with Samantha,” Shahab added

When asked about the difference between performing live on stage in a theatre and acting in front of a camera, the actor explains, “To perform on stage in front of the audience is a different high altogether. The energy and enthusiasm you get while performing live is a different kind of experience. From time to time, you get live feedback on how your performance is going on in a play, while in front of the camera you don't get that live audience feedback and get to know everything post-release of that show or film.”

“For theatre, we rehearse a lot and then we have to give the best performance in one go, while shooting a show you get maximum chance to cut and take a retake for a certain scene. So, yes, it's a pretty different experience. Though I would say that I’m much more comfortable in front of the camera and the credit goes to the theatre, which has taught me how to work on myself, how to transform myself for a certain part, if needed and give my best,” The Family Man actor added.

On being asked to share any memorable anecdote from the sets, Shahab shared, “Well during shooting I didn’t know how to drive a car and in season two, I have many scenes where I’m driving the car with Samantha in it. So, the crew taught me a little and the basics before shooting that scene and I remember that we didn’t tell Samantha about me not having driving skills. So, the shot went well, but afterwards, when we told her the truth, Samantha freaked out and got really scared (laughs).”

Talking about his upcoming projects the actor revealed about his new MX Player show titled Ek Thi Begum season 2, which is arriving later this year, “I am playing a small but important role of a gangster in the show and it is set in the city of Bombay in the decade of 1980s,” he signs off.