"If you feel 'getting close to a male actor' for a story is taboo, it will be a challenge" - Zeeshan Ayyub

Actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub has been on a roll lately, where he continues to star in some of the most celebrated projects, playing parallel leads and pivotal characters in general. Currently, the actor is raking in appreciation that he has received for his character in the film Haddi on Zee5. 

In an at-length exclusive conversation with us, we asked him about an array of things ranging from how it is to perform romantic scenes with a fellow male actor who is playing a transgender, how it helps his psyche knowing he is working with actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap and others, and the resurgence of Bollywood along with pros and cons of OTT.

Q. Playing the love interest of a male actor who is playing a transgender is probably an entirely untouched territory. When you're acting with that male actor and doing romantic scenes, how, as a real-life straight man, are you able to emote the feelings that might otherwise come naturally to you while working with a female actor or in general? How do you distinguish that?

I think for me, love is not just about... I think it's a very small part of physical intimacy. It's definitely a very important part. It is, I think, one of the anchors of any relationship or anything. But I think it's more about how you love a person and you fall into the idea of love and the idea of that person and how you feel about yourself when you are in front of that person. So I think that is what happens, and also when you are performing like you yourself said, you have to cut out so many things around you. So your concentration is definitely only there, and then you have to look at the character or that person that you have fallen in love with. I think it is also one of the major issues that most people think that all relationships are just sexual. So I think that becomes really difficult because even if you are with your partner constantly, you are not having sex 24-7. That is a part of your life, yes! But you are falling in love with that person. Having a cup of coffee with that person, loving to spend some time in silence with that person - these are so much more important. You just have to convince yourself. You have to fall in love with that idea and that character in front of you. So, I don't think it is that challenging in that sense. Until and unless you have too many reservations inside you, you yourself think, 'Okay, I can never be close to a male. Oh my God, I'll be getting close to a male right now.' And if it's taboo for you, I'm sure it will be very challenging and difficult for someone with that mentality. But for me, it wasn't, honestly. It was like, 'Okay, I have to fall in love with this person,' and yeah, that was that.

Q. When someone like you works with actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anurag Kashyap, there is a sense of belongingness that the viewer feels watching all of you. But how does it play with your psyche when you are working with people like them as opposed to others who are probably not as adaptable to the craft?

I think that is one of the most important parts when you are performing with good actors, and especially in a film like this, I would say. So, like, when I was offered this character, there is that novelty in the story, in the characters and everything, like you yourself said. But I think the most important part was that there was no, no sort of disrespect towards any, towards any, any character, be it transgender or straight people or anyone. So I think that was the beauty of it. And when you know that an actor of Nawaz Bhai's calibre is going to play this character, you know that he will bring dignity to this character. He'll not be mocking this character. And when you know that Anurag is there, so you know another sensible person is there, and he'll also not be judging anyone or anything. So I think that really helps you. Even in a not-so-special, I would say, in a general film, it's a general storyline and nothing great is happening; they're not saying anything. I always say you are as good as your co-actor. So, it really helps you to become a better actor when you are performing in front of a good actor. So, yeah, I think that was a major part.

ALSO READ: Review: Despite Nawazuddin & Anurag's impressive act, 'Haddi' is a fleshless piece serving you only bones

Q. There seems to be a resurgence of Bollywood lately, it seems like with films like Rocky Aur Rani... (RRKPK), OMG 2, Gadar 2, Dream Girl 2 and now Jawan are wreaking havoc at the box office. But amid all this, it is noteworthy that films like OMG 2 and Dream Girl 2, while popular, are relatively smaller but still garnered in the bucks. Do you feel that, gradually, we are going back to the period pre-lockdown where even smaller films would find audiences? Even your film, Haddi, if released in a theatre, would have been able to find an audience and earn decent money.

Yeah, I definitely believe that films should be released in theatre. I think it's kind of a festival. And when people were saying that now cinema is dead and everything, most of the interviews people were like, you know, it is now the time of OTT, and I was always advocating no, you cannot take away the charm of cinema from people. You cannot take that away. It's kind of a festival. The idea of community viewing is great. You love that. It's not just about consuming some content, and that is why people used to watch films and not go to painting exhibitions. It is not an individual art. It has to be explored in the community, and that gives you a perspective on how to watch that film or that content. 

And yeah, I hope that it goes back to where both (films and OTT) will survive. I don't know why we make everything about, okay, this will thrive, and this will go for a toss. I think both things can thrive. There will be some content that is better. I think the long format will always work on OTT. And you see, most of the films don't work on OTT, and that is the reason. Because it is not meant for that medium. Most of the films are like, people watch it, and they're like, oh, it was good, it was fine, etc. But you get people to talk about a new series because they invest that time. It's long form. They get to explore the character as you get more time to spend with the character and sitting with them for six or seven hours, and they fall in love with them or hate them and so on. So that is a different journey, and this is a different one. But I do believe that both formats can thrive at the same time.

Haddi marked its release on Zee5 on 7th September.

ALSO READ: Ila Arun's revelation: Why she took on the role of a transgender in 'Haddi'