Naseeruddin Shah on playing dead in 'Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi'

It is indeed a pity that an amazing film with a collection of legends like Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi isn't getting the eyeballs it deserves. The film, as we know, has only released in theatres and not on a streaming platform so its success depends on its theatrical run. The directorial debut for actor Seema Pahwa, it has already been loved by the critics and we can only hope that things get better for the film.

The great Naseeruddin Shah plays a cameo in the film as the dead patriarch of the family and talking about the same he said, “Death is not a tragedy for the one who’s dead, he’s oblivious for ever, it’s a tragedy for those left behind if they let it become one. There are also people who find lessons in death. I personally feel it’s the most unimportant part of life and ironically the only inevitable part.”

He added, “Playing dead is easy. You only have to lie still and hold your breath during the shot! Luckily, I didn’t have to do any of that. My director Seema Pahwa said she wouldn’t be able to bear seeing me with cotton in my nose lying on a pyre.” He further revealed that a body double  was used for Shah on the pyre, “It’s not me in the shots of the body, whose face you never see. I was very moved by this affectionate gesture. It reminded me of Gulzarbhai saying he wouldn’t be able to bear seeing Ghalib dead (Naseer played Mirza Ghalib in Gulzar’s series).”

When it comes to Pahwa as a director, Shah said, “Working with a trusting director like Seema was a treat. She was totally on the ball, certain of what she wanted and she won the trust of everyone in the unit. She had no pretensions of making a great film, like many of our dilettantes do, just a desire to do what she wanted and to do it well.”

When asked about what he is looking forward to this year, he said,  “There doesn’t seem to be much to look forward to in the new year. But I have plans for a couple of things on stage. Ismat Apa Ke Naam Part 4 is one. After the lockdown eased, I acted in a web series called  Kaun Banega Shekhavati? And I did tiny parts in films by Dibakar Bannerjee and Shakun Batra.”