EXCLUSIVE | 'Kaala' actor Avinash Tiwary: 'Hope people see my film Laila Majnu along with Shah Rukh Khan's 'Jawan'

Avinash Tiwary seems to have mastered the art of blending himself into the world of grit and gore. After Khakee and Bambai Meri Jaan, he has now been seen in Kaala currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar. He spoke exclusively to Firstpost about his prep for the role, working with Bejoy Nambiar, and also the cult of Laila Majnu.

Joining him was his co-star from the show Taher Shabbir, who too had lots of things to speak about.

Edited excerpts from the interview

Avinash and Taher, what do you have to say about the world that Bejoy Nambiar has created in Kaala and the work he has done as a filmmaker in the past.

Avinash: It was 2011 when Shaitan had come out and I was an aspiring actor looking for. One day, I just happened to get a call from Bejoy Nambiar and he called me to shoot a song for this film called Khoya Khoya Chand. We worked together in 2010 for that video and spoke about collaborating with each other. This show Kaala was supposed to happen much earlier but I couldn’t do it and it came to me again when I was free, and we decided to go on. Bejoy’s outlook and cinema have created a very unique space in the industry. He’ll always be one of the most unique voices from India in the last decade for sure.

Taher: I have been a big fan of Bejoy Nambiar. I was an associate director and working with Milan Luthria and that was the time when Shaitan released, and it looked like a beautiful, emotional work of art. That was the time when nobody was shooting like that, and that was also the time I was training to be a director. I was even ready to be a tree in the background in his film when I decided to become an actor. It’s very important for any director to have his own style, and Bejoy has that. It’s the same with Kaala.

Avinash, talk about your prep for the show

If Bejoy had asked me to jump from the 20th floor, I would’ve; that was my prep (smiles). There’s an outline to what happens to my character and where my story goes. He’s making his films on the go so you cannot have a fixed outlook. For me, the adrenaline rush was immense during the making of the show. Every time I used to see him on the sets, I used to feel that this man is on steroids, and that’s his vibe.

Also, what do you have to say about the love that your film Laila Majnu has been getting ever since it came out in 2018.

The love has only grown. It’s something I’ve never experienced, it’s wonderful. Imtiaz Ali once said that a film is for life, and if it’s a good film, it’ll keep finding its audience. I can almost see that happening. On the third day of the release, the posters of the film were pulled down and I remember being devastated. Five years later, 90% of the messages I receive are about Laila Majnu. And then, Khakee gave me a new lease of life. I hope all my friends and fans watched Laila Majnu along with Jawan on September 7.

Taher, how was the narration of the show like. How was it all written on paper since the show is dark but also dazzles with some great visuals?

For my part, I lucked out a little bit, because it was structured in a polished manner. My part was very well laid out so when I read it, it made life very very easy; and by the end of it, Bejoy asked me not ask further questions. I shot the show in spurts, so I got a lot of rest and time to prep for my role.