Sohum Shah: I've made Tumbbad, Ship of Theseus, but my most fulfilling experience was working with Irrfan Khan

Sohum Shah’s choices of films and characters as an actor and producer has left a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike. Two titles that have stood out are Talvar and Tumbbad. He also managed to let the spotlight shine on him in last year’s The Big Bull. Given how his titles with T have managed to stand out, he makes sure he immerses himself into the characters and justify their conflicts and emotions to the T.

He’s now going to be seen in the second season of Maharani with Huma Qureshi and the stakes are likely to be higher and more dangerous. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, he opens up on his journey as an actor so far, the wickedness of the new season of the show, and what his future palette promises to viewers.

You’re about to complete 13 years in films next month. What have been the learnings so far?

It has been more than a decade and it has been an exciting, entertaining journey. When you’re in this process, it feels like it’s a very tough journey. I read a quote somewhere that said that when you’re going through a rough patch, you feel like you’ve been battered and buried. At that time, you’ve to think yourself like a seed that has been sowed so that it can grow as a plant. My journey as been tough and full of struggles but when I look back, it has been a good journey. I come from a small town, we used to travel over 40 km to see a film shoot just to see a glimpse. So I come from that background. There’s an external journey that you have to learn acting, because I didn’t have any NSD or FTII background. I was one of those college kids who used to shake with nervousness on stage, but I was driven by the desire to be into acting. At the same time, there’s an internal journey. Bombay is a very intimidating city. When I came to the city for the first time, I hesitated even while asking for a cup of coffee at a café. I used to feel I’m on a different planet, with them being the superior species and me an inferior specie. But when I look back, I feel I’ve made some decent films, done some decent acting, so it has been an entertaining journey.

Now you have season 2 of Maharani coming up. How twisted is the second season?

A lot of different things are going to happen this season. For me, Maharani 1 was a very commercial show and this time, it’s going to be very entertaining too. Maharani should have a large audience as it has a lot of surprising elements. As you may have seen the trailer, the kind of stuff that’s working today, be it in cinemas or on web series, people don’t want to see anything predictable. They don’t want to see stuff where they know how it’s going to pan out. The reason why Maharani 1 worked was because of it’s unpredictability. So season 2 is going to be full of surprises.

As an actor, when you deal with a subject like politics, especially taking inspiration from real-life events, is it relatively easier to do a show since there’s no pressure of censorship?

For me, it’s not like we are making something on someone’s real life. I got a script and as an actor, it was my job to play that part and I tried my best to the best of my understanding. But since you’re born and brought up here, you’re aware of the political environment that you’ve consumed. You mostly consume three things, films and politics being two of them, so you’ve an idea, I don’t think much about the risks. As an actor, it’s my job to know my character and play it honestly.

You won a National award for Ship of Theseus, do you remember your first reaction after reading that unusual script?

Yes, I remember the reaction. You feel like you’ve made a film like Ship of Theseus and you’re very intellectual but I’m not like that at all. This film was about the three different philosophies- Duty, Justice and Identity. After watching the film, even if four people donate their organs, it would be very helpful. That was my code idea. I come from that background where there’s no exposure. Whatever we have learned is through films. After watching 3 idiots, people around me allowed their children to be what they wanted to be. So that was my core idea and I really liked my story.

Talking of Talvar, again, a very gripping film, a very unusual screenplay. How was your experience of working on that film and sharing screen space with Irrfan Khan?

You asked me earlier how my journey has been like. I’ve made Tumbbad, I’ve made Ship of Theseus, but my most fruitful experience has been working with Irrfan Khan saab. I was looking forward to working with Irrfan Khan when Talvar was offered to me. Vishal Bhardwaj was producing the film and the script was solid, so it was an immediate yes. This is my most cherished memory in my decade-long journey.

We have to talk about Tumbbad, a critical and commercial success in India and the West. What were the preparations for the film’s cinematography as it had such a rich and stunning look?

Rahi Anil Barve was wanting to make this film for a very long time. He wanted to make this film even before I came on board. That was the time when nobody made such films. Someone said ‘Isme item song kyun nahin hai,’ someone said, ‘Isme yeh kyun nahin hai.’ People were scared to make this film. The cinematography was a very crucial aspect for this film and I tried my best to support this film as much as I could as a producer. We have shot in rainfalls, amid clouds, the entire crew waited for 4-5 hours for the clouds. But that’s exactly why that film is so memorable because we have put in so much passion and pyaar.

You know, the one similarity I find between The Big Bull and Tumbbad is how greed can instantly gratify your needs, take you to the skies of success and then shatter you completely. How do you see the themes of both the films?

The very basic theme of Tumbbad is how greed is bad. The Big Bull shows what’ll happen to you when you’re driven by greed. I feel the fundamental idea of both the films is the same. So definitely I see the similarities.

Lastly, what are your upcoming projects? What next for Sohum Shah?

Maharani 2, coming out on 25th of August. I’m doing a show with Sonakshi Sinha called Dahaad, which is being directed by Reema Kagti. I’m then doing something different, I’m doing a comedy with Luv Ranjan films. It has Nushrratt Bharuccha and Nora Fatehi. It’s a silent film. I’m also making a film after Tumbbad which is very close to my heart. That too is a very atrangi film and has only one character. 8-10 days of its schedule is left. I’m also producing an anthology of 10 short stories. It has Arvind Swamy, Moon Moon Sen, Saiyami Kher.

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