Aadil Khan is all set to put his acting prowess to display in Disney+Hotstar's upcoming web series Shoorveer. The actor plays the role of an airforce officer. He will be sharing the screen space with veterans like Makarand Deshpande. 

Ahead of Shoorveer's release, PeepingMoon.com spoke to Aadil about his character, signing the show, his preparation for the role, his journey from being a radio jockey to an actor and being launched in films with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Shikara.

Excerpts from the interview:

What made you say yes to Shoorveer?

The script of Shoorveer is interesting. While the show is a visual delight, it has a good story with a great cast. Everything was falling in place and I saw it to be an interesting project to work on.   

What went behind preparing for your character in Shoorveer?

There were two types of preparation. One was physical transformation and one was emotional preparation. For the physical part, I was required to look like an airforce pilot and that required a different kind of body language. To do justice, my workout routine was fixed by my trainer. 

For the emotional parts, I saw my father as the inspiration. Being a policeman, my father never compromised on his family time.  

Did you meet anyone from the force to prepare for the role?

Yes, Samar Khan, who is the producer, has many friends in the force. While we were preparing, he would bring people from the force for the actors. We watched interviews and studied them thoroughly. 

 

 

 

 

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The show has veterans like Makarand Deshpande. Did you feel intimidated?

I don't get intimidated. It is always good to work with veterans. When actors are new, they need a comfort level on the sets. That's possible only with veterans around. Yes, it is challenging but that's how you learn. 

Your presence on the OTT is good. Are you keen on doing more Bollywood films?

Of course, I wish to. At present, I cannot talk about any of those projects as I am not entitled to do it yet. I think all mediums have become one now. It is basically more about a good story and characters that excite you.  

When did the acting bug bite you?

When I was a child. I think Indians are the happiest when it comes to Bollywood and cricket. They run in our blood. In school, I would participate in plays. I did radio and worked as a radio jockey. I shifted from radio to acting and realised this is the place I belong to. 

Do you think Shikara was the right launch pad?

Absolutely. Vidhu Vinod Chopra launching you is a big thing. We put our heart and soul into the film.  

People compared Shikara to The Kashmir Files....

Every maker has a way of approaching a story. Sabne apne hisaab se banayi thi. It is about how you want to present a situation. I don’t have anything else to say.

A dream director you wish to work with?

There are so many. I started with Vidhu Vinod Chopra and then Neeraj Pandey. I really wish to work with Imtiaz Ali and Rajkumar Hirani.

Was your journey from radio to films smooth?

There is an interesting story. When they were casting for Shikara, they had a meeting and Mukesh Chhabra was the casting director. They had planned that my character in Shikara should have a certain kind of voice. Mukesh's assistant heard me on the radio and wanted someone with a similar voice for the character. When she looked up on Google, she felt I look like a Kashmiri too. That’s how my entire journey started. I stayed at Vidhu sir’s house for almost a year and he trained me.