Aditya Rawal became the talk of the town with his outstanding performance as an Islamic militant named Nibras in Hansal Mehta's Faraaz. He played the character with utmost honesty, passion and finesse. While he was the antagonist, one could see the soft side of the character. 

In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon.com, Aditya spoke about playing Nibras in Faraaz, which was his first theatrical release. The actor made his acting debut in 2020 with the OTT film titled Bamfaad. Talking to us, he opened up about doing a two-hero film early in his career and how Anubhav Sinha's involvement saved Faraaz. 

Excerpts from the interview:   

Your character was required to say verses of the Quran. What is difficult to get the diction, and body language right?

The character of Nibras existed. Apart from what was written in the script and Hansal sir’s vision, he was a part of our history. The nuances of the character existed. We did some workshops to bring the character to life. Hansal sir’s old associate and the film’s associate writer, Ekhlaq Ahmed Khan, led our workshops. The cast of the film who were shooting for the hotel portions would be a part of the workshop where we were taught the Quran verses and the origin of Islam. We were even informed that a verse can be interpreted in multiple ways. I'm not a Muslim, so I was aware that it was an aspect that would be investigated in depth when somebody saw the film. I was cognizant of that responsibility and made sure we do it in an accurate way.  

Is it easy to play real characters or fictional ones?

Every character has its own challenges. So far, I have played characters that are different from who I am as a person. I am born and brought up in Mumbai whereas in Bamfaad I played a UP guy, in Aar Ya Paar, I was a tribal person and now in Faraaz, I played a terrorist. Every character is challenging, it is all about finding what those challenges are.

Since you did two OTT projects previously, is it right to call Faraaz your debut?

As you mentioned I have already done two projects, Faraaz isn’t my debut per se but I would say I am still starting my journey. Before I start any project, I feel like I am doing it for the first time. In that sense, I wish everything that I do feels like a debut so that I have the same motivation and drive to do my job.

Reports suggested Faraaz was shot in between Covid-19 lockdowns... 

We had gone on floors 2-3 times but hadn’t begun shooting. The shooting process was aided by the Covid-19 bio-bubble. We were living together for 17 days and since there was just one set, we could shoot chronologically. The Covid-19 bio-bubble made the experience unlike what it would have been otherwise.

Faraaz is a two-hero film. Did it bother you?

I don’t look at things in that manner. For me, it is just the character I am playing, the story I am a part of, and the director. Faraaz was like a dream for me. I didn’t give it a thought to things like whether it is a solo hero or a dual hero project. As a co-star, Zahan Kapoor was superb and he is a wonderful actor. We hope to work on many more projects together in the future.

Since Faraaz was your first theatrical release, did you experience box-office jitters?

Not really. As an actor, all that you’re in control of is to do your job in the best way possible. For me, it is important that whoever sees it should like it.

Are you in the phase of checking reviews or ignoring them and focusing on doing it in the best possible way?

You can do both- check reviews and do your job in the best way possible. It is important to read reviews to understand how the viewer is perceiving your film and your performance.

What's your takeaway from Faraaz?

The joy of working with Hansal sir. He could have signed any big star for the film but he chose Faraaz and us because he was passionate about it. It is important to stay true to yourself and your craft even when you're a big filmmaker. I saw Hansal sir doing that in real-time and fighting for that film before, during, and after it was shot just to make sure it sees the daylight. The producers- Sakshi Bhatt, Sahil Saigal, and Mazahir Mandsaurwala worked hard on the film. Anubhav Sinha stepped in at a crucial point and without his involvement, we wouldn't have been here. Bhushan Kumar and T-Series also played an important role in it. The fight Hansal sir and others have fought for Faraaz to exist talks a lot about their passion for filmmaking.