Nandish Sandhu created an air of mystery with his character of Jamshed Khan in the recently released web show Jubilee. Playing catalyst in the Vikramaditya Motwane-directed series, the actor was showered with love and adulation for his performance by critics as well as the audience. 

In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon.com, Nandish spoke about Jubilee's humongous success, playing Jamshed Khan, and revisiting the bygone era. He further reacted to whether characters in the series are modelled on yesteryear actors. Nandish also opened up on facing difficulties with getting meaty roles while switching from TV to films.

Excerpts from the interview:

Were you reluctant to sign the character of Jamshed Khan in Jubilee? 

Not at all. When I was offered the role of Jamshed Khan, I was informed that he will be dying in the first episode. I was asked to come for the audition and test for two scenes. Back then, I wasn't sure of how much of it is going to be there and how important he will be to the story. I gave the audition trusting Vikramaditya Motwane’s direction and was confident that whatever he will do, it will be the best. The choice of doing the show after getting the script was in my hand. I was open to discussions. There was no reluctance but that thought was there as to what is going to happen. It was a no-brainer for me after I got to know that Jamshed was the catalyst of the story.  

Since none of us ever saw the 50s and 60s, was it difficult to get the mannerisms right? 

Challenges come with every new character. As you said, none of us saw that era hence it was important to understand that first. Uss zamaane ki hawa kaisi thi, mahaul kaisa tha, usko understand karna tha. We did workshops with Vikramaditya sir, writer Atul Sabharwal, showrunner Soumik Sen, dialect coaches and others, to get a better hang of it. Vikram sir and Atul sir were there throughout to help us because it was their world and nobody better than them understood it. They knew the vision and space that was to be created. All I had to do was to surrender myself to the makers and their world. Once that was done, half the battle was won.

Is your character modelled on any real-life actor? 

No character in Jubilee is exactly modelled on any real-life actor; we've taken inspiration from several of them and created a fictional world with references. Jubilee isn't a biopic but just a show inspired by certain events of that era. 

If offered, which yesteryear actor’s biopic you would love to do and why?

I would love to do Guru Dutt's biopic because I loved the way he communicated to the audience. He was ahead of his time. The fact that he would romance the camera so beautifully despite limitations makes him a legend. There's nobody like him. 

Jubilee is an ensemble show. Did you fear not getting an equal chance to display your craft?

Not at all. You fear when you don’t trust the team. I completely surrendered when I became a part of Jubilee. Fear had no space because the trust was so strong. Vikramaditya sir wasn't highlighting any one character and never tried to make anybody look less. Our focus was on storytelling. That was the only motive with which we made Jubilee. Everyone worked in unison to tell a story and not highlight one character.

You’ve done TV, films, and now OTT. Did you face any difficulty with getting meaty roles during the transit?

Initially, yes. That was before Super 30 when I was transitioning from TV to films. I would often get this feedback that I am a television actor. I am proud of being a television actor as I learned the dos and don’ts of acting on the job. The feedback didn't come directly from directors and producers. The middlemen working for production houses would say you're from TV, and the director/producer might not be interested in meeting you or casting you. At times, they don't allow you to reach the top people. I believe this is a part of your job and without facing it, you won’t learn how to survive. It is important to go through hardships to be able to carry success as well.  

Did you ever say no to a project because it didn’t match your ideology or was out of your comfort zone?

I didn't say no because it wasn't within my comfort zone. I rejected projects since they didn’t make a connection with my soul. It didn’t feel right. You come across many characters and you cannot associate with each one of them. Everybody has to make choices and those choices are very personal.