An actor isn’t merely that person who entertains you and someone watching whom you feel you’ve found a nice way to while away time, filling empty moments with smiles and joy. The actual definition of an actor- not that this is some standalone rule, obviously- is that he or she is a person who makes you fall in love with cinema and becomes the reason for you re watching a film, again and again! To our good fortune, we’ve chanced upon here in India an actor who stands out minus any godfathers and superpowers that guided him to occupy a space on the screen that’s his and his alone. Adil Hussain, much like an Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui is that soulful actor who shines brightly amid a cacophony of ‘stars’ or those described as big-budget personalities.
With a plethora of movies like Parched, English Vinglish, Mukti Bhavan among others, Adil Hussain has proven that you can beat to the sound of your own trumpet as long as the beat emanating from it is yours and yours individually (alone).
Some might call him a thinking or studious actor, others might call Adil Hussain the subject of admiration of the red-wine sipping, cigar-smoking, Jung-reading intelligencia. Though, regardless, Adil Hussain leaves a firm signature of authority sans any needless hype and hullabaloo in any role Bollywood or art cinema as they call it challenge him with.
Now, the 57-year-old refined actor has had an intelligent think to say on the subject of who should be playing the recent Olympic medal winner Mirabai Chanu winner.
In a sport as taxing as weightlifting, Mirabai Chanu became the first silver medalist from the Indian Olympic contingent, an act that did the entire country proud. And rightly so!
That being said, ever since the understated athlete from North East India got herself an Olympic medal- which truth be told, is every athlete’s dream- there’ve been talks about whom to refer to for her biopic role.
To this, the actor known for a contemplative yet uncanny Nirvanna Inn, had the following response:
Suggesting that only a North East actor should essay the role of Mirabai Chanu, Adil Hussain has affirmed support for a people who are often undersung and even under appreciated for their obvious natural talent and sterling screen presence, which perhaps deserves greater attention than given.
In his own refined words; woven strongly without holding himself back, the following is what Hussain had to say:
“I’d have definitely preferred someone from Northeast. This isn’t at all a judgement on Priyanka, she’s a very accomplished artiste. First of all, Bollywood isn’t a family or mafia, it’s a stupid name actually given by some unimaginative people, it’s not original. I’m saying that the Hindi film industry lost an opportunity.”
He spoke on Priyanka Chopra Jonas only on the matter that perhaps someone from the northeast itself could’ve played the famous Mary Kom character in the film titled by the same name, released over half a decade ago.
Making no bones about the fact that Northeastern talent and faces are often neglected or quite simply, ignored in the mainstream, Adil Husain added more:
“If someone makes a movie on Mirabai Chanu, I’m sure they’d be more imaginative and cast someone from the Northeast.”
All of that said, isn’t it about time that we did our bit to do more on talent from that part of India that’s just as beautiful as its beautiful people?