Eijaz Khan will soon be back as the no nonsense encounter specialist Wasim Khan in the web series City Of Dreams 3. The Nagesh Kukunoor directorial, which also stars Atul Kulkarni, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Sushant Singh, Priya Bapat and Rannvijay Singha, will release on an OTT platform on May 26. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
Do we get to see the hotter version of Wasim Khan in the third season?
People have no idea about what will happen with the characters in the new season. When I was reading it, I couldn’t believe it myself. More than being a father or husband, he is an encounter specialist and because of which he couldn’t be there for his daughter all the time. He was also a failed husband for the same reason. In the second season, he was trying to find out his career path. In the third one, people will see an entirely different grown up Wasim Khan. He is wiser and more comfortable.
Do you believe that OTT is a liberal medium as an actor?
Absolutely. I am not even talking about the creative liberties with the explicit scenes or language, rather I am talking about the scope of writing and the characters. In theatres, people want to see something larger than life and on television, they want to see familiar faces. On OTT, people can watch a variety of things at their own pace and timings. This allows the writers and makers to create something niche catering to a particular audience.
City Of Dreams will soon see its third season which is a rare achievement for the Indian OTT industry. Does it make you more responsible?
We all are very happy and super proud. As actors, we can’t take the credit for it. It dwells from the writers and director Nagesh Kukunoor sir. We were given full liberty to do whatever we wanted on the sets while shooting for it. This show is like a perfect marriage. There are a lot of surprises in the third season.
How challenging was it for you to play an aggressive character like Wasim?
Honestly, it wasn’t that challenging for me. What was challenging for me was to be that over the top happy guy. I intentionally aligned with Wasim Khan a lot. It resonated with how I was dealing with my professional life in my real life. I superimposed that a lot while playing Wasim. And I feel, everyone has a dark side to them. I believe that the grammar of the OTT platforms, characters, etc. is more realistic. To not act is more challenging than to act.
What was your fiancé Pavitraa Puniya’s reaction on seeing an aggressive and rugged Wasim Khan?
She likes me as Wasim. She is my equal and opposite and she knows exactly how I am. She likes me in such macho roles. She likes me with moustaches and facial hair. She doesn’t like me as a clean shaven chocolate boy. She in fact told me that if she would have met me back then, she would have never been with me. But to have a beard throughout summers is horrible. I don’t understand how people manage!
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
