Actor Indresh Malik, known for his compelling performances on television shows and in films, amazed fans with his role as Ustaadji in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The actor visited The Free Press Journal/ Navshakti office on Thursday evening. He opens up about the series, working with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sharmin Segal getting trolled on her acting, and more.
Sharing his experience of reuniting with Bhansali after Gangubai Kathiawadi, Indresh said, “It was a dream come true moment for me. He is a genius and we used to be very happy every time he liked our scenes. He rewarded me with Rs 500 after being impressed by the scene in which Fareedan (played by Sonakshi Sinha) puts a nath (nose ring) on me. It was like a reward from a teacher to his student.”
Furthermore, he shares his experience of being on Heeramandi sets. He gushed, “Sets pe paon rakhte hi, Heeramandi mein pahuch jaate the. The costumes, the sets, the detailing, everything from the pre-independence era was beautiful. I have learned a lot from people, a team of intelligent and creative people, who were there to create a masterpiece like Heeramandi. It was a wonderful experience."
The actor also defended Sharmin Segal who is being trolled on social media for her acting. He said, "I had a blast working with her and she's a wonderful soul. In between shots, we used to joke and, mark my words, she'll go places. There have been masterpieces in history that the masses have rejected. After 10-15 years, people realise it's a masterpiece. But when it was made and released, people rejected it outright there and then. So everybody has the right to criticise. You cannot stop anybody from commenting or criticising. So it's all about your state of mind."
Reacting to those pointing out mistakes in the series, the actor said, “It's a vision and nobody promised you that this is going to be this. It's Bansali's vision. He wants to portray things as per his vision. He's a genius and we followed him. As far as real or unreal, it's a debatable issue. We thoroughly enjoyed it and the masses are loving it. It’s a success.”
Indresh further spoke about his journey from television to films. “I have always been honest towards my work, be it any character or medium. I will remain honest and my honesty works for me. I'm a director's actor, so I surrender myself.”
On a concluding note, he expresses the kind of roles he is looking forward to playing in the future. “I would love to do a poet's character or a middle class family man. People want me to portray things at par with the portrayal of Ustadji. I've got butterflies in my stomach, goosebumps. I still request everyone not to raise their hopes, even if I do some mediocre work, please accept that,” he stated.
