Hussain Dalal is currently seen in a web series called Salesman of the Year. The show is helmed by Ankita Sharma and premiered on MX Player on December 21. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat.
Opening up about Salesman of the Year, Hussain shares, “It’s really about this ambitious guy who travels to Delhi from Hyderabad. He is a salesman in the city. The whole idea is that he wants to buy the hearts of Delhi people and has big ambitions to take the business by storm that he is set to begin. He wants to be the best salesman and wishes to conquer the world and wants to get the best bond with the city. He also has this Hyderabadi swag. It’s just a really good set up with a bunch of ambitions and some real world emotions as well.”
Apart from being an actor, Hussain is also a very well-known writer. When asked if he gave any writing inputs to the show, he says, “I am very good at controlling and giving my best for whichever profession I am hired for. At the same time, it was written so well that I didn’t have to bring anything to the table. Everything was already penned meticulously in the script. It was written in detail and the screenplay was very tightly written. It was well thought of. I controlled my writer’s instinct.”
Hussain is glad he got to work with a director who has a clear vision. “Ankita is a wonderful director and she is so clear in what she wants. She is so positive on the set. She is one of the nicest people I have worked with. She is very talented, easy to shoot with,” he gushes.
He sees no difference between working with male or female directors. He avers, “I have worked with a lot of directors. They all have their unique qualities. Ankita’s unique quality is her calmness. When any kind of storm comes her way, she works with both calmness and clarity. This is a wonderful quality I feel. She does not lose her balance at all. She will also tell you, ‘This wasn't a good take so we will do it again’.”
With quite a few writers turning directors, one wonders if Hussain too will bite the bait. “I have a thought in my mind and I want to turn to direction but I have not yet really sat on it and picked up on that. As a writer, we pen in detail so direction is always the next step in life. When it happens. I will take a call when I feel I am more ready. It is one of the schemes of things in life which I want to achieve,” he concludes.
