Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is currently basking in the success of his latest release 'Scoop', which has been directed by Hansal Mehta. The actor has emerged to be the second favourite among the audiences, right after the protagonist played by Karishma Tanna, and viewers got to see him in a totally different avatar.
The Free Press Journal caught up with Zeeshan for an exclusive interaction, during which he spilled the beans on playing a righteous journalist, relating to his character, the celeb-scribe relation, and more.
'Scoop' is based on the real-life story of former journalist Jigna Vora, who was falsely accused of conspiring with underworld don Chhota Rajan to get renowned crime journalist J Dey murdered. While Karishma plays the role of Jagruti Pathak, who is modelled on Jigna, Zeeshan essays the character of Imran Siddiqui, who is inspired by Jigna's mentor, the famed journo, Hussain Zaidi.
However, Zeeshan mentions that Hansal never allowed him to meet Zaidi while they were shooting for 'Scoop'. "That is Hansal's process. He wants you to take on a character with your true, self. And though Imran is inspired by Hussain Zaidi, he has his own distinct characteristics, which are fiction, and the director wanted me to just follow the script and do what was best for the role and the show," he shares.
Ever since 'Scoop' released, social media has been buzzing with viewers especially praising Zeeshan, and the actor is finding all the feedback overwhelming. "I remember I had gotten this kind of response and recognition 10 years ago after Raanjhanaa was released. At that time too, my phone kept buzzing with congratulatory messages and it's the same now as well. The only difference is when Raanjhanaa happened, I did not know any of the people who were calling and praising me, but today, I have all of their numbers saved in my phone," he laughs.
In 'Scoop', Zeeshan portrays the editor of a leading publication who refuses to turn his back on his wrongly-accused colleague despite pressure from the higher-ups. In real life too, the actor is quite similar. "I feel if you think something is right, then you should have a spine and be courageous enough to stand up for it despite opposition," he states.
Being a celebrity, Zeeshan often finds himself on the other end of the journalism stick, and while he believes that it is evolving, he also feels that the media has too much power today to drive a narrative. "Earlier, the news only used to be about affairs and breakups, but today, it is more topic-driven, so we get all kinds of information to consume. Today, there are also very strong machineries which sometimes interfere with the real news and art, and drive home the required narrative. So, the media is evolving, but there are both pros and cons to it," he opines.
He further explains, "Scoop shows how far journalists have drifted away from basic journalism and its ethics, and it is dangerous. I feel we must try and preserve ethical, unbiased journalism as it is something which affects everyone's life. Journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy, and any corruption in that sector can bring the entire house down, affecting each and every citizen, directly or indirectly."
On a parting note, Zeeshan reveals his biggest takeaway from the web show. "Scoop has reinstated the faith in me that one must keep on doing their work with utmost honesty, and though it might take time for people to notice it, the hard work will eventually pay off. The show has given me a renewed sense of confidence that I must keep believing in my craft and move ahead. People might ignore me at first, but there will come a point that they will stop and notice, and admit that something good or great has been done," he concludes.
