It is said that if you want a flourishing acting career, start your career behind the camera. Many actors in the past have started their career as assistant directors before establishing themselves as the leading man. Once they are in front of the camera rarely do they go back. But Meezaan Jaffrey is an exception. The actor, who made his debut with Malaal which was produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, decided to assist his mentor in his upcoming venture Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Meezan has previously worked under Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani. He also acted as a body double for Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat for a couple of scenes.
Talking about working as an assistant director again, Jaffrey says it was like going back to school, “I feel that coming back as an assistant director also keeps you grounded. I think every actor should go back to assisting if they get a chance. I was lucky to do it. He randomly called me and Sharmin Segal as some of the assistant directors were unwell and he needed some help and I landed up on the sets. I love being on any film set. I had a great time working on Gangubai Kathiawadi with Sanjay sir, Ajay (Devgn) sir, Alia Bhatt.”
The actor adds that there was so much to learn just by observing, “When you see such talented people performing, you get to learn so much. It is just going to help me with craft. Whenever Ajay sir or Alia met me they were extremely sweet. I didn’t have any extra conversations because they were into their character and it was necessary to give them their space. I was just standing and observing how they were preparing for a scene, rehearsing the lines. I also saw the kinds of suggestions that both of them were giving to Sanjay sir. Ajay sir who has worked in the industry for so many years was bringing in his expertise and would sometimes tell Sanjay sir ‘What if we do in this way or what if I do my action sequence in a certain way.’ So I realised that as an actor you also have to contribute to other things apart from acting.”
His latest release Hungama 2, on Disney+ Hotstar, is a comedy film is directed by Priyadarshan. Jaffrey says that being a part of the film is a big high, “I was more excited than feeling the pressure because I have been a fan of Hungama and Priyan sir’s (Priyadarshan) work. For me it was like being a kid in a candy store. I signed the film three months after Malaal released. I knew nothing about the character or the story. I only knew that the film is directed by Priyadarshan. It was a great opportunity to work with such a great director. I still wonder how this opportunity came to me but I am just happy everything worked out.”
Hungama 2 has been classified as a sequel despite having no connection to the 2003 hit film. The film offers no continuity in the narrative whatsoever. Ask him whether the film could have had any other name and he says, “Yes we could have called it something else instead of Hungama 2 but I am relatively a new actor and not in a position to take any call on that. Anybody who would be in my position would jump to work with Priyadarshan without questioning anything. The fact that it is called Hungama 2 creates a lot of buzz and curiosity so there are a lot of pros than cons.”
While Bhansli is known for his meticulous prep, Priyadarshan is an impromptu filmmaker. The young actor says that it was a completely different experience, “When you come prepared like I did in Malaal, you confine yourself in a lot of things as in the mind you are constantly thinking that this is exactly how I have to do it. It restricts you from being instinctive.”
He further explains that there was a lot of spontaneity while working on Hungama 2. “All the actors were coming like a blank slate. There was no preparation. The first thing Priyan sir told me was that I should not try to do comedy. There was no script. Priyan sir’s films are situational comedies and you adapt to the situation. The dialogues were given to us in the morning. We improvised a lot and that is what worked. It was easier said than done. The first few days I was petrified but I realised that the key to it was to let yourself free and loosen up.”
Meezaan’s father Javed Jaffrey and grandfather the legendary Jagdeep have been known for their impeccable comic timing. The actor said that the only thing he has learned from them is to create his own mark. “There wasn’t anything specific that I can point out that I learned from my grandfather. Whatever he spoke about was a great learning experience. He motivated everyone to do whatever they wanted. Whenever he spoke about the people he worked with and the kind of working environment he had, it subconsciously stayed with me. My father is also great when it comes to comedy and he has good at mimicking but both of them never told me to do something and not to do. Initially I was a bit worried about the comparisons, but I just went with the flow and with Priyan sir’s experience.”
The film has released on an OTT platform, but the actor says he would have preferred a theatrical release, “I was a bit upset when we took the decision of releasing the film on OTT. We never made the film with that intention. But looking at the current scenario we didn’t have any option and had to be practical. We don’t know how things are going to go from here and when the theaters are going to open. Also, I think the majority of people are still not ready to go to theaters. We want the maximum number of people to watch the film and I am glad it has come out on Disney+ Hotstar because we all are going through some difficult times and it’s been a while since a light hearted comedy like Hungama 2 has come out. The purpose of the film is to bring a smile on people’s faces and that’s going to happen.”
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