Farhan Akhtar says ZNMD scene with Naseeruddin Shah reopened childhood conflict with father Javed Akhtar: ‘I didn’t have to pretend’ | Bollywood News

Farhan Akhtar and Naseeruddin Shah shared screen space in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Though Naseeruddin had just one scene in the film, his role was pivotal to the arc of Farhan’s character. In a recent interaction, Farhan spoke about shooting that moment with Naseer and how the experience came naturally to him, reminding him of his tumultuous equation with his father Javed Akhtar.
Speaking to Galatta Plus, Farhan said, “I didn’t have that many lines. The lines belonged to Naseer Sahab and he is incredible. So I had to just sit and len to him. It was easy to react, it was easy to respond. What became difficult in that scene was the having to do it over because that scene cannot be a performance. It had to feel like the boy is hearing it for the first time, and the more we had to do it. Somehow, the actor bone kicks in and the performance bit comes into it.”
Farhan shared that he and Naseeruddin didn’t rehearse that scene at all. “The first couple of times, it felt more natural because he was speaking to me for the first time, and we didn’t rehearse at all,” he shared.
Story continues below this ad

Reflecting on how that scene — in which Farhan confronts his estranged father, played Naseer — reminded him of his own bond with his father after his parents separated, he said, “In some way, it transported me back to my childhood, to the questions that I had with my father when I was younger, not knowing what had happened and why my parents were not together. So, I think it tapped into that somewhere, and it somehow came out in that scene but not in a conscious way. But I remember feeling very emotional when that scene was shot and not having to pretend to be emotional at all. It all came very naturally.”

Farhan Akhtar was also asked about his recent reaction to Naseeruddin Shah’s old comment criticising his acting skills in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, where Naseer had called his performance “completely fake”. Speaking about the comment, Farhan said, “It didn’t feel good when I read it, but you have to take it in your stride. It is his opinion. In those moment, I can sit and focus on bringing myself down or live with the fact that this is how one person, who I respect and admire as an actor, feels and focus on people who are appreciating what I am doing.”
When asked if he ever sought Naseer’s advice on acting after being criticised, he responded, “No, and I’ll tell you why. I have been doing films for 25 years. There are certain actors, directors and writers that I have known who have debuted maybe 10 years after me. If there is something in their work that I feel could be better, genuinely, I would pick up the phone and call them or I would say that I would like to meet you.”
He added, “I would sit down and have a conversation with the person who I care about in a sensitive way because you are going into somebody’s creative process and giving them constructive feedback from your point of you, but it has to be done with a certain degree of love and respect and empathy, and I felt that it didn’t come from that place for him. It just felt like it was a statement that was just thrown out publicly, and I felt that then this person doesn’t respect me, so why should I reach out to a person who doesn’t respect me?”