Jason Shah has been receiving love and appreciation for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. He played the role of the ruthless British police officer Alastair Cartwright in the Netflix show. Recently, the actor opened up about the difficult phase in his life. Jason Shah revealed that he was a “s** addict”. Speaking to Shaardulogy, the actor said, "It was alcohol. I was smoking about two and a half packs a day. I can definitely say I was addicted to women. It was a s** addiction which was very difficult for me. I think it was one of the bigger ones to leave.”
Jason Shah also expressed his gratitude to God for his “grace” that helped him come out clean. He said, “God is so good and his grace is so sufficient for me that his love just overrode everything. It's not easy, it is tough because you have to say no. There's that funda that if it feels good, do it. But I have realised that that is probably the worst advice that you could give anybody. From my life, I would say, my worst decisions were made when it felt good. What I say now is, if it feels good, think about it.”
Meanwhile, Jason Shah's character — in the series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar — required a lot of work and intensity. The actor, during an interview with Filmibeat OTT, spoke about a particular scene where he slaps Manisha Koirala's character Mallikajaan. The actor said that was feeling awkward during that scene.
“There was. I even told the fight master. Because he was like, ‘Aise maro [Hit her like this]'. And I was like, ‘Main agar aise maara aur laga usko [If I hit her like this and she gets hurt then what] so I would obviously feel very bad.' So, I was very careful. I was watching my actions. In one shot, I even flicked her nose ring off. It got that close. And that's what I was telling the fight master that, ‘I am doing something. But if she is not in that coordination, I might end up hurting her. And obviously, she is an older woman. So, I had to take care. That is my responsibility.' But it was an intense scene."
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar premiered on May 1. The show marked Sanjay Leela Bhansali's OTT debut. Right now, the makers are busy working on the second season.