Raees: Zeeshan Ayyub and Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the film (Image courtesy: YouTube)
New Delhi:
Actor Shah Rukh Khan's Raees co-star Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub says he was intimidated by the senior star at first, and later received a compliment from him. Zeeshan, a familiar face from films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Raanjhanaa, is cast as Chirag, a colleague and confidant of SRK's character Raees Alam. It took some doing to convincingly play SRK's friend. "I was totally intimidated the first day I met Shah Rukh sir. But I was sure about one thing that for me to be able to do justice with my character, I will have to get past his aura," Zeeshan told news agency PTI.
Raees actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has spoken about how Shah Rukh Khan 'doesn't bring his stardom onto set' - for Zeeshan, it was their shared theatre background that helped him treat SRK, 51, as a co-star - an old friend, in fact - and not as a superstar. "Both of us have a theatre background, so we had an inherent understanding about approaching the scene. It surprised me when Shah Rukh sir told me that he was impressed with me," Zeeshan told PTI.
"He asked me to enjoy my work, just like theatre. He encouraged me to experiment with different roles and not be afraid of breaking the mould," Zeeshan said.
Raees Alam, the role Shah Rukh Khan plays, is criminal figure who runs an illegal liquor empire out of the dry state of Gujarat. Of his own character, Zeeshan told PTI, "Chirag is Raees' close friend and confidant. He will be seen right from the beginning of the film and plays an integral role in the screenplay. He is Raees' partner in crime - in all things good and bad. A loyal, honest and trustworthy person, but he's not a 'Yes-Man'. He's not a side-kick, he is a real friend. There are times when Chirag disagrees with Raees and when that happens he is strong enough to raise his voice. A critical moment is created in the film because of my character."
Raees is a serious film, with a serious director in Rahul Dholakia and a (mostly) serious cast but the mood on set was light because SRK is known for levity. "Every now and then, one of us used to be ragged. Shah Rukh sir used to have a lot of fun taking our case. The other day a member from Bosco's dancing team tricked me into learning a dance move, which was not even a part of the choreography. So, it was mad fun," Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub told PTI.
Raees, also co-starring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, releases On January 25, alongside Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil.
(With inputs from PTI)
Raees actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has spoken about how Shah Rukh Khan 'doesn't bring his stardom onto set' - for Zeeshan, it was their shared theatre background that helped him treat SRK, 51, as a co-star - an old friend, in fact - and not as a superstar. "Both of us have a theatre background, so we had an inherent understanding about approaching the scene. It surprised me when Shah Rukh sir told me that he was impressed with me," Zeeshan told PTI.
"He asked me to enjoy my work, just like theatre. He encouraged me to experiment with different roles and not be afraid of breaking the mould," Zeeshan said.
Raees Alam, the role Shah Rukh Khan plays, is criminal figure who runs an illegal liquor empire out of the dry state of Gujarat. Of his own character, Zeeshan told PTI, "Chirag is Raees' close friend and confidant. He will be seen right from the beginning of the film and plays an integral role in the screenplay. He is Raees' partner in crime - in all things good and bad. A loyal, honest and trustworthy person, but he's not a 'Yes-Man'. He's not a side-kick, he is a real friend. There are times when Chirag disagrees with Raees and when that happens he is strong enough to raise his voice. A critical moment is created in the film because of my character."
Raees is a serious film, with a serious director in Rahul Dholakia and a (mostly) serious cast but the mood on set was light because SRK is known for levity. "Every now and then, one of us used to be ragged. Shah Rukh sir used to have a lot of fun taking our case. The other day a member from Bosco's dancing team tricked me into learning a dance move, which was not even a part of the choreography. So, it was mad fun," Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub told PTI.
Raees, also co-starring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, releases On January 25, alongside Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil.
(With inputs from PTI)
