Sudhir Mishra: Saurabh Shukla makes acting look effortless

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra and actor Saurabh Shukla share an enviable rapport. They first worked together in 'Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin' (1996) and since then, Shukla has featured in many of Mishra’s movies. Now, they’re back with '

Daas Dev

', the filmmaker’s latest offering that narrates the classic

Devdas

with a twist.

Shukla recalls, “Sudhir is my oldest friend in Mumbai. He didn’t cast me in 'Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin' as a roly-poly man who could make people laugh. I played a killer in that movie. That changed my perception in the film industry.”

Mishra agrees, saying, “People only saw Saurabh as a podgy man. His initial roles in TV and films were stereotypical. But over the years, I’ve seen him grow as an actor. He always makes acting look effortless, and that’s the hallmark of a great artiste.”

Their common friend Shekhar Kapur, who saw 'Daas Dev' recently, is all praises for it and Shukla’s performance in particular. He says, “Saurabh always adds nuances to his performance, and he has done the same in this movie. In a quiet way, he has become powerful.”

'Daas Dev', produced by Sanjeev Kumar of Saptarishi Cinevision and presented by Gaurav Sharma of Storm Pictures, releases on April 27.