Vivaan is a natural: Naseeruddin

Naseeruddin Shah on sharing screen space with his son Vivaan and more...
Working with Vivaan in 7 Khoon Maaf...
We are never on-screen together. Vivaan doesn’t figure in my episode; he’s the narrator of the story. But I’m happy Vivaan got this opportunity. I admire Vishal Bhardwaj as a filmmaker — he’s got his head screwed on right and decided to leave Vivaan to his own devices.
Acting isn’t always in the genes...
There are great actors whose parents are not actors. Acting is about how you respond to life early on. We all act as children — we pretend to be aeroplanes and trains. Some retain this talent and become actors. Vivaan is a natural. His body is flexible and eloquent. There was a time when in our apartment corridor, he’d play tennis. He’d pretend to be two players and the umpire on his own. He can play all parts and he’s got panache.
Directing The Caine Mutiny for an Indian theatre audience...
It’s a play about world war. It’s about the psychology of people under stress, about losing your life any second. The Caine Mutiny is a study of vulnerable human beings under stress. And there’s no absolute truth; all are truthful in their own way. It’s a philosophical stance.
Directing an actor involves...
Being able to spot the potential in the actor. I don’t think it’s a director’s job to teach a person to act. A director’s job is to put the actor in a comfortable zone where he feels trusted and safe in that space. Anyone can be a good actor — the results manifest in how anxious a person is. An actor must find a way to get across to the audience.
The Caine Mutiny explores...
The right way, the wrong way, the navy way and my way. My way is to encourage the actors to grow into the role. I’m not impressed with actors learning their lines too fast. I tell them to keep the script so they understand what they are saying. I encourage actors to let lines sink into them, which is why I never take less than six months of rehearsals. The cinema, the stage and reaching out to the masses — your message for aspiring actors, including Vivaan... No other profession involves as much personal disappointment and heartbreak as acting. If you confront yourself with the simple choice that you would only die if you can’t act and if the answer is yes, then choose it!
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