He is unpredictable and always prepared: Naseeruddin Shah on working with contemporary Pankaj Kapur

Working with an artiste like Pankaj Kapur is akin to playing a tennis match where the players have envy as well as deep respect for each other, says veteran star Naseeruddin Shah.

The duo, considered among the most critically-acclaimed performers of Indian cinema, share the screen space in Anubhav Sinha’s Netflix series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’, which dramatises the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814.

At the press meet of the show here on Tuesday, Shah said Kapur’s presence in a mutual project pushes him to work extra hard.

“It is such a joy to work with him because he is unpredictable and you know that this person has done his preparation. I also make it a point to be completely prepared. It’s great fun. It’s like playing tennis where you envy his game and you also respect it at the same time,” the 74-year-old actor told reporters here.

Shah and Kapur, who are brothers-in-law, have acted together in many notable films of the past three decades, such as ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’, ‘Mandi’, ‘Khamosh’ and ‘Maqbool’.

Kapur, 70, said he has deep admiration for Shah and his craft.

“Such kind words from somebody you deeply admire. When I’m working with him, there’s a sixth sense within me which is always ready to learn, see what he is up to, and what new I can learn from him because that’s the kind of respect and awe I hold him in. He has said such beautiful words for me. I’m going to relish that for the years that are left for me,” he said.

Based on true events, ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ tells the story of the longest hijacking in Indian aviation history.

In the series, Shah essays the role of Cabinet Secretary Vinay Kaul, while Kapur portrays Vijaybhan Singh, Minister of External Affairs.

Shah said he was disturbed when the incident happened as he feared it would lead to “another wave of Islamophobia” in the country.

“I was about 50 when this (incident) happened. I remember being extremely disturbed because I feared that it would provoke another wave of Islamophobia, and luckily, at that time, it didn’t. But I remember feeling concerned about the situation and what it would lead to,” he said.

The veteran actor recalled feeling that there was no closure for the passengers and pilot from this unfortunate incident.

“There was a feeling of ambivalence at the end when the whole crisis was resolved because I was left with a feeling of unease when the deal was struck. I could not pinpoint why I felt this way, but I did feel that the passengers and the pilot had been through an absolutely horrifying time and this was no closure. This is what I remember feeling.”

Shah said what appealed to him the most about the show was the opportunity to be working with some wonderful actors.

The ensemble cast of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ also includes Vijay Varma, Patralekhaa, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Kanwaljeet Singh, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur and Yashpal Sharma.

“I’ve never been in a crisis management meeting anywhere near any of these things, but what appealed to me was the thought of playing with all these wonderful actors.

“It just seemed like being in heaven to be with seven to eight actors who you love and admire,” the actor said.

Despite the controversy, the show has been praised by the critics for its storytelling approach and performance of the lead cast.

The success of ‘IC814: The Kandahar Hijack’ gives a sense of hope to all the members of the team, Shah added.

“It will be too much of a sweeping statement to say that the audience has grown up and all that. But the success of movies like Anubhav’s ‘Mulk’ or ‘Thappad’ and several others which were unconventional movies, which didn’t pander to popular taste... gives us a sense of hope,” he said, while also acknowledging the fact that many “many wonderful actors” are being discovered through OTT.

Kapur said he went through the 200-page-long script of the series and was impressed by it.

“I felt it was a very taut screenplay and a very well-written script, which is why I wanted to be a part of it,” he said.

He further said Sinha is like a younger brother to him, having previously worked with the director for ‘Dus’ (2005) and ‘Bheed’ (2023).

“I have a soft corner for this gentleman (Sinha)... So, once he offered it to me, he was half apologetic about it... And when I got to know that these are the actors who are going to be part of it, it was, as Naseer Sahib said, a pleasure to be among all of them,” Kapur added.

The six-episode series has triggered a row after a section of viewers objected to the humane projection of terrorists and reference to Hindu code names.

Earlier on Tuesday, Netflix India’s content head Monika Shergill met Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju, following which the streamer released a statement and said it has updated the opening disclaimer of the series to include the real and code names of the hijackers.