Tete-a-Tete with Ace Actor Nasir Abdullah

Nasir Abdullah has been a model and an actor for more than 40 years now. He started his career with print commercials and since then has been part of various commercials for leading brands such as Blue Lagoon, Park Avenue, Raymond, Ceat Tyres, Thumbs Up and many more. He first featured in Bollywood film Dil Aashna Hai opposite superstar Shahrukh Khan and then went on to be a part of some amazing projects such as my brother Nikhil, Main Hoon Na, Manto and is famously remembered for his act in Indian TV series Swabhiman. He has been behind the camera in 9 films such as the 1982 film Gandhi and also other American films like The Great Hunter, The Last Viceroy, The Kidnapped Princess along with three Italian films.

 

More than forty years in the industry first film was with the leading staff of the industry, what do you think is talent really important or is it just the PR that work?

To Answer that question I think talent is extremely important to look good especially if you are doing the television commercial and at what we called as a model and then you need to have looks. you may not have any other talent but if you look it will work but for other platforms like the movie that and the television shows you have to have the tap. the PR will help you only so much the PR can help you get to a point where you will be considered for the job but if you don’t have the talent to give dialogue delivery properly, then you are out. so it's very important to have the Talent, the first thing is that otherwise to get PR will help you only to that extent. sometimes they don't need you to do too much of a job so it may help, the PR may help, but normally the Talent has to be there and then the PR is a backup and It helps you to go further because they noticed you and they like the way you conduct yourself, so yes.But talent is the first requirement and then other things. I have been in the business for 40 years and here is my first ad that I did for a jeans, it was for Apache jeans, which was on the back of the weekly magazine over 40 years ago and my nowI've been in the business for over 40 years, anyway that's it 

 

OTT is growing multiple folds what are your views on that? 

As well as record the OTT platform it is a great blessing trade blessing for every country of the world every industry who is actually connected with films, specially with the pandemic around its an even greater boom but even before that it was very well and we know various OTT shows that are doing extremely well you know and I will not name any but one of them is with Manoj Bajpayee who has done extremely well. there are so many of them, made in heaven and this and that, you cannot deny that it is a great boon for all kinds of factors and who were not getting a break in the movie industry order TV Industry, though theTV industry has been very useful to those who are not getting work in the film industry, so it all works out really welland I am very pleased for all the actors and the directors who had a platform to show their skills and to show their abilities and to make great  films andgreat content. so I am very happy that the OTT is there.

 

What is the difference in professionalism and style of working 30 years back and today?

Well back then it was a different sort of professionalism.There was not much added details that they needed to confirm with, but as the years ago by it is very important because I think sometimes they could make a mistake with whom they chose to do the part and sometimes the person whom they had agreed upon he turned out to have some of the problems may be faciallyor verbally or you know his abilities through to give a dialogue acceptor so I think it is only fair that the more the professionalism the better, because the filmmakers are spending lot of money and cannot afford to have a problem on the set to change after that can mean a lot of problems financial and otherwise and losses unnecessary inevitable losses because and also need to make sure that in every department the actor in every way is right, including the director, that is passed , so in every sphere the professionalism has increased and speciallythe acting, they need all the information so that the client will be spending money must know and he must be allowed to see the various auditions of all the actors to see who works and who doesn't work and then they have a discussion. so it's very important and useful and the right way to approach the business of advertising and film making, etc.

 

Can you share the best moments of your life?

Well yes there was a moment that I found very funny later on that time so I had gone to meet Hema Malini for part in which there was some issue. it was supposed to be Shahrukh Khan first film and Divya Bharti’s as well and there was Mohsin Khan, there was Mithun Chakraborty, Jeetendra, Raza Murad and Kabir Bedi, Farida Jalal, Sonu Walia, Dimple Kapadiya, Amrita Singh, the entire Industry was there. Anyway I went to meet Hema Malini before I was actually chosen and I was very nervous because I was not used to approaching people for the movies, i was mostly into doing advertisement as a model as we call it. So I met her briefly by chance you know she called me and I went to meet her and she called me in the living room which was her office also and she talked to me and said well the cast is already over but if Mohsin Khan leave this film as there is a possibility, then we will consider you for the next film for sure. I said okay, and before I left, her mother came down, so she seemed to like me a bit and asked in Tamil and I heard the word Hero. So Hema Malini explained to her something. I told her “by the way my Hindi is pretty ok” and she Smiled. whatever you think you are very stupid at that time to process,but I said to “by the way you know what I used to look like your husband and her husband Dharmendra,” and fortunately, she smiled and then I thought to myself have I said the right thing because I seemed to , like it was not my idea . I was not showing off, but some people had told me including Sharmila Tagore that yes you look like him. so because I had these people whom I had worked with, I thought I should say to him and then she smiled then I thought I should leave soon before I put my foot in the mouth again tonight. So when I told my friends, they said “Apne Apne pair par kulhadi Maar li hai.  You have destroyed any chance that you had by saying this”. 

 

Any advice for the young talented people out there who won to enter the Glamour industry?

I don't think I am really in a position to give advice but I guess I can say this much to those wanting to enter the industry is to keep learning a lot and keep themselves in an open frame of mind and of course there is hard work involved you need to contact all the people you can and the day of their needs of the pandemic it is not going to be very easy to beat up the people but now there is any way for a long time you need to send your details on mail your photos and other details your videos whatever and then you can be called. so it's very important to get everything understood you have rehears especially when you have audition lines, 2 lines, 4 lines, 6 lines,14 lines, you have to, have to work on it and get reasonably good at it at least so that when you approach the camera and you face the camera to give your version you should not be looking oh my god and you get confused and as a result of that you look nervous and that shows in the camera and you are rejected because you don't look sure of yourself.so it is very important to work very hard on everything and everything about the script , about the nature and understand it. have a friend to sit with you to understand, have a friend to film you, film it yourself get better and better and better and take opinions and don't get too worked up, if you don't get any work and my recommendation is that you should do some other work on the side make sure to this should be left on the side because it doesn't happen regular this work does not come regularly you may have worked for a day or two that nothing for two weeks and or two months. I can handle it but a lot of you guys will not be able to.  so remember working hard on the lines in advance is very important and doing a lot of PR, sending out your photos wherever you have to and be ready and go and in acceptance and you must listen to the instructions of the director whoever it is and I wish you good luck.