Jason Shah from Heeramandi reminisces about his experience of not being guided by Sanjay Leela Bhansali as frequently; ‘I had multiple directors by my side’
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of racism.
Actor Jason Shah was featured in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar in May this year. His performance as the antagonist Alasair Cartwright in the series was well-received by the audience. However, Jason feels that his character lacked depth in the series as Bhansali “didn’t direct him” much.
During a recent Inside the Mind with Rushabh podcast on YouTube, Jason Shah shared his experience of working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the set. Jason talked about differences of opinions that he had with creative decisions taken during the filming of the series.
Talking about Bhansali, the actor stated that it was his first time to have directed a web series and had several episodes that were eventually finished in three years. He expressed being dissatisfied with his character in Heeramandi.
“There were a lot of nuances that he wasn’t directing that much. I had other directors with me. I just felt we could’ve worked on it a little more, and a lot more colour could’ve come out. It had the capacity,” the Heeramandi actor said.
Jason Shah further spoke about connecting with his character and how he often gets thoughts about how Cartwright would have felt at a particular scene. Jason shared that, however, it is a director’s call.
Reliving his experience from other projects where he also played a British officer, Jason stated he has been on various sets where the actor has discussed history with his team.
Talking about his character from Heeramandi, Jason said that if he had been given freedom, his character would have come more strongly.
Citing an example of Ben Kingsley’s Gandhi, Jason stated that it talked about “how far racism can go” and added that if Cartwright brought such nuances in his character, then the audience would have been more “scared” of him.
When asked if Jason tried to suggest it to Bhansali, the actor stated that he would’ve become a “problem maker” if he said more than what he had already discussed.
Heeramandi stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, and Taha Shah Badussha in the lead roles. The series was released on May 1 and is available to stream on Netflix.
ALSO READ: Did you know Heeramandi star Taha Shah Badussha was once rejected by Sanjay Leela Bhansali? Here’s what happened next