Actor Imran Zahid, who is all set to portray the character of IPS officer Dr. Ram Gopal Naik in his biopic, gets candid with
The Pioneer about playing a real-life character, his admiration for filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and more.
The Pioneer about playing a real-life character, his admiration for filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and more.
Tejal Sinha
No one, especially an outsider, would have ever imagined being noticed by one of the most legendary filmmakers of all time—Mahesh Bhatt. And it was the same with actor Imran Zahid during our chat with him.
Hailing from Bokaro Steel City in Jharkhand, having the privilege of being associated with the filmmaker has been no less than a lifetime-cherished moment for him. Always keen on art and having aspirations, Imran came down to Delhi and did theatre with some renowned personalities. But the twist to his journey came when he met Mahesh Bhatt in Dubai, and to his surprise, the Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi filmmaker told him, ‘You should become an actor’. Damnn! And once he was back in Bombay, he recalls, “Mahesh Sahab asked me to send a few of my pictures. I called a friend who had earlier worked with the Times of India. When I sent him the pictures, he said he didn’t want any pose pictures but natural ones. Later, we talked about something that he wanted to work on. There was a JNU leader, Chandrashekhar Prasad. He was known as Chandu. We were supposed to do a film on him, who was killed, and we announced that film. It became the talk of the town, and I was also featured in many publications stating the upcoming new face, but unfortunately, the film got so controversial that his own party people were like, Stop this film, and we had to drop it. And Mahesh Ji was like, You’ll have to face it all in life; you reach your destination, and things change. And this industry is all about it.
So undeniably, it was Mahesh Bhatt who played a major role in shaping his journey as an actor. And then recently, it was Ab Dilli Durr Nahi that turned out to be a big dream for both Imran Zahid and Mahesh Bhatt.
Well, now the actor is all set to portray the character of IPS officer Dr. Ram Gopal Naik in his biopic. A film about Dr. Ram gopal Naik, an IPS officer noted for his impressive career in the Delhi Crime Branch, is currently under production. The film will highlight his pivotal role in apprehending criminals, his receipt of a gallantry award for rescuing a kidnapped child, and his involvement in high-profile cases such as the CBSE Paper leak and the extradition of Sanjeev Chawla, a cricket bookie who had been a fugitive for two decades, to India from the United Kingdom.
Sharing his feelings on playing Dr. Ram Gopal on-screen, the Ab Dilli Durr Nahi actor gushes, “It’s not inspiring to do a film that people know but to bring out a film that people need to be aware of. And it intrigues me to hear such real stories. His simplicity was something we thought would be interesting.”
Inspired by his life, the film tries to emphasise DCP Naik’s investigative prowess and dedication to law enforcement by showcasing his tactics and impactful work in a variety of hard cases, such as busting drug cartels, investigating murders, and dealing with bomb blasts. His journey from an MBBS graduate to joining the police force in 2002 will be the main focus.
Basically, according to him, “Whenever you portray a living person in a performance, it becomes an authoritative portrayal of their experiences: their motivations, the challenges they confronted, and how they overcame their individual struggles.”
Acclaimed for his performances in notable plays such as “The Last Salute,” based on Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al-Zaidi’s book, and several adaptations of Mahesh Bhatt’s films like “Arth,” “Daddy,” and “Hamari Adhuri Kahani,” Imran, as we head towards the end of the chat, grateful to Mahesh Bhatt for his journey, states, “He was the one jin-hone meri ungli pakadke mujhe aaj yahan tak leke aaya hai (who has brought me here today by holding my finger). Whatever I am today is because of Mahesh Bhatt Sahab. Who would have ever dreamt of a person from Bokaro getting to work with the man behind dil hai ke maanta nahi Aashiqui? We only used to listen to words like Bollywood’s godfather and if a person like him took you under his wing. Mahesh Bhatt mere harr Kadam mai mere saath hai (He is with me every step of the way). Even in Dili durr nahi, he made a special appearance.”
No one, especially an outsider, would have ever imagined being noticed by one of the most legendary filmmakers of all time—Mahesh Bhatt. And it was the same with actor Imran Zahid during our chat with him.
Hailing from Bokaro Steel City in Jharkhand, having the privilege of being associated with the filmmaker has been no less than a lifetime-cherished moment for him. Always keen on art and having aspirations, Imran came down to Delhi and did theatre with some renowned personalities. But the twist to his journey came when he met Mahesh Bhatt in Dubai, and to his surprise, the Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi filmmaker told him, ‘You should become an actor’. Damnn! And once he was back in Bombay, he recalls, “Mahesh Sahab asked me to send a few of my pictures. I called a friend who had earlier worked with the Times of India. When I sent him the pictures, he said he didn’t want any pose pictures but natural ones. Later, we talked about something that he wanted to work on. There was a JNU leader, Chandrashekhar Prasad. He was known as Chandu. We were supposed to do a film on him, who was killed, and we announced that film. It became the talk of the town, and I was also featured in many publications stating the upcoming new face, but unfortunately, the film got so controversial that his own party people were like, Stop this film, and we had to drop it. And Mahesh Ji was like, You’ll have to face it all in life; you reach your destination, and things change. And this industry is all about it.
So undeniably, it was Mahesh Bhatt who played a major role in shaping his journey as an actor. And then recently, it was Ab Dilli Durr Nahi that turned out to be a big dream for both Imran Zahid and Mahesh Bhatt.
Well, now the actor is all set to portray the character of IPS officer Dr. Ram Gopal Naik in his biopic. A film about Dr. Ram gopal Naik, an IPS officer noted for his impressive career in the Delhi Crime Branch, is currently under production. The film will highlight his pivotal role in apprehending criminals, his receipt of a gallantry award for rescuing a kidnapped child, and his involvement in high-profile cases such as the CBSE Paper leak and the extradition of Sanjeev Chawla, a cricket bookie who had been a fugitive for two decades, to India from the United Kingdom.
Sharing his feelings on playing Dr. Ram Gopal on-screen, the Ab Dilli Durr Nahi actor gushes, “It’s not inspiring to do a film that people know but to bring out a film that people need to be aware of. And it intrigues me to hear such real stories. His simplicity was something we thought would be interesting.”
Inspired by his life, the film tries to emphasise DCP Naik’s investigative prowess and dedication to law enforcement by showcasing his tactics and impactful work in a variety of hard cases, such as busting drug cartels, investigating murders, and dealing with bomb blasts. His journey from an MBBS graduate to joining the police force in 2002 will be the main focus.
Basically, according to him, “Whenever you portray a living person in a performance, it becomes an authoritative portrayal of their experiences: their motivations, the challenges they confronted, and how they overcame their individual struggles.”
Acclaimed for his performances in notable plays such as “The Last Salute,” based on Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al-Zaidi’s book, and several adaptations of Mahesh Bhatt’s films like “Arth,” “Daddy,” and “Hamari Adhuri Kahani,” Imran, as we head towards the end of the chat, grateful to Mahesh Bhatt for his journey, states, “He was the one jin-hone meri ungli pakadke mujhe aaj yahan tak leke aaya hai (who has brought me here today by holding my finger). Whatever I am today is because of Mahesh Bhatt Sahab. Who would have ever dreamt of a person from Bokaro getting to work with the man behind dil hai ke maanta nahi Aashiqui? We only used to listen to words like Bollywood’s godfather and if a person like him took you under his wing. Mahesh Bhatt mere harr Kadam mai mere saath hai (He is with me every step of the way). Even in Dili durr nahi, he made a special appearance.”
