In heartfelt interaction with IANS, Siddharth Menon, Vidhatri Bandi, and director Padmakumar (Paddi) open up about the deep emotional bond they formed while making the film Max, Min and Meowzaki. From witnessing Nafisa Ali's incredible courage in her battle with cancer to experiencing Nasser's warm, fatherly presence on set, the trio shares stories that celebrate resilience, humanity, and the power of cinema. Siddharth speaks candidly about why success led him to seek therapy, while Vidhatri shares the emotional journey of filming soon after losing her father. Paddi reveals how Nafisa Ali flew to Mumbai for the shoot immediately after taking her bone marrow injection—a testament to her unwavering commitment. Siddharth also pays tribute to Mandira Bedi's remarkable strength for returning to work less than a month after the loss of her husband. An emotional, inspiring, and deeply personal conversation about grief, healing, courage, and the people who make cinema unforgettable.
#MaxMinAndMeowzaki #SiddharthMenon #VidhatriBandi #Padmakumar #Paddi #NafisaAli #Nasser #MandiraBedi #IANS #BollywoodNews #NewFilm #EmotionalInterview #CancerWarrior #GriefAndHealing #MentalHealth #PowerOfCinema #InspiringStories #Resilience #BehindTheScenes #MovieUpdate
#MaxMinAndMeowzaki #SiddharthMenon #VidhatriBandi #Padmakumar #Paddi #NafisaAli #Nasser #MandiraBedi #IANS #BollywoodNews #NewFilm #EmotionalInterview #CancerWarrior #GriefAndHealing #MentalHealth #PowerOfCinema #InspiringStories #Resilience #BehindTheScenes #MovieUpdate
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hey sir, welcome team to INS. It has been an absolute pleasure to have you with us on board today.
00:04Thank you, the pleasure is ours.
00:06Firstly, let me congratulate you on the trailer. I just heard you asking, are people liking Kiddah?
00:11We are loving it. I'll be very honest with you all because it is a very...
00:15Like I spoke to Nafitha Mamma and Nafitha Sir, it's just not like a very...
00:21They Klee or Bool-Gay movie. It is a very emotional movie and it's somewhere down the line, it leaves
00:24you as well.
00:25This is my take from the thriller that I saw.
00:27But I really wanted to know that this is something that we felt through the screen.
00:33I wanted to know, when we were acting, what were your emotions? How were they going up and down? What
00:38was the scale of it?
00:40I mean, as far as I am concerned, in between action and cut, I don't remember anything that I do.
00:50I just... I also don't bring me in the picture at all.
00:55Me as in, Siddharth. Or what he is feeling.
01:00I think subconsciously, it might get...
01:05It might channel something that I am feeling subconsciously. It's not a conscious thing at all.
01:10And I think that's how it should be.
01:12Because as much as we can surrender to the moment, to what the character is feeling...
01:20And that is our job.
01:22How does the translation happen? It's not our job. It's Sarji's job.
01:27And who is sitting on the edit, it's his job.
01:30So that's where I am at.
01:33For me, like I mentioned earlier, that it was very difficult for me, initially.
01:40But I think, after coming to set and after spending time with Paddy and Sidd, and you know, getting to
01:46know Carol better.
01:48It kind of like, just, it was a breeze.
01:52But, I think like Sidd said that, you know, we believed in the script and some of the scenes were
01:59written so beautifully.
02:01That, there was always this excitement.
02:04Like, how are we going to execute this?
02:07You know, so my transition was actually, you know, from being very scared and nervous, you know, dealing with grief.
02:16To, coming on set and you know, just trying to understand and empathize with Carol.
02:22To like looking forward to, oh, what are we going to do today?
02:25You know, like how is Paddy going to like, you know, make us do the scene today?
02:28It was a beautiful transition.
02:29And I think, like I said, you know, the credit goes to Paddy and his vision.
02:34And my priority, at all times on set was that I got to give, I got to do justice to
02:40his vision.
02:42That's it.
02:42Like, I just went with that one note.
02:45Because, we could see that every day on set, you know, how carefully.
02:50Like, there are some directors, you know, I mean, they will, I mean, I'm not saying that that is not
02:57okay.
02:57Like, there are some directors who are very controlling and you know, they want a few things exactly the way
03:02they want.
03:03But, sometimes you'll also see them like battling like, you know, they are a little confused.
03:07But, with Paddy, like he just knew.
03:11Like, he knew every page.
03:12He knew every scene.
03:14So, seeing that clarity coming from him.
03:17You know, for us, it used to be like, okay, even if we would, if we would stumble here and
03:22there.
03:23Like, like I mentioned, I was, because I was battling with so much grief.
03:26There were times I would disconnect, I would forget, I would forget who Carol was.
03:31But, he always had his way to like, bring me back into it.
03:34And, you know, like, just remind me, you know, like, okay, this is, this is who you are.
03:39This is who Carol is.
03:41So, it was just a wonderful experience.
03:43And, especially for me, the transition from how I started to like, you know.
03:47And, I remember like, I was so upset the day we packed up.
03:50Because, I don't think so any of us wanted this shoot to get over.
03:54Like, we were like, let's just shoot for another 60 days.
03:58So, yeah, that was, that was my experience.
04:00You know, sorry.
04:01Sorry, yeah, yeah.
04:02When you, when you mentioned, I mean, I just asked, but you mentioned twice.
04:06I think twice.
04:06Yeah.
04:07Yeah.
04:08Yeah.
04:08If you could just do it.
04:11So, I had lost my dad at that point.
04:14Do you want to talk to me now?
04:15No, that's fine.
04:16That's fine.
04:17He had passed away.
04:19And, I think a week and a half later, maybe two weeks after that, we got into prep.
04:23So, when I started shooting for this film, I was very numb.
04:28Like, I was devastatingly numb.
04:30And, and Carol is just such a beautifully written character.
04:35It just took me some time to like, you know, understand her light.
04:40You know, understand her as a person.
04:42And, that is where I struggled initially.
04:45But, once I found the rhythm.
04:47Like, once.
04:48And, thanks to him.
04:49Like, once I got the rhythm.
04:50And, also Sid, you know, just being such a giver.
04:53As an actor.
04:55You know.
04:56It just like, everything happened effortlessly after that.
04:59So, it was a struggle initially.
05:01But, yeah.
05:02But, like I somehow managed.
05:03Thanks to these guys.
05:04Yeah.
05:04Especially for sure.
05:06I really wanted to know.
05:07What made you actually come up with a topic like this?
05:11Also,
05:13We usually,
05:15on screen is a reflection of what you see.
05:20Right.
05:21What did you see somewhere like this?
05:24Or, how many of you have made it?
05:26How many of you have made it?
05:28All these stories are made of this.
05:29You know.
05:30It's made of lived experiences and observed experiences.
05:34And, sometimes other people's stories become yours.
05:37You know.
05:38So, it's really pretty much like that.
05:41You know.
05:42So, as far as this story is concerned.
05:45And, it's not in the sense it's not about a certain topic.
05:49You know.
05:49It's about life.
05:51And, it's a story that kind of unfolds and weaves and travels.
05:55And, it's about the journey of very regular ordinary people.
05:58Who have very extraordinary experiences and moments.
06:02You know.
06:03And, the idea was to create a story that normalizes regular relationships.
06:10You know.
06:11And, makes it everybody's story in the end.
06:16Absolutely.
06:16Yeah.
06:16Yeah.
06:17My next question is for you.
06:19Yeah.
06:19While I see no offence to you both at all.
06:22But, this is just a question that.
06:26You may choose not to answer.
06:28Sure.
06:40No.
06:41There's no offence at all.
06:42Yeah.
06:43It is what it is.
06:43I mean.
06:43They choose actors who have millions and trillions of face value and social media.
06:49Yeah.
06:49Followers and this and that.
06:51Why did you not do that?
06:52I don't know.
06:54I have never felt tempted.
06:56You know.
07:10You know.
07:11Yeah.
07:11And, I would.
07:11I would cast them again.
07:13You know.
07:14If I had.
07:15If I had the option of like a whole array of star kids or whoever.
07:19I would have still gone with exactly all this.
07:23This.
07:23This.
07:23This exact star cast.
07:25You know.
07:26Sid would have been Max.
07:28Vidatri would have been Carol.
07:29Because I don't think.
07:30I cannot imagine anybody else playing that.
07:33And I knew that even from the auditions.
07:35You know.
07:36You know.
07:37And in fact.
07:38When Vidatri had given her audition for Carol.
07:41I was like.
07:42We've got Carol.
07:44Then after that.
07:45She went through grief.
07:46So it took her some time.
07:48Like she says.
07:48You know.
07:49To come back to the Carol that she was in the audition.
07:52But.
07:53We knew for sure that that's going to come.
07:56You know.
07:56So I don't have any second thoughts on that at all.
07:59You know.
07:59And you know.
08:00In the end.
08:02It's not about.
08:04You know.
08:04For me.
08:05It's not about influencers.
08:06And how many people.
08:08It is.
08:08I mean.
08:09I would love it.
08:09If the whole world watched this film.
08:11You know.
08:11That's the ambition for the film.
08:13But.
08:14It should not happen on account of.
08:16His co.
08:1775 million followers.
08:19You know.
08:20It should come purely by virtue of the beauty of the characters who are in the film.
08:25You know.
08:25And.
08:25If it's given enough.
08:27Air.
08:28And enough air time.
08:29And enough patience.
08:30Word of mouth.
08:31I believe that this is a film that will.
08:33You know.
08:34Make it happen.
08:35So content is looking in actuality.
08:37It is actually.
08:38Yeah.
08:38It should be.
08:39And.
08:39And.
08:40The gravity that all these actors bring.
08:42You know.
08:43I mean.
08:43There's no substitute to what Adil Hussain can do.
08:46Or Nasser sir can do.
08:47You know.
08:48And no.
08:48Nasser sir is not on Instagram.
08:50You know.
08:51You know.
08:51He's not.
08:54And I'm terrible at.
08:56They say.
08:57You know.
08:57For me.
08:57Instagram is at best third language.
08:59You know.
09:00It's like that.
09:01So.
09:02Yeah.
09:02So it doesn't work like that somehow.
09:05You know.
09:05Yeah.
09:06So I'm hoping that.
09:07You know.
09:08All of you watch the film.
09:09And then you know.
09:10Talk about it.
09:11And the word of mouth.
09:12Spreads.
09:13And gets people.
09:14You know.
09:14Into the halls.
09:15Who are theels.
09:15Yeah.
09:16Yeah.
09:16Yeah.
09:17So.
09:17You know.
09:18When I saw the.
09:19Trailer.
09:20It's obviously.
09:20Kind of make.
09:25It's between.
09:26The relationship of father, son.
09:27Grandmother.
09:28And.
09:28And.
09:32I really wanted to know.
09:33That in today's times.
09:34When we talk about.
09:36The current generation.
09:37Or.
09:37My generation.
09:38From the 90's.
09:39So.
09:42Because of social media.
09:45we are overexposed to a lot of unnecessary things as well.
09:49So, in that whole gimmick,
09:51we can forget the boundaries of our parents
09:55or the boundaries of our guru-juns.
09:58Because when we call someone a mentor,
10:00like if my parents call someone a mentor,
10:02they actually meant it, that they are a mentor.
10:04In today's time,
10:05there are many gimmicks that know the actual mentor
10:07of this word's importance.
10:09I only want to understand from you both especially,
10:13what do you think about this entire social media
10:16going all frenzy and all bonkers,
10:19they are not understanding the integrity of parents
10:22who are in father-son or father-daughter relationship
10:25or mother-son-mother-daughter relationship.
10:27They are going to say something.
10:29Why am I asking this question?
10:31Because it is the kind of news that we are listening to these days.
10:34It is extremely disturbing and distressing and it shows
10:37that sometimes what we call our Indian culture,
10:39they are going to say something.
10:40Do you think it is because of social media?
10:44See, I think generation gaps have always been there.
10:53That is what I feel.
10:55I know my relationship with my father.
10:57I know there were, I think,
11:01from the latter half of my schooling,
11:03all the way till I started acting,
11:05there was a big gap between me and my father.
11:09Because it is not that we were fighting or anything.
11:12There was just no communication at all.
11:15There was no communication at all.
11:15Up until I started acting and something changed within him
11:19and he started getting,
11:20and now we are inseparable.
11:22My father was never my hero.
11:24Now he is my hero.
11:25Since the last 10 years.
11:29Because we have had those conversations.
11:31So I feel,
11:32I feel this is manifest.
11:34Social media is a tool which has added to this,
11:37is what I feel.
11:41I think that we should not generalize.
11:44Because in my family,
11:47I have many cousins who are like 10 years younger to me,
11:5115 years younger to me.
11:53Or many of the people,
11:54the youngsters who I work with.
11:56Or there are a lot of young writers and directors
11:58who are 12, 13 years younger to me,
12:01who are pitching scripts to me.
12:03You know what I am saying?
12:04But I relate to them more
12:09than people from my batch sometimes.
12:12You understand what I am saying?
12:13So I feel,
12:14who is letting social media rule their head and hearts
12:19is not an age specific thing.
12:21It's a person specific thing,
12:24is what I feel.
12:25And we all are battling.
12:27We all have these detoxes.
12:31And we all have a journey with social media.
12:33Where I am at right now is,
12:35I want to use social media
12:37and not let social media use me.
12:39Is a battle which I am continuously fighting.
12:43And sometimes I fail at it,
12:44and sometimes I am successful at it.
12:46And yeah, that's what I feel.
12:50We go through the same emotions and patterns.
12:53It's just the way we go through it is different.
12:57Right? Like there is a...
12:59I don't know whether to...
13:01There is a line in this film,
13:04which kind of,
13:05which kind of says that
13:08everybody has generational trauma.
13:10I won't say the line,
13:11but it hints at that.
13:12And that's what,
13:13that's what I feel.
13:15You know, for me, honestly,
13:16like if I had an option to like,
13:19not be on social media,
13:20I wouldn't be.
13:21Trust me.
13:22I'm on it because I'm an actor
13:24and I have to be on it.
13:25Otherwise, if you go see my Instagram,
13:26like I barely have 100 posts.
13:28Now also it's touched 100
13:29because I have to put Maxman in me.
13:31I was like,
13:31he posts and I'm putting.
13:33Otherwise,
13:34for me,
13:35I've always had like great relationship
13:37with my parents.
13:38Like my father was my whole world.
13:40Like he was less of a father to me
13:42and he was more of a friend to me.
13:44And I think,
13:46the way I,
13:47the way I see it,
13:48and I might be completely wrong,
13:49but I'm talking about myself here.
13:50Growing up,
13:52I've, I mean,
13:53I've always had like very present parents.
13:56So I never really had to go
13:58and seek validation outside my house
14:00because my parents were so present.
14:02And I'm not saying that people
14:03who are on social media
14:04looking for validation
14:05have not had that experience
14:07with their parents.
14:08I'm only talking about myself here.
14:10I can never relate to someone
14:12or I can never relate to that.
14:13Most people will be like,
14:15Oh, you know,
14:15I've put up a picture now
14:16and I'm hoping to get these many lines.
14:18My likes,
14:19my mind has never gone there.
14:21It's never gone there.
14:22So for me,
14:23it's a very alien thought
14:24to like obsess about something.
14:26For me, I look at it as an app.
14:28And yes,
14:28there are so many people out there
14:30who have done amazing for themselves
14:33on that app.
14:34And I follow some of them
14:35and I look up to some of them,
14:37but that is not something
14:38that has ever resonated with me personally.
14:40So I agree to what Sid said.
14:43Like I can literally resonate
14:44to what he said is that
14:46I will not let that use me.
14:48I'm on it.
14:49Sometimes I literally,
14:50like if you see my explore page,
14:52there are only cooking recipe videos.
14:54There is like workout stuff,
14:55nutrition.
14:56For me, Instagram is like
14:57when I'm using Instagram,
14:58I make that also informative.
15:00I'm like,
15:00I don't know what the trends are.
15:03I don't know what is happening.
15:04Like right now also,
15:05you told me about like some news
15:06that's going,
15:07I don't know what you're talking about.
15:09And I often get asked that,
15:11which world are you living in?
15:12I said, I'm living in my world.
15:14And I'm very happy in my world.
15:15I don't know what is happening on social media.
15:18I don't know what is trending.
15:19I don't even want to know.
15:20So for me,
15:23I don't really have much to say to your question.
15:25I can't relate to it.
15:26It's because I've always touched wood.
15:27You know, my parents have just,
15:29I'm very happy in my own life,
15:31in my own cocoon.
15:32And I've stopped letting that affect me.
15:35There was also a phase where it was affecting me,
15:38not because, oh, I'm not getting followers and stuff.
15:40It's because I was getting replaced with actors
15:42who had a lot more followers than I did.
15:45And then I also dealt with that,
15:48telling myself that that is beyond my control.
15:51What is in my control is going into the,
15:53walking into the room,
15:54giving my audition and coming out of it.
15:56What's going to happen after that is not in my control.
15:59So right now I'm in that space,
16:00where I genuinely don't let that app
16:02or the whole thing that comes with it get to me.
16:05It's an app where I just put my work stuff
16:08and I'm like out of it.
16:09I'm not that active on it, to be very honest.
16:12So I'm sorry if I didn't answer to your question,
16:14but this is what, yeah.
16:16I just want to understand that when you say that
16:17you've been replaced by actors who had many,
16:19much larger amount of followers.
16:21Yeah.
16:22When that particular thing happened,
16:24did it affect you?
16:25Absolutely not.
16:27Initially, yes.
16:28Of course, you know, like you feel dejected, right?
16:29So you're like, oh my God, like why again?
16:31Oh God, again.
16:32This didn't, you know, go through and stuff like that.
16:34But trust me, every time I have watched the final product,
16:38every time I have seen, okay, who has replaced me
16:41or what the whole project is about,
16:42I have always felt like I dodged a bullet.
16:45Okay.
16:45I've always felt that.
16:46So I feel like, okay, when you're not getting something,
16:49there's always like a good reason behind
16:51why you're not getting it.
16:54And so now I don't, of course, I'm not going to lie and say,
16:56I never get affected.
16:57There's a pinch.
16:58There's a pinch.
16:59You feel rejected and be like,
17:00hey, I mean, but it's fine.
17:02Everything is fine.
17:04So it feels a little, but after that,
17:07I think we are at a, you might relate to this.
17:09I think we are at a stage where even rejection has become like,
17:12huh, okay, we feel bad.
17:13And after like a day or two, we are over it.
17:16You know?
17:16Yeah.
17:16I mean, sorry.
17:18You wanted to say something?
17:19Yeah.
17:20I mean, it's very funny because I was,
17:23I went through this phase where failure was just normal for me.
17:30It stopped doing anything to me.
17:32It stopped doing anything to me.
17:33Okay.
17:36And you won't believe success put me in therapy.
17:40It actually did really because I didn't know how to handle it.
17:43I'm not used to it.
17:43No, because suddenly, and it taught me so much because suddenly people around you changed.
17:48You know, they say, when you fail in your lows, you understand who people are for me.
17:56When I was rising, I understood who people are because suddenly I realized that our people
18:00around me are not happy.
18:01They're not happy for me.
18:03So that took like, you know, I was like, oh, you were happy till I was, I was feeling,
18:08you know, so that, that kind of, so it, it, that kind of thing, you know, that kind of thing
18:13happened.
18:14Uh, and that really threw me off.
18:16And also I am at that, uh, that stage in my life where I wake up every morning and I
18:26want to be the best me.
18:28That is my mission for every day.
18:31And whatever comes to me with that, it comes.
18:35Because those who want to see abundance in me, like Paddy or Vidhattri or the people who I work with,
18:41they will see and they will, they will make me a part of their journey.
18:46And those who don't, it's absolutely okay.
18:50They will see it in somebody else.
18:51And then whatever reasons were followers or this and that.
18:54And, uh, as far as my fans are concerned, they are in the millions, but the calculation is different.
19:00Like each Sid Menon fan is equal to 10.
19:03So I might not have 10 million fans, but I have 1 million who are equal to 10.
19:09So, and that's something I know first because I interact a lot with my fans.
19:15And, uh, I, I don't believe in this TG.
19:18What is my target audience?
19:19There is no, my target audience is every, you know, there was, uh, there was this lady who came up
19:23to me after my last film became a big hit.
19:25And she came up to me and said, you know, we have a kitty party group of 50, 60 year
19:32olds, and you are the talk of our kitty party.
19:35Amazing.
19:35So what does that TG tell me?
19:37They are not on Instagram.
19:38You know, how do I explain to a producer ki wo mera TG bhi hai?
19:42You know, so yeah, that's where I'm, yeah.
19:45And you know, for me, like my personal experience so far, whatever projects I have done, I have always worked
19:50with directors who did not care about Instagram.
19:53Yeah.
19:53So then I realized ki that is my space.
19:55Yeah.
19:56And I want to be surrounded by those kinds of people who genuinely don't care about Instagram, who's doing what,
20:01who's trending, who's, so I've always, whether that is like Suresh Sriveni in Jalsa or Shivam Nayar in Diplomat.
20:07If you speak to them for them, it's like, okay, what is Instagram?
20:09They're on it, but they don't give it so much importance.
20:12And that's when I realized that, okay, maybe that is my, those are the kinds of people that I really
20:15want to work with who believe in the script so much that they don't think that getting somebody with like
20:21very high
20:22following is going to come and add value to it because the script itself is doing the job, you know.
20:27So, and I also consciously want to work with those kinds of people only.
20:31So now I'm at a stage, but even if I get rejected because of not being known on Instagram, I'm
20:37like, okay, maybe that is not my space.
20:39It's fine.
20:40You know, like.
20:42There are so many, there's so many good people in the industry.
20:49Really, I'm telling you, we are all, I'm sitting here, it's 15, 16 years now.
20:53I'm, I'm, and this is the only work I have done in my life.
20:57I have never done any other job.
20:59And I'm supporting my family working in this industry.
21:03I'm making their dreams come true and my dreams come true and, you know, doing everything.
21:07It's because of good people and filmmakers like Paddy and producers like Sameek Shah and the studios which I've worked
21:16with and those studio heads who have, you know, taken a bet on me or whatever it is.
21:21And sometimes it doesn't work out and sometimes it, it works.
21:23And yeah, it's, it's nice, yeah.
21:25And journalists like you.
21:26Yeah.
21:27No, really, I have, I have a very lovely relation with the media.
21:31You know, they've always written well, good about me.
21:35They've always, you know, supported me.
21:39And without me reach out to them or pay them, I have never paid for a single article.
21:50And which is fine.
21:51That's also, yeah, which is great.
21:52I mean, but I have never done it because I've never needed to only because people like you, there are
21:58people in the media who write and support.
22:01So I'm grateful.
22:03Yeah.
22:03And asking really nice questions and please do, please, please do.
22:09You know, the question is for all of you too.
22:12Like, when I have asked you about the fact that, um, when we learn inspiration,
22:20we ask that we have inspiration in a way that we have inspiration in a way.
22:26So I was just thinking of this.
22:28Why do we seek inspiration?
22:30We look out for a little motivation for a student here and there.
22:33For me, when I walk into this room, I'm interviewing them.
22:36For me, it was nothing from us.
22:38Oh, yeah.
22:38It's the kind of, uh, it's suddenly also not because I was empathizing with her.
22:43Because of the fact that she really mediated those strong vibes that she put in that stock of good vibes
22:50in her.
22:54Yeah.
22:55So I really want to understand, what kind of feeling was it?
23:21Well, um, so, you know, Nafisa, uh, it was just a coincidence, uh, I had written this script.
23:31Okay.
23:32And, uh, uh, the first person that I, uh, spoke to was Mandira.
23:39Because I had worked with her on my web series called Thinkistan, you know?
23:43So, and she'd done, she was fantastic.
23:46I don't think most people are aware of how wonderful an actress she is.
23:50Yeah.
23:51If you watch Thinkistan, she will break your heart, you will cry.
23:54She's that good.
23:55So I knew that she was going to play, uh, the role that she played in this.
24:01So she's the first person and she said, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll do it.
24:05Then, uh, around that time, Nafisa had tweeted about my first film, which hardly anyone really
24:13knows because it didn't release theatrically.
24:15It's on Hotstar.
24:16It was on Netflix for a bit.
24:17And she tweeted about a billion color story.
24:20And she said, every Indian should watch this film.
24:23Okay.
24:24And on Insta and whatever.
24:26And then, uh, my partner was my, uh, executive producer, she said, look at this.
24:33And I'm also terrible and Instagram and I don't see all of this.
24:36And there were, there are people who will mention my work and I don't even know, you
24:40know, that they've, uh, this.
24:41So I, my attention was drawn to this and she's like, why didn't you write to her?
24:45I said, how can I just write to her?
24:47You know, she's Nafisa Ali.
24:49I said, write to her and say, say, you have a role.
24:51So I wrote to her and said, you know, you just tweeted about my film and I have a role
24:55for
24:55you.
24:56And then, then we spoke and she told me then that she's just, she's just gone through,
25:03you know, treatment and she's sort of in remission.
25:06And she's, I said, I said, it doesn't matter.
25:10We'll let's do it.
25:11Let me tell you the story.
25:13I told her the story.
25:15And once she was on, she was absolutely on, you know, and, and I wasn't prepared for how
25:23much life.
25:24Yeah.
25:24There is in her.
25:25I didn't, I didn't, because you know, you see pictures, you see a former beauty queen
25:31or swimming champion.
25:32And she's so larger than life.
25:34She's like one of the most glamorous human beings you can ever meet in your lifetime,
25:38you know.
25:39So I wasn't prepared for the amount of liveliness, the warmth and she just came in and integrated
25:47with all.
25:48She would play the fool on the set.
25:49She would, she would play a prank.
25:51She would make jokes about somebody.
25:53She would pull somebody's leg.
25:55Absolutely childlike.
25:57So that just completely, you know, it was a huge affirmation.
26:02And she, Nasir sir must have told you how it was to work with her.
26:06You know, he was overwhelmed, you know.
26:09So it was just a wonderful thing working with Nafisa.
26:12And she embodies spirit, positivity and all the right values.
26:18She's an activist and she's an activist for the right reasons.
26:21She's like the most secular human being you'll ever find.
26:25And she is crying for the India that was, you know, and all of us are.
26:32And somehow this film, you know, we're all together.
26:35It's, it's a coincidence, but it's also the confluence of like-minded souls, you know,
26:41because we want the world to be one of love and affection and, you know,
26:47and Nafisa embodies that, you know.
26:50So does Nasir sir, Adil, you know.
26:53Everybody who's on this film, they have these, you know,
26:57this need for humanity to be functioning, functioning in a unitary manner.
27:02Because we are all one, you know.
27:03So Nafisa is pretty much the embodiment of that person, you know.
27:09So yeah, incredible.
27:11Very inspiring.
27:12Very uplifting.
27:14And yeah, joyful and delightful.
27:19And Nasir sir, when the first time I met him,
27:23the first time I met him, I just Wikipedia'd him, right.
27:26I was like, and Wikipedia listed out 380 films.
27:32I said, sir, you've done 380 films, how did you?
27:35He said, it's actually around 600, you know, many films are not listed.
27:39He's that person, but he came, he did not care about what car comes to pick him up at the
27:45airport,
27:46which hotel he's going to be picked up.
27:48None of those things, you know.
27:50When he visited my place, he just took a nap on the sofa.
27:55He said, I'll sleep.
27:56I said, why didn't you go inside and sleep, sir?
27:58You know, there's a bedroom.
27:59No, no, I'm comfortable here.
28:01And I sent a picture of him to his wife.
28:04Look at him, you know, he refused to take the, go to the bedroom.
28:08She says, he's like this at home too.
28:11That's, so these simple things describe who he was.
28:14Three weeks ago, he was in Bombay for a dub.
28:15He called me, we had lunch.
28:17And I drove him to the airport.
28:19Rickshaw guys are following us.
28:22Okay.
28:23And I was like, I'll have to, let me jump this red light.
28:26He'll get mobbed.
28:27Nahi hua.
28:28All the vehicles in front stopped.
28:30People getting out.
28:31And they're coming to the window.
28:33They're looking at him.
28:34And you know, he gets mobbed wherever he goes.
28:37He's just absolutely loved.
28:39You know, they're not like, they don't go to him because they want,
28:42it's a, it's a selfie moment.
28:44It's because they truly love him.
28:47There were some auto rickshaw guys.
28:48They came, they knocked at the window.
28:50I was like, sir, should I lower it?
28:52He said, yeah, lower it.
28:53I lowered it.
28:54And a couple of them turned out to be Tamil people.
28:57They were like, sir, sir, Tamil sir.
28:59You know?
29:00And he was like, okay.
29:02So we took pictures at a red light with auto rickshaw guys.
29:08So that's the man, you know?
29:10So it's, it's that kind of a person.
29:13Absolute humility, warmth, and just blends into everything.
29:18You know?
29:19Yeah.
29:21Yeah.
29:22I mean, you know, like we keep having this conversation of, and I have also been told
29:28this as a, as a young actor that, you know, you're a celebrity now and you're doing this
29:35and that, and you have to assume certain things and you have to behave in a certain way.
29:39And I don't resonate to that at all.
29:44I think a star is a star because he is, he or she is loved and not because of the
29:52weight they get.
29:55And, you know, it's, it's not, I don't believe in that.
29:59And for me, meeting and working with Nasser, sir, was a reinforcement of the fact that I'm in my brain
30:09and in my heart on the right track.
30:11That I don't need to show off or throw my weight in order to be a movie personality.
30:22I can be myself and I can be true to myself and, and I can still, I can, I can
30:31still be this, you know, movie star who I want to be and grow in that, that direction.
30:37So it was, it's, when you meet people like this, it's really life's blessing.
30:42We are blessed truly that we got so much time with these people and that they are ours now.
30:50They're, they're, you know, family.
30:51They're absolute.
30:52I think he, Nasser, sir, is my grandfather.
30:57There is no, there is no other way.
30:58Yeah. He is tata.
30:59He is my tata now for life.
31:01I think I, he is my family.
31:04It is, there is no, and Nafisa ma'am also.
31:07So, and so, so is Adil, sir.
31:09Like, uh, yeah, yeah.
31:11Yeah, yeah.
31:12Yeah, yeah.
31:16Or yeh sare belief systems bhi hai na ki nahi hum professional rehenge or yeh.
31:20Main vaysa admi nahi hun.
31:22You know, I, I love my team so much.
31:24You know, my, uh, my wife taunts me sometimes that, you know, you behave like as if you don't have
31:30a family at home.
31:31The way you are with your, uh, film team.
31:33Because I actually give, I will do anything for these people.
31:38Uh, right.
31:40I really, I will do anything for them.
31:41I love them so much.
31:42And I, this is with every team.
31:44And that's how they are.
31:46That's how Nafisa ma'am is.
31:47And that's how Nasser sir is also.
31:49Um, you know, he's such, such.
31:52Yeah.
31:55Yeah.
31:56Yeah.
31:57Yeah.
31:59Absolutely.
32:00So, you know, I've always been very jealous of Sid in this whole, like throughout the shoot of this film.
32:04It's because he's got the most scenes with Adil sir and Nasser sir.
32:07And I don't have any scenes with Adil sir.
32:09I only have one scene with Nasser sir.
32:12Um, but still like, I'm so grateful for that one scene also.
32:15Because I've been like Nasser sir's fan growing up because I've watched all of his like South films.
32:19I'm Telugu.
32:20So I've watched all of his Telugu films.
32:22And in fact, the first time I met Nasser sir in, was in 2013 when I was working as an
32:26assistant director.
32:28In this film called D-Day.
32:29And I was like awestruck, you know, like I usually don't get easily starstruck.
32:34But like, when I saw Nasser sir in front of me, I was like, oh my God, like, you know,
32:37I need to go and talk to him.
32:39And you know, and I was, I was the designated person to look after him on set and I was
32:43happy.
32:43I was like, okay, this is, I'm going to do this job 100%.
32:46And then turns out when this, when I started shooting for this film and I realized that Nasser sir is
32:51also a part of this film.
32:52I was like, oh my God, I remember the first day when it was, I think our look test or
32:56something.
32:57I sat next to him and I told Sid, take a picture, take a picture right now.
33:01And that's on my Instagram, by the way.
33:04So for me, it was a full circle moment.
33:07And he's always been an inspiration, but with Nafisa ma'am, I have a couple of scenes in the film.
33:13And when I was shooting with her also, you don't even feel for a second that she's battling cancer because
33:20that's not what she, that's not what she radiates as a person.
33:23Like she is so childlike.
33:26She has this infectious energy about her.
33:28And yes, that for me, that was very inspiring that, okay, this, she's going through all of these things.
33:33But when she's on set, when she's with another human being, when she's doing something, it is not about her
33:41cancer.
33:41It is about that moment.
33:43And she shows up a hundred percent.
33:45And for me, that was my takeaway that, yeah, you know, like this is what, and honestly speaking, yes, that
33:53is definitely what I have, you know, like learned from her.
33:57But keeping that aside, I feel even the characters in the, in this film, like when you'll watch this film,
34:04all like every character is so layered that you will learn a thing or two from everyone.
34:10Like when you will walk out of the film, you will have just so many questions because I can't give
34:18away too much.
34:19I want you to see the film, but, but yeah, like that's what, that's what you learn even from the
34:24characters.
34:25So the fact that we got to play these characters and, you know, like just be a part of their
34:30world for like good 20, 25 days itself was like an absolute blessing.
34:34So thank you Paddy, like seriously for making up, you know, I just realized something, we were talking about Nafisa
34:39ma'am.
34:41We also must talk about Mandira, Mandira ma'am.
34:44I mean, I, I, I, a month after she lost her husband, she was on set and, you know, never,
34:56never does one did one feel, you know, and also Vidatri, you know, the women in this film.
35:05Are really inspiring.
35:07I mean, because it's, it's difficult, right?
35:09So I don't think she realized what she has, realizes what she has done, because we never realize what we
35:15do.
35:15If we are in a position to be so open to be inspired, we don't realize how inspiring we are.
35:22So this girl also, man, you will, you, she's, she's so awesome.
35:26And what she's done here in spite of what she's been through and also Mandira and Nafisa ma'am, absolute
35:33rock stars.
35:36What do you think Paddy?
35:36Like, look, you know, she had, uh, yesterday, um, she turned up here just for this film.
35:44She had a bone marrow injection last morning and she took a flight and she came here just for this.
35:52So, it means like the entire universe to all of us that she believes so much in this film and
36:01the story and in us also because it is now it's a personal relationship like we said, you know.
36:06So that actually means a whole lot, you know.
36:10Yeah.
36:11Having, actually the cat is very layered in the film.
36:14The cat, the cat is one of the very layered.
36:16The cat poops in Max's bed.
36:18Bed, yeah.
36:19Yeah.
36:19Because, because he's angry.
36:21Yeah, yeah.
36:22Layered.
36:22Layered cat.
36:23More laid.
36:25I think whatever you guys said, it's, it's really, um, you know, just having to mention an example.
36:31I mean, some chiefs are beyond professionalism.
36:33This is not professionalism, beyond.
36:34Beyond.
36:35This is beyond.
36:36It's not a contract, you know.
36:37Yeah.
36:38It's not a contract.
36:39Yeah.
36:40Professionals are all, but this is something beyond.
36:42But on that note, I would really, really, like to thank you all for being such sports and being such
36:47honest with your answers.
36:49As journalists also, we feel validated that our work is good,
36:53we can get good answers.
36:55But then we can take one plus one, two.
36:59You have asked a lot of questions.
37:01And fortunately, you know, we have a quality that is good or bad, I don't know.
37:06We can't speak to ourselves.
37:10Nobody in this knows how to lie, including the cat.
37:18Cat is upset.
37:20He has upset.
37:23Thank you so much.
37:25Please go watch the film.
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