As someone who is well-read and has roots in theatre, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub says he would give his right arm to play famous literary personalities like Sahir Ludhianvi, Safdar Hashmi or Majaz.
The actor, currently receiving accolades for his critically-acclaimed role of Imran Siddiqui, a principled writer-editor in Hansal Mehta's "Scoop", hopes filmmakers will imagine him in more "respectful roles" going forward.
"I would love to do a literary adaptation... I remember 'Raanjhanaa' became a huge hit and people loved my character so much (that) they were like 'Arrey, this is set in (Hindi) heartland, let's cast Zeeshan'. They just typecast me...
"I hope that after 'Scoop', people understand that 'he is a good actor', rather than offering me another role of an editor or a journalist... I hope that the offers I get now would be more respectful," Zeeshan told PTI in a virtual interview.
The 39-year-old actor said he doesn't understand why Indian storytellers don't tap into the literary heritage of India or from world literature.
He is a fan of Russian novelists Fyodor Dostoevsky and Maxim Gorky. Italian playwright Dario Fo and Hindi writers Dharamvir Bharati, Mohan Rakesh, and Marathi writer Vijay Tendulkar also feature on his wish list, among many names.
But if there is any biopic ever made on lyricist-writer Ludhianvi, playwright and theatre personality Hashmi or Urdu poet Majaz, Zeeshan said he would love to play these literary icons.
On his part, the Delhi-born actor says he keeps asking collaborators and writers to tap into the many "wonderful stories" from India.
"I can tell you about literature and biopics... I love poetry and people say I read it well. So I will give my right arm to play Sahir sahab, Safdar Hashmi and Majaz," he said.
There is a whole world of stories that remains untapped in cinema and visual medium, said the actor, who along with his wife Rasika Agashe, is active in the Mumbai stage scene via theatre initiative Sanhita Manch and recently announced a scriptwriting competition.
Just acquire the rights and get a good writer to adapt them, he added.
"They are like, 'No, this guy (writer) is asking for Rs 5 lakh or 10 lakh'. But with that much money, you get a great novel to adapt... You realise that 'content is actually the king' because you no longer need to think about who to cast. Just cast good actors and you will be through," the actor said.
Asked to name his favourite novels and stories, the actor said the list is "limitless".
"I re-read 'Raag Darbaari' recently. But with that, I feel it is difficult to adapt because its essence is in its narration... Orhan Pamuk's (Turkish writer) books, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombian novelist)... I think Latin American literature is close to our culture. I will be happy to see anything made on Dostoevsky. I am a devotee... what a writer, changed my life," the actor said.
Describing the impact Bharati's "Gunahon Ka Devta", a tragic love story, had on him when he first read the novel, Zeeshan said, "I had just come to Mumbai and we had a small terrace and after reading that novel, for four hours, I was just howling, walking, and trying to calm myself down."
"Gorky's 'Lower Depths'... I don't understand why no one has made a movie or a series and it is so apt for India. If nothing else, just for fun, make something on Bharati ji's 'Andha Yug' (a play set on the last day of Mahabharata). For the situation right now, it is a great text," he added.
Pick anything from Marathi theatre legend Vijay Tendulkar and it will be great, said Zeeshan.
"Mohan Rakesh, Badal Sarkar (playwrights)... There is no limit. We haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg.... So many good stories are still being written... I'm reading a book by a new writer, Mithilesh (Priyadarshi) beautiful stories," he said.
Next up for the actor are films such as "Joram", "Haddi", "KD", "Sam Bahadur" and "Lal Batti".
The actor said he may have favourites when it comes to literature and biopics but otherwise has no set rules for the kind of roles he wants to play.
"You enjoy when you get something surprising, that's where fun is because you search how to play it. Half the time, you get the script and you realise which film has inspired it.
"One does it if the money is good because one has to run the house. To do a film that's close to your heart, you have to do films that you do just for money. You have to find that balance," Zeeshan said.
