What do Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik have in common other than their rural backgrounds and meteoric ascent to stardom? They were both at Chitrashaala, Village Square’s short film festival, to talk about their work, life and the struggles of showing good cinema in India.
Actors Faisal Malik and Adil Hussain need no introduction. The former is synonymous with his role as Prahaladcha on the Amazon Prime Video series Panchayat, while the latter is known for his work in several Indian independent and mainstream productions, as well as international cinema. The two graced the inaugural edition of Chitrashaala, Village Square’s short-film festival that took place at New Delhi’s Alliance Francaise on August 3, 2024.
In a freewheeling chat with film critic Saibal Chatterjee, the two actors touched upon many topics of interest for the gathered community of film buffs including the need to make more meaningful cinema, their careers, and the depiction of rural themes on the silver screen.
“I belong to a small little town called Goalpara, which was the remotest town in Assam … newspapers used to come to our town three days after publication,” shared Hussain with the audience. “I had heard about the National School of Drama (NSD) at the age of 22. Growing up in Goalpara was so much more advantageous for me because the town was culturally very vibrant,” added Hussain, who has essayed roles in productions like Life of Pi, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and English Vinglish.
Talking about hailing from Allahabad, Faisal Malik said, “The town has so many movie halls. We had access to every kind of film. This is why I used to think that after watching so many movies, I would go to Mumbai and have someone waiting there (from the film industry) for me who would say ‘You’re the one we’ve been waiting for!’”
But it wasn’t like that. Faisal Malik had to get a regular job before he became a successful actor and a producer. When asked by Chatterjee how his experience of village life informs his acting, Malik quipped, “I’ve seen people who stay with politicians for up to 25 years but don’t achieve much themselves. They drink endless cups of tea and consume lots of biscuits, and aren’t stressed by it all. I’ve seen people like that in the village, so it becomes easy (to essay the role).”
The two actors touched upon other topics of interest, including how far they’re willing to go for a director, and when to say no. “For me, the director is God,” said Hussain while Malik joked that, “my neck is my neck,” concerning an incident where he was asked to turn around and look into the camera by a director once, as a directorial touch. “Indian cinema can be over-the-top,” said Hussain. “Using cuss words is the easiest way to entertain people,” he later added, disapproving of the trend.
Members of the audience were given a chance to grill the actors about various aspects of their careers, their work and the craft in general. Both Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik were generous with their advice and knowledge, enriching the outlook of those gathered with their perspectives.
Chitrashaala was a part of the fourth edition of the India Rural Colloquy 2024, organised by Transform Rural India (TRI). This was a series of conversations and events held from August 1-8 across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh aimed at inspiring a rural renaissance.
Also Read: Chitrashaala – Village Square’s short film fest trains the lens on rural India
Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival focused on stories from rural India.
Date: August 3, 2024
Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
