Chose ‘Talvar’ for Irrfan Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj : Sohum Shah

Sohum Shah has received rave reviews for his performance in “Talvar” and the actor says it was the opportunity to work with Irrfan and Vishal Bhardwaj which compelled him to do the movie.

Sohum, who plays ACP Vedant Mishra in the Meghna Gulzar- directed crime-thriller, was all praise for Bhardwaj’s script and Irrfan’s acting.

“The writing of ‘Talvar’ is authentic and realistic. On top of it, Meghna researched intensely for the movie. Another reason to do the film was because I’ve been a fan of both Irrfan and Vishal Bhardwaj, be it ‘Omkara’ or ‘Maqbool’.

“So here I was getting an opportunity to act with him and star in a Bhardwaj production. I couldn’t have missed it,” Sohum told PTI.

The actor, who made his debut with Anand Gandhi’s “Ship of Theseus” in 2013, said he learnt a lot from “The Lunchbox” star while sharing screen space with him.

“The thing about working with Irrfan, especially for a new actor, is that you want to grasp everything he is doing. I tried doing some nuances which he did but it didn’t work for me.

“I realised you can’t learn directly from him but intuitively. Something which can’t be deconstructed.”

Sohum also credited Irrfan for making him perform better.

“When you work with a good actor it reflects in your work. Irrfan’s little reactions, energy and spontaneity to my dialogues made me perform better.”

Based on the 2008 Noida murder case, “Talvar” also starred Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi.

Sohum said he was happy with the response as the film achieved its purpose of staring a debate.

“I couldn’t get the story out of my head for two-three days. What I had reacted, I knew the audience will react to it as well after watching the film.

“Now, people are talking about the case- how it must’ve happened and why. The film has achieved its goal to spark a debate,” he said.

Sohum will be next seen in the fantasy-horror “Tumbad”.

“‘Tumbad’ is not an offbeat movie. It is a very entertaining film which will appeal people from big cities to even smaller villages. It is the folklore our grand parents used to tell us. It’ll surprise the audience.”

Post “Talvar”, Sohum wants to do all kind of roles and not stick to “off beat” cinema.

“I am open to all genres. I started in Bollywood because I’ve been a fan of Shah Rukh Khan. I am a Sooraj Barjatiya character in a ‘Hum Aapke Hai Koun’ family,” he added.

Inputs by PTI