Zahid Khan recalls how Ranbir Kapoor helped co-actors improve scenes on ‘Ramayana’ sets, lauds his generosity

Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Actor Zahid Khan, who will be seen essaying the role of Angad in Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited mythological epic ‘Ramayana’, has opened up about his experience of working with Ranbir Kapoor.

In an exclusive interaction with IANS, Zahid revealed that Ranbir’s generosity on the sets left a lasting impression on him.

“Watching him work was a learning experience. During one scene, the camera was focused on another actor, and Ranbir sir was standing behind the camera, giving cues to help improve the performance. He didn’t have to do that, but he wanted to contribute to making the scene better. That level of generosity impressed me greatly. It reminded me of how friends help each other during auditions,” he shared.

When asked if he got a chance to interact with Ranbir personally, Zahid said, “Not much. We shared scenes together, and I mostly observed and learned from him.”

The actor also admitted that he was initially worried about being stereotyped after playing Ajmal Kasab, but receiving the opportunity to portray Angad reassured him.

“Yes, I was definitely worried. That was one of the reasons I initially hesitated to accept the role. But interestingly, after ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’, I received an opportunity to work in ‘Ramayana’. Instead of being offered only villainous or terrorist roles, I was cast as Angad, which was completely different. That reassured me that trained actors can play any character if they are given the opportunity,” Zahid added.

Speaking about preparing for the role of Angad, Zahid said the transition was relatively smooth as he had already wrapped up shooting for ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’, where he portrayed Ajmal Kasab.

“Fortunately, the shoot for ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ had already ended before I started working on ‘Ramayana’. That made the transition easier. For Angad, we underwent physical training. We worked on movement, body language, and understanding the character’s physicality. Every role requires fresh preparation. Once one character is complete, you move into the reality of the next one,” he said.

Zahid, after essaying a negative character of Ajmal Kasab, is all geared up to step into an entirely different space as Angad, the courageous Vanara prince and son of Bali.

–IANS

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