‘A National Award doesn’t guarantee you lots of films’
Sohum Shah won a National Award for his very first film as a producer, Ship of Theseus (2012), in which he also played a stockbroker. He also won accolades for his role as a policeman in his second film, Talvar (2015), based on the Noida double-murder case. The actor’s latest release was the Kangana Ranaut-starrer, Simran, where he played her love interest.
His roles in his movies so far have been completely different from one another, but Sohum says that this is not a deliberate attempt. “I am an outsider [to the industry] so I have to tread cautiously and slowly. Hansal Mehta (filmmaker) had liked my earlier work, and only after three-to-four years, he was making a film where I would fit in. It’s not like I am choosy. It actually takes time for a good part to come your way. But at the same time, I try and pick up roles that aren’t similar. I put on a little weight in Simran, because that was what the role demanded. When you put in some extra effort into your role, it actually helps, because the audience remembers your character”, he says.
Although he has a National Award in his kitty, Sohum insists that you cannot afford to rest on your laurels. “It’s not like you get lots of work if you have a National Award. You just need to keep working, and you have to prove yourself with every film. It doesn’t matter for people here, because all that counts is your work”, he says.
Barring Simran, most of Sohum’s films have had unconventional stories, but the actor explains that the lines between commercial and off-beat films is blurring slowly. “Right now, unconventional is in. All the films that are working now are unconventional. The definition of a typical Bollywood film is changing, and the gap doesn’t exist anymore. Whichever actor fits the part is cast in the role”, he says. Sohum is currently awaiting his next release, Tumbad.
It actually takes time for a good part to come your way. But at the same time, I try and pick up roles that aren’t similar. SOHUM SHAH, ACTOR