You have seen him as the greedy and vile Vinayak Rao in Tumbbad, the assertive and supportive Viren Shah in The Big Bull and now the dashing Sohum Shah is all set to play a politician in Sony Liv’s upcoming drama series — Maharani. In an interview with Indulge, the actor talks about playing the part of a politician, the success of Tumbbad, and his future projects as an actor and producer.
The perfect fit
We ask the actor how he landed the role of Bihar’s Chief Minister and he had something interesting to say. “I have been friends with the creator of the show Subhash Kapoor for a while. We met when I received a National Award for my movie, The Ship Of Theseus. We have had a warm friendship since then and that is how the show came to me,” Sohum replies. The actor adds with a laugh, “Also, I returned home in the lockdown, and my mother showered all her love in the form of food. So I was worried that I will have to first shed all the gains before I begin any new projects. Thankfully, Maharani did not require any of that, so you can say that it was a perfect fit for me.”
When the trailer of Maharani was released, the premise looked like it had the highs and thrills a political drama often offers. But audiences also felt that the show is based on former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi’s life. The actor clears the air about the rumours and shares, “No, it is not based on an individual’s story. It is fictional and what keeps the show going is its unpredictable story that will take viewers on a wild ride.”
Scare tactics
The year 2018 was a great year for Hindi cinema with several big box office successes. When audiences look back, everyone is of the opinion that Tumbbad is one of the best films of 2018. We ask the actor how he feels with the kind of adulation he received for a movie that he invested six years of his career in. “Deep down, I always knew that Tumbbad would do wonders. I believed in the story and thus I was able to dedicate so many years to this project,” he reveals.
Bollywood dreams
The National Award-winning star tells us he shares great love for Bollywood. He adds he was inspired by Shah Rukh Khan and shares, “ Back home we always loved Hindi films and we would travel for hours only to see a movie shoot. But one can’t just pack their bags and move to Mumbai overnight. My reasons to become an actor might have been different at every stage, but Shah Rukh has been the foremost and the biggest influence.”
Next on cards
Fans are looking forward to a Tumbbad sequel. So we just had to ask Sohum if there is a part two and what else is there in his kitty. “Yes, we are planning for a sequel. We are looking for the right story and when it comes along, there will be a part two. Besides this, you will see me in Fallen. I am also working on my dream project, which is a silent feature film. That apart, producing a horror anthology is also happening simultaneously. So, yes, you can say my hands are full,” says the star, signing off.
Streaming on Sony Liv.