It has been two weeks since Citadel: Honey Bunny dropped online. While the Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu-led spy thriller has received mixed reviews, the audience largely agrees on one thing – that Saqib Saleem is impressive as the antagonist KD. “It’s a little overwhelming when you don’t think of something too much and then that starts giving you love,” starts the actor, when we sit across from him for a chat. He continues, “This is like a proper massy binge show. Which is why we started watching OTT, right? I had the most fun with the action. The action. Because as young boys, we`ve all grown up wanting to be action heroes, right? So when you get to do cool stuff, you really feel cool when you come back to your vanity van after you`ve done a scene. You feel exhausted, of course. But also just feeling like, ‘oh, I`ve done something awesome’. That child in you gets very happy.”
To him, joining the Prime Video series was a no-brainer as it gave him the opportunity to team up with director duo Raj-DK, who also co-wrote it with Sita Menon. “What I really enjoyed about them is that they`re very collaborative people. They give actors the respect that, hey, we`ve cast you for a part. You exactly know what you`re supposed to do. We`ve cast you because you`re good. And they`re not one of those directors who tell you how you should act. They just set the scene for you well. And whenever you give some feedback to them, they`re not very reactive people. So when you give them feedback, it may just feel like, did I say the right thing or did I make sense at all? But when the material comes back to you, you see traces of your discussion. This is why they are people who`ve done so much quality work. It`s very heartening to see that even after having such success, you`re so collaborative and wanting to hear what the other person has to say. We were an eclectic bunch. Kay Kay Menon is a masterclass. You will read a line on script and you`re like, okay, we`ll do it like this. But he just finds this new, organic way to do it. And he would surprise you so much with his performance. Both me and Varun, in fact, we used to just keep looking at him. He is so much in sync with himself and his craft. The beauty of Varun is his excitement and the fact that he is still the same man. He still committed. He still wants to do one more take and do better. You enjoy when people really want to work. He feels like if you`re taking one more shot, he could do better. And that attitude, I really love it. Because he`s also had an interesting body of work behind him. And he`s had his share of successes. But that thing hasn`t diminished in him. That he really wants to give his best. Then we had Samantha. Who I`ve met for the first time she`s a firecracker. I have so much love and respect for her. Because of course she was going through what she was otherwise. But at no point that became an excuse. It was like this big set is here to do this action piece and we`ll pull it off. So I genuinely learned that about her and how to just keep going. I made good friends with Sikandar on this. To a point that I asked him to act in a film that I was producing. Everybody came in with that mindset: let`s have fun, let’s do good.”
(From left) Saqib Saleem with Raj Nidimoru, Varun Dhawan and Krishna DK
We quote to him a video that’s going viral of him and Kay Kay. “I get at least 10 tags a day on social media somewhere. But I`m very happy, yaar, this is what I hear, right? Ki agar memes banne lag jaye toh somewhere the shows hit home.”
Clearly, shooting the series was a creatively satisfying experience for Saleem. Yet, things took a different turn when it came to the show’s promotions. The actor was absent from all the events, beginning with the trailer launch to pre-release promotions. It got the internet talking about the 2020 episode when Disney+ Hotstar announced its seven-film slate, but did not invite two of the films’ leading heroes Kunal Kemmu and Vidyut Jammwal for the virtual event. At the time, the two actors had spoken about the lack of level-playing field in the industry. Evidently, things haven’t improved despite the discourse.
Saleem explains, “If you talk about my absence from the trailer launch to the premiere, I`m a very simple guy. So when you see the trailer you see that, of course, there`s a certain narrative that these guys – the makers and the creators want to take. And they feel like it`s in the betterment of the show. When I saw the trailer, I`m like, okay, this is the narrative you want to take. I would like to clarify it`s not like I wasn`t invited for the trailer launch. I decided, okay, I`ll only talk when you show the impact of my character. I can only talk there. I love myself and respect myself. And I`ve worked really hard to be in the position that I am. So I really respect that position. So it`s okay if there`s a narrative you want to follow. I don`t want to come walk in there and be detrimental to that narrative. I want the show to fare well. I also don`t want people to ask me, what are you doing in this? So I`m like, okay, whenever the show`s out, it`s better to talk then. So there`s no grouse or bad blood or animosity or anything of that sort. Yeah, they took a narrative that they wanted to take. And whether I agree or don`t agree, it doesn`t matter because the team wanted to take it. I thought, okay, let`s wait this one out. I`m very sure of what the impact of my part is. Let the show come out. And today, the show`s release has been two weeks and I have been on calls since 8.30 am. Usually people disappear after the release happens, right? So I just thought, okay, let`s try this route. Do I blame the world for it or I crib about it and say, oh, how unfair? Not really. I don`t take things like that. I`ve moved on. I`m starting to do my next now. I don`t try and be like, oh, the industry`s such a bad place. It`s unfair for the outsiders. It`s unfair for everybody.”
We bring up the nature of the systemic disadvantage at play here. It’s widely believed that the industry has its cliques, and if you don’t belong to one of them, you get sidelined. Saleem reflects, “It`s the way things work. A lot of people think about me that he`s just a lazy actor. He doesn`t work a lot. But to get each opportunity, you have to work really hard. So when things don`t go as per plan as you thought that they would go with this opportunity. Does it feel bad? 100%. But it`s just, I feel like there are two ways to look at life. One is to keep crying about how wrong I was. Like, okay, this happened to me. I tried this and this happened. Let me prepare better or do something different so that this doesn`t happen to me again. I`m okay faltering. It’s not my mistake, but being in a situation. But can I avoid this going forward? Because it`s going to be difficult. It`s going to be very difficult with what you want to do.You want the whole country to love you. That`s what you`re aiming for, right? To make that happen, you`ll cross several of these speed breakers. For the sake of your mental health, you say – nothing is easy in the world and see the positive side of it and start thinking about what to do next. I feel like everybody knows what they`ve signed up for. With the advent of OTT at least more voices are coming to the fore. Before this, when I came to Bombay in 2011, there was – either you did TV or films. And films were only options for theatrical films. Now, as an actor who`s come from the outside, he`s getting a chance to show his work to people, if the industry is still not wanting to see it. Do such work that the common man is saying, it`s good. And if the common man is saying it`s good, then somehow that will translate for more work. That`s the only way. I don`t wish this journey on anyone. I came here when I was 20. Right now I`m 36. It`s been 16 years since I have reached this place. It`s a very difficult road. On some days you feel am I doing the right thing? Because how you see yourself, a lot of people here don`t see you. People always want to try to undercut you. That is the line of work we`re in. They are always figuring, if he had this much last Friday, then he`s worth this much right now. After a point, talent doesn`t do much. No matter how good you are, it is a numbers game. So you focus on doing your bit and hoping people find you.”
And people have. The actor cites the example of director Sudhir Mishra, with whom he is collaborating on a series. “It was therapeutic to work with Sudhir Mishra. He knocks on some interesting doors inside of you as an actor. He takes you to places and gives you the confidence the industry erodes from you,” says Saleem. He is also producing films under the banner that he has rolled out with his actor-sister Huma Qureshi. “We’ve put together a couple of films that should release next year. I’m also developing a film for myself.”
