Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story may be centred on Kay Kay Menon’s character, but Aftab Shivdasani stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, shining bright as R&AW officer Vijay Kumar. The actor, who is winning appreciation for his act, says the Disney+ Hotstar series has only strengthened his belief that all he needs is a powerful script to showcase his talent. “I have been here for 22 years, and seen so much. I have come to a point where neither criticism nor praise affects me,” he says, adding that the credit for the series’ success goes to the entire team. 

The espionage thriller, a prequel to Special Ops that dropped online last year, has helped Shivdasani bounce back in the game. Will he be more cautious now on, especially after the forgettable outings of the past few years? “I have never been cautious. I need to be offered projects that excite me. Even after 22 years, I feel I haven’t done [much]. It’s not like I didn’t have Vijay in me; it just took an opportunity for people to see that Vijay does exist in my repertoire. Sometimes, opportunities don’t find an actor. I hope after Special Ops, people realise that there is a lot more I can do.”