The Sumans with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

If fate had worked out differently, Shekhar would have collaborated with Bhansali over two decades ago on Devdas (2002). He recalls, “I came close to working with Mr Bhansali in Devdas when he called me for the role of Chunnilal. I couldn’t do it then because of my workload. But since then, whenever we met, I told him that I would love to work with him when the opportunity presented itself.” And it did in Heeramandi, a period drama about the courtesans of Lahore. It was doubly joyful to work on the project as Shekhar has always had an affinity for history. “I love historical movies made in India. When I met Mr Bhansali, he was looking for a good actor who had knowledge of the era. Also, he wanted to go for an unusual casting. I knew of Heeramandi for years because it’s written by my friend Moin Beg. He [SLB] is an intense filmmaker who puts passion, pomp, grandeur and everything into the story.”

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The light at the end of the tunnel

For the senior Suman, Heeramandi may be the realisation of his wish to work with Bhansali. But for Adhyayan, it is more than a show; to him, it is a ray of hope that pulled him out of darkness and despair. The actor hit headlines early on in his career when he featured in Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), but soon had to make do with forgettable films. It hasn’t been an easy run, he admits. 

“There have been days I have been broken, I wanted to give up. It sounds dark, but I didn’t want to live anymore. Acting was something I was very passionate about. Unfortunately, [work] dwindled in 15 years. I became a star with a successful film and then 12 films didn’t work. I have not worked for seven years. I went through rejection after rejection. I would wonder, ‘Kal kya hoga?’ The day I stopped chasing, things began to work out.”

After watching Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), he nursed the desire to work with the filmmaker. “In a few weeks, Shruti Mahajan [casting director] called to say that sir is casting for Heeramandi. My father would always say that there is light at the end of the tunnel; for me, Bhansali sir became the light. When Shruti called, I was in the Himalayas. I stopped on the road in the hills, and recorded my audition.” When he initially wasn’t chosen for the part, Adhyayan was admittedly “heartbroken for two months.” “However, on a Saturday afternoon, I was called to meet sir. His words were, ‘Bachcha, I will see you on set tomorrow.’”

Different actors, different approaches

On set, the two actors and their characters were as different as chalk and cheese. Through Zulfiqar, Shekhar had to bring alive a character whose love for Mallikajaan was more about power and less about romance. He breaks it down, “There was a lot of uneasy love on paper and a lot that Mr Bhansali added on set. He is a director who changes the interpretation when the shot flows. I have known Manisha for years, so there was chemistry. Manisha is accomplished, she knew how to be Mallikajaan and that made the energy between her and the nawab easy [to create].”

Adhyayan, however, decided to play his part more emotionally and less technically. His process was personal. Guiding him through the role was his father who sat and read lines with him all night. “Zorawar is debauched, grey, looks down upon the women in Heeramandi; he makes a woman believe he is in love with her and marries another person. A scene in the second episode changed my life. Bhansali sir got up after my performance and cried. I have been waiting for 15 years for an opportunity, and now that I had the opportunity, I couldn’t not be sincere. The character’s language came from my father. Bhansali sir is so sharp, he caught that my father has been working with me off set. One day, I was giving my cues to Manisha ji and sir said, ‘Iske baap ne sikhaya hai isko.’ I was rehearsing with dad from 1 am to 6 am, and at 8 am I was on set.”

Let your work speak

Over the years, the industry has heard more than its share of rumours about Adhyayan. Much of the dialogue about him has been about his off-screen life than on-screen work. The actor hopes that with the web series, the audience will see the artiste in him. He has already noticed a change in his co-actors. “One night, Richa came home with me to prep for a major sequence that was to be shot the next day. When she went home, she sent me a long text saying, ‘I had these preconceived notions about you being a spoilt star kid, someone who is not serious about his art and got it easy. So much has changed in you. Hats off to you!’ Her validation made me emotional. The lack of opportunities has not let people take me seriously. People have said to my face, ‘We thought you do drugs.’ I wasted a lot of time looking for answers to where the rumours started. Now it is all behind me.”

Choosing art over comedy

We also hope to see more of Shekhar, whom we used to see every day on the tube in our growing-up years as he hosted the popular Movers & Shakers. Considering we are in the midst of the election season, why wouldn’t he give his audience just another season of the crackling show filled with political humour? The actor-host says, “Movers & Shakers was a cult show. But it has probably resulted in the undoing of an actor. That imagery is so strong that it has been tough to imagine me as an actor. Unfortunately, I am good at comedy. I would love to do that now, especially in the election season. I want to do it sporadically, not continuously. It would hamper my growth as an actor.”