The idea drives me, not the format: Danish Husain

By Sukant Deepak
New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Dastangoi, Qissabazi, theatre, cinema and OTT -- he may be marking his presence across mediums, but actor Danish Husain, who recently did a cameo in Delhi Cime (season 2) and will soon be seen in the Hindi adaptation of the international hit 'Fauda' ('Taanav') insists it is really about the 'idea', never medium. And if that (idea) appeals to him, it may manifest in theatre, storytelling or as a character in any medium.

"It is like I have dived into a pool of many ideas and I do not know which way I should swim. I enjoy finding my way into the waters. The core idea which attracts me is the story, and thus gets my attention, and I eventually start working towards it," he tells IANS.

Pleased that he could squeeze four days for the cameo in 'Delhi Crime', the artist says that he had already worked with many cast members before but not Shefali Shah. "She is a tremendous actor and it was really fulfilling working in the series."

While he does not reveal much about 'Tanaav', directed by Sudhir Mishra and set in Kashmir which will be aired on Sony LIV, he does add, "Taanav, though an adaptation, takes a life of its own."

Looking back at his body of work in theatre in web series, the actor feels that it is the story of the underdog that magnetises him, every time -- the ones who are marginalised or do not have a voice, or the agency to articulate. "Also, I am attracted to tales from lives, not the ones which have an agenda. Good literature shows us the richness of complexity. Presenting such stories without taking a side is important to me, and then eventually finding an underdog there."

Talking about his shift from Dastangoi to Qissabazi, where the former is a form of story-telling that originated and developed around the stories of Amir Hamza, Hussain recalls when he decided to restart storytelling in Mumbai in 2016, he focused not just on Urdu storytelling but also dived into stories of other cultures in India. "Calling it Dastangoi would be incorrect, so I needed a broader term for it, and that is how 'Qissabazi' came into being. In the former, you are fixed in a particular posture, but I told the storytellers to sit however they wanted and be comfortable with telling the story. To use anything that facilitated the story." 

Husain, who has been doing much work for different digital platforms feels that it would not be fair to say that OTT will sound the death kneel for some other mediums. "The Pandemic induced lockdowns witnessed an upsurge in their subscription as there were no other means of entertainment. The charm of watching a movie in the theatre cannot be eclipsed. Let us also look at the fact that a select few companies are now buying and controlling most digital platforms. While you may argue that Indian content is different from Spanish, let us not forget the boardrooms are very similar. What will this lead to?" concludes the actor.