Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah reportedly went through a physically and emotionally demanding experience while shooting for Main Vaapas Aaunga, directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film also stars Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari Wagh, and Vedang Raina in important roles.
In the film, Naseeruddin Shah plays a bedridden patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. According to Imtiaz Ali, the role was extremely challenging because the actor had to remain in bed for most of the film and go through a long transformation process every day before shooting.
Speaking to NDTV, Imtiaz Ali said, “One thing which was very challenging is the fact that Naseer, such a profound actor, had to be bedridden for almost the entire film.” He explained that the actor spent nearly 3 hours every day getting ready for the role because he was portraying a character much older and medically weaker than himself.
The filmmaker also shared details about the makeup and preparation process. “He would come and take three hours to get ready because he’s playing older than his age,” Imtiaz said. “There were all of these things that would be stuck to his body because he’s a patient — the ECG leads would be stuck to his chest, and his hair would have to be shaved off.”
As filming continued, the emotional pressure of playing a patient with memory loss reportedly began affecting Shah even during the shoot. Imtiaz Ali revealed that the actor sometimes forgot lines and scenes while performing because he had become deeply involved in the role. “It is very tough when you have to half remember and half forget,” he explained.
The director further added, “Because he’s playing a patient of Alzheimer’s and dementia, he was actually forgetting lines and forgetting which scene it was.” He also spoke about how actors sometimes absorb the emotional state of the characters they play. “When actors actually do a part, they start becoming like that part because there’s no way to act other than actually taking that onto yourself,” Imtiaz said. “Naseer, of course, is a seasoned actor. So his memory was swimming all around when he was shooting.”
Imtiaz Ali also admitted that the difficult role occasionally made Naseeruddin Shah irritable on set, but he understood that it came from the emotional investment required for such a demanding performance. “That was a bit tough, and he was getting irritable. I knew that he would be, because when you do something honestly, then you invest emotionally in it,” he said.