In the city to attend a special screening of the film Every 68 Minutes at The Park hotel, recently, actor Adil Hussain decked up in two summer-festive looks by renowned menswear label Sharbari, exclusively for t2. In the film, mirroring the brutal social reality of women in our country affected by domestic violence and dowry coercion, Adil features along with actors Richa Sharma and Tota Roy Choudhury.

Kanaklata Datta and Amalin Datta, co-owners and designers of Sharbari, chose a black-and-white palette for the shoot, featuring their signature kantha embroidery, in tune with Adil’s choice of ‘simplicity’ when it comes to style. Here’s the monochrome lookbook and a chat with Adil.

What place does Calcutta hold in your heart?

I have to go back to 1975 when I came to Calcutta for the first time. I was in the fifth standard and came with my brother and a friend who was a few years senior to me. I have vivid memories of getting lost in the city! That’s my first memory of Calcutta. The other memory I have is of the mid-80s when I used to come to buy raw stock for films as I used to work for the film industry in Assam as a production guy. I would come every three-four months and it would take about three-four days. I would end up in Rabindra Sadan or the Academy (of Fine Arts) or Girish Mancha and watch all the legends perform, from Shambhu Mitra to Rudraprasad Sengupta. A brilliant play that I saw was Mr. Kakatua. All these great plays ignited in me my love for theatre. I used to do theatre in Assam but the quality of group theatre or amateur theatre was much higher in Calcutta and that inspired me.

And I must mention the food here, which I could buy at a very cheap rate but it was still amazing. I remember a place in Gariahat where I had an ilish-er begun-aloo jhol, which I recreated later and converted my half-American wife into an ilish lover with it! She went gaga over it! (Laughs)

Adil Hussain in Sharbari Studio

So your love for theatre started from Calcutta?

No, my love for theatre started in Assam itself when I was only eight years old. In kindergarten, I performed my first play. Assam has a vibrant theatre culture like Bengal. But I feel guilty of not doing enough theatre. I fell in love with this seriousness of theatre after I graduated from NSD (National School of Drama). But because the amount of money you earn by doing theatre in India is pathetic, you cannot have a decent life. You can survive. I wanted to give a little more comfort to my family. If I lived alone, I would have done just theatre. I would have never done films unless it is something artistically inspiring. I still choose my films so that artistically it does not dry me or kill my soul. I don’t earn as much money as other actors in Bombay because I choose independent films mostly. Once in a blue moon, when my bank balance is dwindling, I do commercial films.

What is it you look for when you choose a script?

I look for a script that artistically challenges me, a relevant story and I look for something to munch on as a performer. Some money with it is of course great. I give concessions to artistic films but I charge more money when I do commercial films. That’s how I balance it out to pay my bills and look after my dil! (Laughs)

What made you want to be a part of Every 68 Minutes?

Anindita (Sarbadhicari; director of the film) is my sister. She and I understand each other’s vision. We studied together in NSD. I am doing a small part but it is an important story to be told. Every 68 minutes is about how girls are being erased from our earth every day. I think people should know about it and we should talk about it. We are art makers and through our medium, we tried to make people aware of this through this film.

You are known to be someone who speaks his mind. Did it ever put you in a spot?

I wouldn’t know it. If people are not sending me their scripts, I wouldn’t know! (Laughs) I keep getting a lot of scripts. On a serious note, I think it is probably because I do not say it with contempt. I appreciate and have empathy for people who have different views.

You stay away from fashion and style and a certain lifestyle that comes with being a Bollywood actor. How do you manage to stay unaffected by it and choose this life of simplicity that you always speak about?

I probably got inspired by my acting teachers at NSD who are great theatre artistes. Naseeruddin Shah is one of them. They are the simplest people that I have met. I live a much more lavish life than them. Art has value for them as a medium for self-exploration and discovery. For them, art was never a way to mint money. When you have living examples in front of you who walk their talk and do not unnecessarily compromise then you get the courage to do the same. They are much more strict with their integrity I must say. There are quite a few people from Bengal who inspire me and one of them is Ramkrishna Paramhansa. I read his Kathamrita like a thriller! In front of all of these people, I am already very flashy and flamboyant.