MEET SAJJAD DELAFROOZ — THE MAN WHO’S GIVEN US THE SHIVERS AS ABU USMAN IN TIGER ZINDA HAI

Who’s that guy?’ wondered many after walking out of Tiger Zinda Hai. Iranian actor Sajjad Delafrooz it is, whose portrayal of terrorist chief Abu Usman, the antagonist who stands shoulder to shoulder with Salman Khan in Tiger Zinda Hai, has won overwhelming praise. t2 caught up with the 34-year-old (yes, he’s quite a looker!) on life before and after the box-office blockbuster that’s rapidly racing towards the 
Rs 300-crore club… 

How are people reacting to Abu Usman? 

It’s been beautiful so far. So many people have sent me messages that they’ve already watched it a couple of times. What more can an actor want? We are all here because of people... they make us who we are. Some have even memorised my lines, some of which I have forgotten myself! 

Landing such a plum role in your first Bolly film must have been a huge high...

The goal of working in Bollywood began seven years back, when I started acting full-time. I started sending out emails — those days there was no WhatsApp — and every other possible way, to reach out to people in Bollywood. I came to Mumbai in 2014 to try my luck. But nothing happened and so I went back to the UAE. But I never stopped working on my dream. I got a small role in Mr Akshay’s (Kumar) film with Mr Neeraj Pandey called Baby (Sajjad had a bit role of a doctor). It was then that I realised that it’s possible... I would just have to put in more effort.

Tiger Zinda Hai is a result of long years of planning... and failing! (Laughs) The emails sent over years finally resulted in a response from Yash Raj Films with their casting director Shanoo Sharma telling me that they were looking for an actor, but there was no mention of which role and what film. I read the script… but it wasn’t for Tiger Zinda Hai. I signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and did an audition from another script. They liked it and asked me to meet Ali Abbas Zafar, the director of Tiger Zinda Hai. 

I remember when I got the role, I was sitting down… I was very calm and I said, ‘Okay, now I have to be really focused and I have to bring all my years of experience in front of the camera’. 

While making the film, did you at any point think your role would have such an impact? 
 
I didn’t! I knew that I was working under Yash Raj Films and Aditya Chopra and with a director like Ali... and then, I was in front of a superstar like Salman Khan. I knew it was a big opportunity. But that my role per se would have such an impact, I would have never guessed. 

Abu Usman couldn’t have been an easy character to grasp and portray. What went into playing him?

In life, I am an emotional person. I believe in the beauty of life and that we are all here because of love… Abu Usman, of course, thinks absolutely the opposite. 

I had to go through his pain and connect my pain to his pain. That’s how I understood him somewhat, but I never gave him the right to colour my understanding of what’s right or wrong. 

Abu Usman is an overpowering personality, as you see in the film, and there was every chance that he could influence me and I would start sympathising with him and what he believes in. But I never allowed that to happen. 

Honestly, I am not an actor… I don’t know how to act… I just become the people I play. I stayed with this character for a long time and some of the crew members were actually scared of me because even off camera, I made it a point to stay in character and be very, very serious! (Laughs) Sajjad loves to laugh and joke and be sarcastic, but Abu Usman didn’t allow me to do all that. I studied the character for two months before shoot, I watched many terrorism-related documentaries… they were very painful to watch, but I had to for the sake of my art. 

What was the most challenging bit of being Abu Usman?

He does so many wrong things. That scene with the kid Hasan, who he sends out into the market as a human bomb, was very painful. I am someone who loves kids and that scene felt so wrong to me. And then those scenes were I had to torture Salman and Miss Katrina (Kaif) were very tough. I don’t find it tough to switch off from my characters after shoot, but in the case of Abu Usman, the pain and the sadness and what I was doing on set every day — totally unlike who I am as a person — stayed on with me.  

Abu Usman stands out for his calm and soft-spoken demeanour, even when he’s carrying out the most heinous crimes. Was that the brief given to you or did it come from you?

When I read the character, I knew that he had seen so many things in life that he’s prepared for everything… nothing scares Abu Usman. I made him very calm because that’s how he creates fear… his eyes talk. You never know what’s going on in his mind at any point because he never betrays his feelings. My audition process lasted for two-and-a-half months and in every audition, that was my portrayal of him — emotionless, focused and sharp.

What was it like on set interacting with Salman? 

We know he gave you quite a few fitness and diet tips! (Laughs) Yes, he did… and I follow them even now! The whole world knows him as a superstar, but what I saw was a wonderful human being. He’s so humble and treats you like family. I was on a diet for the role and he would take special interest in knowing what I was eating and what exercises I was doing. And in every single take, I found a co-star who was collaborative and cooperative. He would share some of his career experiences with me. I am a newcomer, but he never made me feel that way. 

Going back, where did your love for Bollywood stem from?

(Laughs) Bollywood was a beautiful part of my childhood. Growing up in the UAE, we had a channel called 33 (Ch33) and I waited impatiently the whole week for Thursday night when they would show one Hindi film. That was the most beautiful night of the week for me. Bollywood became a dream then, because I started living with the characters I watched... I was Mr Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah one week and then his character (Badshah Khan) in Khuda Gawah the next week (smiles). 

As the years went on, I lived a regular life. I did my BBA and MBA and started working a corporate job… but my love for Bollywood stayed on. I am a simple boy from the countryside and the plan for people like us is to get a house, a car and a family (smiles). I did all of that, but honestly I was so bored at my work! (Laughs) I didn’t like it one bit and I kept escaping from it. That’s when I decided to pursue acting full-time. 

Did you pick up Hindi from watching Bollywood films?

I grew up in an Indian neighbourhood in the UAE for a while, but yes, my Hindi mostly came from watching Bolly films. When I was locked for Tiger..., I underwent a language course for one-and-a-half months and now I make it a point to only speak in Hindi with people. That helps me learn more. 

How do you plan on taking your Bolly career forward?

The success of any film means that almost everyone attached to it benefits in some way. All of us in this film will definitely get better offers now. At present, I haven’t signed anythiang… I’m just enjoying the success of the film. One thing for sure is that I will not repeat something like Abu Usman. And then, of course, I wouldn’t want to play Sajjad in any film (smiles). 
 

Sajjad Delafrooz is the perfect choice for Abu Usman because...
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