As an actor, you have to play challenging and complex characters, if you want to enhance your craft. Ishaan Khatter, who is stretching his boundaries as an actor, with Mira Nair’s upcoming BBC series ‘A Suitable Boy’, certainly knows this. The actor, is playing Maan Kapoor a rebel son of a politician, romancing a woman much older than him. The woman, Saeeda Bai is being played by none other than Tabu.
Talking about their romance in the show, he said that although its a ‘forbidden romance’, it is beautiful and layered. This is the debut for Ishaan in the digital space.
A Suitable Boy is a six part series based on, Vikram Seth’s novel of the same name. It is set in 1951, India when the country was beginning to develop its own identity as an independent country. It shows the story of four large families in Northern India.
In an interview with, ‘Press Trust Of India’, Ishaan said :
“It is an uncommon relationship even in today”s time. In the story, within the narrative, it is something of a forbidden romance. She is a Muslim courtesan, he is the son of a minister from a Hindu family and almost half her age. It is highly looked down upon in Maan’s social strata. (But) It is a very beautiful relationship.”
At a young age, playing a layered character is surely going to be tough but also a big achievement. The actor, himself believes the role of Maan to be his best yet, in a short career.
While, Tabu plays the role of a courtesan poet with whom, Khatter’s character starts an affair. Ishaan was mightily impressed with her acting skills and said :
“She seamlessly adapts into whatever world she is in, it doesn’t feel like an effort. There is no awkwardness, stress or weirdness, she is very easy and comfortable.”
Interestingly, Ishaan got the part in the series before his two films, Beyond The Clouds and Dhadak. As surprising, as it might sound right now, the actor confirmed that it was a journey of eight to nine months from casting to pre-production before he knew he was on, the film.
While, this was not the only project Ishaan shot. He simultaneously shot for his upcoming film ‘Khaali Peeli’. ‘A Suitable Boy’, has already started airing in UK, soon it’ll release worldwide and India on Netflix.
Apart from Ishaan and Tabu, the series stars actors such as Tanya Maniktala as the story’s protagonist Lata Mehra, Rasika Dugal as her sister, Ram Kapoor as minister Mahesh Kapoor, Mahira Kakkar as Rupa Mehra, Vivaan Shah as Varun Mehra among others.