Delzad Hiwale Hindi Medium

Delzad had missed his auto ride back home when he was spotted by a casting director who told him to audition for Chittagong, just because. The film went on to become his introduction to the world of feature films. Since then, Delzad has portrayed crucial roles in highly acclaimed films like Chittagong, Chauranga, Bubblegum and now, a young Irrfan Khan, in Hindi Medium. All of 22, he already has his finger in every pie with not only features, but also several short films like CowMan, Carp-e-Diem and Qahr under his belt. But, his journey has not exactly been a cakewalk. Shuffling between academics and his passion, carving out a career for himself while still in college has been a crucial challenge. On a sunny afternoon, I connect with Delzad as he takes me through his romance with films and the man who stands at the center of his life and craft - his father. 

Tell me about your childhood, and what drew you into acting?
My father always wanted to become an actor. In fact, he encouraged me to take up acting instead of science or commerce. He was my first acting coach. I’ve had quite a few coaches, but he still remains the best because what he had learnt and then passed onto me wasn’t theoretical, it was what he saw and studied all his life and on his own. His family wasn’t financially secure; my grand father was a driver at the ammunition factory. I wish he had the support system that I had.

You are still studying in college. How do you take out time to act?
College keeps me occupied throughout the day. Taking time out to handle acting and academics is rough but my mother and I have made an arrangement that makes sure all my acting assignments are completed before the first month of any semester. The process has been working out well. I also make sure that I spend at least a day with her every week. Maybe go out to shop, for a movie or just a drive. My belief is that everything is transitory; career, relationships, struggle and success, so we must make the most of it when the time is right.

Who is your role model?
As I mentioned before, it is my father. He suffered from a stroke and underwent an operation in 2011. He has been paralysed and partially blind ever since. He never got to see my work as an actor and I don’t look at it as a sob story. It does hurt that he was never there for any of my film premieres or my first day at college or the parent teacher meets, but, the lesson that he imparted through all the highs and lows to face the real world was that life is extremely wavering at all times, staying positive, humble and hungry will help you grow, and pride and frivolity will destroy it all. I apply this to everything that I do and try to avoid taking things for granted. Who knew the man who sat with me through all the films I saw as a child would not turn up for the premiere of my first film?

Walk me through your process of delving into a character. 
Acting is lying. We all lie. But, acting is a step beyond, where we not only try to lie to the world around us but also ourselves. I believe in a variant of method acting where you study the premise the director provides, the surrounding, the other actors and also remember the scene, not the dialogues, because an actor’s job is to live that character at that moment and not be a robotic vegetable. This helps bring about a natural conversation between characters rather than a monotonic one. Rajkummar Rao sir taught me so during Chittagong and the lesson will always stay with me.

What was the most challenging role you played?
I suppose Jhunku a.k.a Subodh Roy from Chittagong was quiet challenging. It was my first film and I had to bring about a transition from a kid who wants to go abroad to study, to becoming a revolutionary. Also, it was a real character hence, I had to be extremely honest to the part. I remember spending time on the set in order to understand how it must have felt to be imprisoned at that age.

You also act in short films. Is the process any different from acting in features?
I enjoy short films more than feature films. Short films give you a kind of freedom where you can experiment because the scope is much smaller. There are no lakhs and crores of money being invested everyday. And it helps you understand the craft better because you can do ten different characters within a month while in features, you might have to play one character for a long period of time. But each has its benefits. Hoor from Hindi Medium has crossed 3 million views on YouTube and I realise that my short films will not have that kind of reach.

You have acted in four feature films. What did you take away from each set?
On the sets of Chittagong, just being around Barry John, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rajkummar Rao was a learning curve in itself.
In Bubblegum, I learnt how important it is to be spontaneous and enjoy being a character. It also helped me explore sign language.
Chauranga taught me how physical barriers are not enough to bring you down and that mental strength is the key to acting.
The young Raj in Hindi Medium reminded me that being an actor is not about looking good or hero-like. It is about being honest to the character. My character could be easily turned to a hero but he wasn't. He is a simple kid from Chandni Chowk and so be that. Let the stars be the heroes. I’m here to be real.

Would you call yourself a director's actor?
Yes, absolutely. The director is the guide. You need to understand the mood the director is trying to create and a way to live in that. I believe having conversations with the director is extremely crucial for an actor. It has always helped me.

What are you working on currently and what’s next? 
I am working on a feature film by a friend. It is called Aryan Nahi Bachega. I'm involved in the project not only as an actor but also as an acting coach and casting director for the children who play a major part in the film.



Text Suhani Lakhotia