Dilnaz Irani made her name as the lawyer in Sushmita Sen starrer Aarya 2. Now, she is playing a cop in Mathagam, a Tamil original web series currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. The Free Press Journal speaks with the actress exclusively.
When asked about Mathagam, she says, “Mathagam is inspired by a real-life saga and is a dramatic thriller.”
Opening up about her role in the show, Dilnaz shares, “I am playing Sayanthika Biswas, the Commissioner of police of greater Chennai. One of the youngest women IPS officers from West Bengal, she has a love marriage with Thirumaran, a Tamilian (played by Gautham Vasudev Menon). Sayanthika follows the law by the book and fosters great concern for the safety of the police force and the public, especially when raids and sting operations are involved.”
Dilnaz adds, “She has a tough exterior, but also has a soft side, which shows only sometimes and only with certain people. She is very principled. She works hard at doing the right thing.”
Dilnaz Irani on the sets of Mathagam |
When asked how did she bag the show, Dilnaz explains, “For this character, the producers wanted someone not from Chennai but from Mumbai or Bollywood. They had cast another actor, but at the last minute, there were some health issues with the other actor, and that didn’t work out. Director Prasath Murugesan had seen me in Aarya 2 and he decided that that’s the character and look they wanted so they called me up.”
She further elaborates, “There was no formal audition or screen test as such, they just called me and asked me to come over to Chennai for a meeting, and I along with my manager went over for a one-day work meeting, and in the meantime, they had sent me the character and synopsis and sketch and ppt of the show as they had already started working on the show. In fact, when I met the team, it just so happened that I had chopped off my hair really for another project just a couple of days back and I was like, are you sure this will work. They called the DOP and did a mock photo shoot from different angles because it is also a no makeup look, so they wanted to be sure.”
This is her Tamil debut and Dilnaz was nervous because she doesn’t know the language. “From their side ultimately, they seemed very sure, but I was not convinced and very nervous, especially about the language. They sent me the script, and a part of me wanted to do it because it’s such a meaty role and such a good story, but I didn’t think I would manage the language barrier. They reassured me that it will all work out. I think they also knew I came from a strong theatre background, and the director asked me why I was worrying. Their quiet confidence gave me the courage to go ahead,” she recalls.
“This Tamil web series came at a very opportune time. I had been doing a lot of theatre and a few films and web series in Mumbai, but it was all getting a little bit monotonous. so here was a challenge and a freshness to being on a set again but in a different environment. Also, it's such a good opportunity from a work point of view as well. Things are finally getting pan Indian and borders of regions are merging, with language not being a barrier any longer for the audience," Dilnaz opines.
When asked about the difference between working in a South Indian production venture versus projects from Mumbai, pat comes the reply, "Well they are quite apart. It was a lot more informal but at the same time there was a personal connection. they really took care of me. They shot in actual real live locations and they told me they don't shoot in sets like in Mumbai so that's a lot more challenging than shooting in a controlled set. Initially, I was struck by how simple everyone is on the sets. Even the most senior technicians and the producers, everyone had a simplicity to them. Simple and unassuming. And everyone is just completely focused on their jobs and very, very accomplished."
She further elaborates, "On the sets, they were really fantastic. On the days I was flying in for my shoot the director would sit with me and the co-writer who has written the script and they would break down my lines for me and explain the words phonetically to me so that I could write them down and remember my lines better and fortunately I am playing a non-Tamilian in the series so sometimes when I just couldn't pronounce a particular word they let me say it in 'Tanglish' which is slang for English and Tamil, which quite saved the day for me on occasions. But I just want to say that they are so technically sound. Not taking away anything from the Hindi film industry, but their level of craft is unbelievable."
