Adnan Siddiqui: I have always admired Sridevi's work

Adnan Siddiqui With Sridevi in the filmA few years ago when Adnan Siddiqui opted out of Yash Rajs Mardani because the part that was originally offered to him was changed at the last minute he thought Bollywood would never have any meaty parts for him Then Boney Kapoors Mom came along Today post the films successful release this wellknown Pakistani actor of hit serials such as Maat Mere Qatil Mere Dildar and Doraha some of which were also aired on Zindagi has been lapping up accolades after acting with Sridevi Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye KhannaA Sridevi fan Siddiqui says Mom meant acting alongside the veteran actress especially playing Sridevis husband Real life mein nah sahi screen pe hi sahi he chucklesMom isnt his first international acting assignment Earlier Siddiqui did a cameo in a Hollywood film A Mighty Heart 2007 alongside Angelina Jolie Back home he has just released his first feature Yalghaar It is touted to be the most expensive film in Pakistans historyClearly Siddiqui is on a roll Yalghaar and Mom have scored big at the box office My first question to him is obviously about his experience with the Bollywood crew and particularly Sridevi Id be insane if I said I didnt love the experience And honestly I wouldve said so if I hadnt loved it I am that crazyOur conversation is briefly interrupted by a phone call Its Boney sahib Siddiqui murmers before he rushes to answer the call He returns shortly and begins to relate how he enjoys a great rapport with the producer Were on the same page were always exchanging notes on the filmInterestingly Moms director Ravi Udyawar is a debutant and so is Sajal Ali another Pak importSiddiqui attributes it to his producer Youve to hand it to Boney sahib for trusting so many newcomers with his film Excerpts from an interviewAdnan Siddiqui with Boney Kapoor on the setHow did Mom come your wayIndia se mujhe pehle bhi offers aa chukhein hain but nothing excited me I was approached for Mardaani 2014 for the villains part Later I was asked to play the cop instead So I refused Last year when the makers of Mom approached me my instinctive response was I hope I am not wasted in the role I was concerned because I have worked hard over the past 27 years to get where I am I didnt want it to go down the drainYou finally accepted the role despite its lengthRoles arent big or small but the actors are I was convinced that I wasnt looking at the length of the character as much as its significance to the plot When I was told that it was Boney Kapoors film and that Id be playing Sri mams husband I jumped with joy I have always admired her work her range as an actor and her beautyIf you take her 1987 film Mr India for instance She is a seductress in one song a comedienne in another She also makes you cry in that particular scene when she learns that the children are starving Similarly she had amazed me in Sadma 1983 I am proud of my Pakistani costar Sajals performance also I think its a great achievement for her that she got the chance to debut in a film that stars Sridevi and yet she could hold her ownWere you ever concerned that your role might be slashed at the editing table especially after relations between India and Pakistan got worse in September last yearNever I had full faith in Boney sahibAdnan SiddiquiIt was reported that you and Sajal werent going to return to India for the remaining shoot because you were concerned about your safetyThat was pure assumption In fact we got our visas despite tension at the borders Boney sahib is a well connected person He didnt want us or his team to get into any awkward situation and so decided to shift the shooting location to Bangkok It mustve been a tough choice financially also since he had to fly the cast and crew from India and us from Pakistan Earlier the part in the film which is supposed to be Kashmir was shot in Georgia because being Pakistanis we would not be allowed there I often told Boney sahib that it was because of us that the films budget had gone up and hed comfort me by saying Arrey yaar we are professionals we dont think that way It was a big thing for meYou werent required for dubbingNo because Mom was shot in sync sound Where did the shooting locations take you in India In an April 16 2016 tweet you said My stay at one of the most beautiful palaces in Jaipur Jai Mahal Palace was nothing less than royalWe shot in Delhi and Mumbai But you know Boney sahib pampers his actors a lot There was a gap of 10 days between our two shooting spells so he planned trips for us in India He told us visit Agra and Jaipur at his expense He couldve told us to hang in in our hotel rooms but he wanted us to enjoy our time He took care of everything for us from our travels to our food He had arranged a special cook for me named Afzal who would make sure I get halal meatDid you get any other offers during your stay in IndiaI was called to audition for Mira Nairs Broadway musical which is loosely based on her own 2001 film Monsoon Wedding It was for the role of Lalit played by Naseeruddin Shah As I was shooting for Mom in India I had to give it a miss