00:00So hello Adil sir, welcome to NS and first of all congratulations for Maximilian Miyazaki that's about to release on
00:04July 24th.
00:05Thank you very much.
00:06I want to start off by asking that what was about the broader idea of the film or your character
00:11or the premise that appealed to the artist in you.
00:14Well, I think the broader idea would be that how in spite of the differences of ideas, ideologies, habits and
00:24traits of each human being
00:26and each generation we carry forth all kinds of things from our previous generations.
00:34And then the times change and we stay, sort of we try to stay true to our ideas of what
00:41life could be
00:42and we try to stay true to also that what should be the future of our offsprings who we have
00:52given birth to or care for or love.
00:54And the clashes of all these different ideas, habits, personal idiosyncrasies of vision of future about our siblings
01:07and the things that we don't like about our previous generations like my dad I never liked a lot of
01:16things about
01:17and now I don't like a lot of things about my son and we have problems with that.
01:22So, this film I guess takes all this into account with a beautiful way of bringing them under one umbrella
01:36and trying to look at the issues, the conditions, the problems, the predicaments, the situations
01:45with a microscopic eye and to create empathy for these three generations that Mahadevan's.
01:55And with regards to your character if you could help me understand the values that he has and the world
02:00that he comes from.
02:01Yeah.
02:02Well, what I have understood while being directed and when I read the script and while I also played the
02:12role is that
02:14he has he believes in absolute discipline and a very settled way of how one should live one's life
02:28which we generally all believe the same. But then my characters, my roles time period is different than my son's
02:37time period.
02:39So, I am influenced by my time period. I must get a job and then you do your thing.
02:44You, you know, contribute something to the society, you look after your parents, you look after your father or your
02:50offspring, your wife
02:51and provide them with financial help and that's that. Emotionally, the person that I played is not
03:03not keeping up with the kind of, how do I say, not keeping up with the kind of leniency or,
03:15or, or, or flexibility
03:19to be able to see some one to be able to see the truth or see truth from somebody else's
03:26perspective
03:26which takes a great deal of personal work which this character, you know, has not, this role has not really
03:34worked on that.
03:35And in the film, he is working on that in the story. The film starts, he is emotionally distraught
03:43and then finally during the film, he slowly starts loosening up and seeing the, seeing truth from somebody else's perspective
03:53and softens, it softens himself, it softens him.
03:57And if I may ask what was the convergence point because you said that, you know, he is very rigid
04:00in terms of the emotionality
04:03and how he deals with people. You coming from the opposite end of the spectrum, you know, you are very
04:07perceptive about, you know,
04:09what other people are thinking. That's what I observe about you.
04:12That's not true. I have my rigidity also.
04:15But, you know, more fluid compared to the character. So, well, now there are two journeys for the character to
04:23become more fluid and flexible
04:25and for you to become more rigid as an actor. What was the convergence point in this film?
04:29I think I had been a rigid guy. I had been extremely strict with my own idea of what should
04:39be the basic principles to live our lives.
04:41And so it took me, no, not took me, it's taking me a huge amount of personal work.
04:50And I had been lucky because my, my profession or my, my, I call it self-expression is through art
05:00and especially through the art of acting.
05:03And it acting for me, the kind of acting that I believe in, not necessarily it might be the same
05:10with other actors.
05:11The kind of acting that I believe in that it must liberate myself from myself, from my personal conditioning, which
05:19I have been carrying from generations.
05:21And to be able to walk towards a large hearted person to play a small hearted person.
05:28Because a small hearted person would not be able to embrace a large hearted person.
05:33Absolutely. Yeah.
05:33You see the opposite is possible. Yeah.
05:35That's how your mother is probably would be more open to embrace a child who has made lots of mistakes.
05:42Yeah. But it's very difficult otherwise, you know.
05:46So this is a, this is not necessarily a very profound example, which I gave you.
05:52But it is important for a person who practice acting to be able to see truth from 8 billion perspectives.
06:02From 8 billion people on the planet, if I consider 8 billion perspectives and to see that it's not necessarily
06:11that you have to agree with the role you're playing.
06:15Yeah. But you must not have an iota of judgment about the role you're playing.
06:21Absolutely. Yeah.
06:22That otherwise you will not be able to wear it the entire entirely.
06:26You will not be able to embrace the role entirely.
06:29And you won't be able to do justice to it.
06:30Yes. That's, that's, that's the, that's the, that's the attempt.
06:35But we all fail. Yeah.
06:37And as best as we can go with this particular perspective that if I have to play Hitler, then I
06:44must understand and I must embrace Hitler with all my empathy.
06:49Yeah. And my compassion. Yeah.
06:53And you spoke about failure. Now, in my opinion, it's a very beautiful word.
06:57Because nothing teaches as good as failure, not even success. You know, success is one time failure teaches you have
07:02to improve yourself constantly.
07:04Yes. What are your views or how do you view failure as in art, in work or in anything?
07:09I think failure is also a testament that you have tried. And we can only try. I don't think anything
07:17else is more important than attempting to do something which you really feel like doing. Not necessarily to do something
07:25which you don't want to do.
07:26But something which you feel like my inner calling right from the age of 14, I wanted to act.
07:33Mm hmm. People would call me an actor, but I just wanted to act.
07:38You see, and I continued to do that, and I failed, being criticized, being shouted at, being thrown out of
07:46productions, and by loved also, also loved by people, loved by directors, friends, and otherwise.
07:54But if I, if I, if I would have left after the first criticism, in my childhood, when I was
08:02like 14 years old, I was doing a play and what the hell are you doing, you know?
08:07And if that would have been a trigger, like I took it into my ego, that he doesn't respect me,
08:13I'm leaving.
08:14Mm hmm. And then I wouldn't, I wouldn't have been sitting here and talking to you about it.
08:18So I think attempting something which you truly love to do is probably the only possible thing you can do.
08:27Yeah, actually.
08:28And there is a philosophy in Japan called the nobility of failure that, you know, I, I do not, I
08:36do not exactly remember.
08:38I read it long time back that there is this nobility in failure because that means you have tried something
08:46and you attempted and you couldn't succeed.
08:51What, what success, success means also is another, you know, what, what is your definition of success?
08:57Is it that can you, you have done something and you are accepted by audience?
09:01Does it mean you are successful?
09:03You know, will other define your, that you are success, you are a successful person?
09:09Or I would define myself, what is success for me?
09:12For me, what is successful, a success is that when I feel I have attempted, I tried, I am not
09:20the best.
09:20And I am being able to accept it that I am not the best with grace and with humility.
09:26And I can sleep at night well without any help of alcohol or any kind of medicine.
09:32That's success for me.
09:33Absolutely.
09:33Peace of mind at the end of the day.
09:35Yes, absolutely.
09:36I think to sum it up, failure is that wetting stone which sharpens the blunt swords to go to war.
09:42Yes, yes, absolutely.
09:44And coming to the subject of the film, you know, it rests heavily on a couple who decide to part
09:50ways.
09:50That's what I have heard about, the broader narrative of the film.
09:53And then they decide to divide their belongings and Mr. Mazzocchi and everything.
09:58Yeah, yeah.
09:59In modern times, especially in the age of AI, mid of 2020 decades, have relationships across
10:08the board have largely changed in your opinion or they are still the same, they maintain the
10:11same essence?
10:12No, I think it has changed a lot.
10:14It has changed in so many ways.
10:16We have become fragmented society, fragmented families.
10:20Like I am away from my, I grew up in a joint family.
10:24Now I live in a nuclear family.
10:26And when you are away from somebody for a long, long time, then you forget the beauty of the
10:35nuances that my mother, my brothers, my nephews, my, you know, my other brothers had.
10:42And we become so busy with our own personal lives.
10:49So, and also so many other factors which have come in to, you are more independent, you feel
10:58more autonomous, you can take decisions.
11:01Um, your integrity, the definition of your integrity changes, uh, because the society has
11:08changed so much from like, for example, I'll give an example in my childhood, in my hometown,
11:15the most respected people were the professors and teachers.
11:18And I remember still that a professor becoming a professor is the highest goal, you know, that
11:24you are a man of knowledge.
11:28You are a man of Saraswati.
11:30Now, Lakshmi has taken over.
11:32And the entire world is following Lakshmi.
11:36And I have nothing against Lakshmi.
11:38Of course, we all need a little bit of money to, you know, to, to live well, not only to
11:43survive.
11:44But then that should be, uh, that, but that Lakshmi should be led by Saraswati.
11:50It's the opposite which is happening.
11:51It's not even happening.
11:52I mean, I don't think Saraswati is anywhere nearby.
11:55In every strata, every section of our society, not even in education, ironically, not even in
12:03health industry, not even in politics, not even in bureaucracy or judiciary, for example.
12:08So, I think we are, uh, in one of the most, um, difficult time in terms of how our mindset
12:17has changed,
12:17which will definitely, um, influence every mind.
12:22And young, impressionable people, those who are growing up at this age, they're, what, what are the examples they're seeing?
12:29You know, the, the, the elder ones, what are the, there is no example in front of them to emulate.
12:35You know, it's, it's very, very difficult for them to check and the values of being in a relationship.
12:41What is loyalty?
12:42What is being, um, in, what is commitment?
12:46All these things are completely eroded.
12:49Uh, I feel, but I still am optimistic that we still have time and I hope that we can go
12:55back.
12:56Not go back, go forward, uh, with some kind of, uh, uh, vision, uh, with our lives and our families
13:05and society and the country.
13:07Absolutely.
13:08And continuing further on that, you know, it was said that internet is supposed to, you know, make everyone knowledgeable.
13:14Uh, because you have a lot of access to a lot of information through the internet.
13:17But as you mentioned that, you know, Lakshmi has taken over, it's, it's not, no longer the Saraswati that is
13:22leading.
13:23Do you think that the internet has struck in an ironical bolt of lightning on the, uh, mankind?
13:29I somehow, yeah, I understand your question, but it's a very complex, uh, situation with the internet.
13:34Because there are so many things that I've learned from it.
13:37Mm-hmm.
13:37And, um, but it also is a junkyard, um, of information.
13:43Yeah.
13:43I think knowledge is something where there is coherence, cohesiveness in the flow of, like, what you're wanting.
13:52Mm-hmm.
13:53And if your wanting is not influenced by the algorithm.
13:56Mm-hmm.
13:57And if it is influenced by the algorithm, then you are already, uh, what do you call that?
14:02You are indoctrinated.
14:04Mm-hmm.
14:04By the market force.
14:06But if you are an original thinker.
14:08And you are originally very loyal to your original intent.
14:13Mm-hmm.
14:13What do you want to become in life?
14:15And then you follow to find things which will help you to become better.
14:22Mm-hmm.
14:22Uh, with the information which you are getting from the, but then you have to be able to process
14:27it also.
14:28And then you practice those things in life.
14:32Mm-hmm.
14:32Then it becomes wisdom.
14:33I probably, that's what I, I, I think.
14:36And, um, so it, it's a monster.
14:39Mm-hmm.
14:39But then we have to find the beauty in the beast.
14:42Absolutely.
14:43Uh, which is also true with AI.
14:45Uh, but the problem with AI is that it is, it has taken all the datas without asking permission
14:52from you or me or anybody else for that matter exploiting lot of people in the villages.
14:57Mm-hmm.
14:57I have seen this beautiful film called Human in the Loop.
15:00Mm-hmm.
15:01If you have seen that.
15:02Oh, I have not seen it.
15:02Oh, you must see it.
15:03It's an Indian film.
15:04Okay.
15:05And, uh, they are exploiting lot of people in the villages to train the AI.
15:11Mm-hmm.
15:11And they are taking your work, my work without our permission.
15:15And then few people on the planet are getting richer.
15:18Mm-hmm.
15:18Without giving us any benefit of that.
15:20That's true.
15:20So, uh, it is a monster which we have created.
15:25And I think, uh, it is not intelligence at all.
15:29Mm-hmm.
15:29I think it is just, uh, it's a, it's a grinder of all the data which already human beings have
15:35created.
15:36So, nothing original about it.
15:37Yeah.
15:37Whatsoever.
15:38It is just for mediocre people.
15:41Mm-hmm.
15:41It can be used to sort of enhance their mediocrity.
15:44Mm-hmm.
15:44It is not genuine.
15:46It's not creative.
15:47It's not, uh, it's not artistic at all.
15:50Mm-hmm.
15:51So, um, yes, internet can become, uh, internet is like, there are a lot of things you have
15:58to filter through.
15:59But the danger is that before you filter even, Google is suggesting lot of things to you.
16:04And you get influenced by it.
16:05Right.
16:06So, unless you are a person with tremendous mental power.
16:11You are going to drown in it.
16:14Mm-hmm.
16:15Okay.
16:15Okay.
16:15And for my last question, uh, in one of the previous questions you mentioned this word,
16:19you know, how politics have changed, how interpersonal dynamics between people have changed.
16:23Uh, what are your views on the current political climate across the country?
16:26You know, with the youth of finally waking up.
16:29But see, the politicians did not land from Mars.
16:31They are the product of our society.
16:33So am I, so are you.
16:35Yeah, absolutely.
16:35So before I point fingers to the politicians, though they, they went and advertised themselves
16:41and they had gone and begged votes, they should be way more responsible than what they are right
16:47now.
16:47And so do, and also the people, those who are doing art, those who are making films, influencing
16:53tremendous amount of people on the planet.
16:55Mm-hmm.
16:56Right?
16:56Yeah.
16:56The filmmaker is influencing a lot of people.
17:00Yeah.
17:00Like thousands and millions of people.
17:03Every day.
17:03Yeah.
17:03Every day.
17:04You know, through their films, through their whatever vertical films or whatever they do.
17:09So how responsible are we?
17:11Mm-hmm.
17:11So why would we only point our fingers to the politicians and to the filmmakers?
17:16Filmmakers are also very powerful people because they are, so are the politicians.
17:22So they must look within and find out what am I doing for our children?
17:27Mm-hmm.
17:27What am I going?
17:28What am I living behind?
17:29What kind of planet, a country I am living behind for our next generations?
17:34But that thought has to be instilled with, um, with intensity so that they truly feel it.
17:44That what, what kind of planet, country, society, my family I am going to leave behind.
17:50Only Lakshmi will not help you.
17:52Yeah.
17:53You might have Lakshmi, but your children are suffering from X number of diseases, mental
17:57diseases, which is, you can see in America, every fifth person has a psychiatrist.
18:02So what kind of society are we even emulating?
18:05You know what I mean?
18:07So we must, uh, reflect and find a way out.
18:11And, uh, the politicians, of course, should be very educated in the first place.
18:17They must know what is happening in the world.
18:19And, uh, I don't think that is happening.
18:21Yeah.
18:22Unfortunately.
18:23Okay.
18:23Perfect.
18:24And I am tempted to ask one last question.
18:25This is coming from.
18:25You are saying last question for last three times.
18:28Okay.
18:29Uh, this is coming from more of a personal space from me.
18:31Yeah.
18:31I want to understand the thought process of an accomplished artist.
18:35Uh, in your opinion, what weighs more heavily?
18:38Is it the guilt or the regret for any human being?
18:40In your opinion, what is more heavier, a guilt or the regret for any human being in your opinion?
18:45Since you have played very many characters.
18:46I, I do not entertain either.
18:49Mm-hmm.
18:49I do not entertain guilt.
18:50I do not entertain regret.
18:52Because I do not want to go backward.
18:56This I had learned while acting.
18:58Okay.
18:58And one of my teachers, while I was acting and I was doing something and suddenly I stopped
19:02because he said, it's not happening.
19:04I am like, oh, God, I am so sorry.
19:07He said, Adil, don't say sorry.
19:08You, you, you detect that you made a mistake.
19:13Mm-hmm.
19:13Don't look back and be there with the guilt.
19:17Just look forward and correct it.
19:19So, I do not think regret and guilt has any place.
19:22Mm-hmm.
19:23In my life.
19:24Yeah.
19:24I must learn from my mistake.
19:27Absolutely.
19:27There is no doubt about it.
19:29And guilt.
19:30Guilt is when you stay in your mistake for longer than you require.
19:34Yeah.
19:34You might stay in your guilt for a second or two.
19:36Mm-hmm.
19:37If you have practiced enough.
19:39Otherwise, there are, I have seen people being in guilt and then ruining their lives.
19:43And then taking antidepressant and all that.
19:46It's not easy what I am saying.
19:48It's, it's simple what I am saying but not easy to practice.
19:51I know that.
19:52But so, guilt and regret has no place in my life at all whatsoever.
19:55Mm-hmm.
19:56I make hundreds of mistakes.
19:57I look at it and I try to go forward so that I don't make it again.
20:02Yeah.
20:03Okay.
20:03Perfect.
20:03So, that we have reached the end of this conversation.
20:05If there is anything that I may have missed asking or something that you would have loved
20:07to talk about.
20:08So, please feel free.
20:08I can keep talking for next eight hours but I don't think I should do that.
20:12Lovely talking to you.
20:13Likewise.
20:14Thank you, sir.
20:14It was an honor and a pleasure.
20:15Pleasure.
20:16Pleasure.
20:16Pleasure.
20:16as a dancer.
20:17It is.
