There’s no starring role in Tandav, says actor Gauahar Khan, who believes the highlight of the upcoming political drama is the diversity of its massive cast.
The nine-part political drama designed and staged by Ali Abbas Zafar is set in Delhi and aims to lead viewers into the closed, chaotic corridors of power, exposing the manipulations, charades, as well as the dark secrets of the socialmediagossips who will go to any lengths in the pursuit of power.
The show includes Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kumud Mishra, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Sunil Grover, among others.
Khan, known for her work in films like Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and Ishaqzaade, said Zafar treated every actor equally.
“There isn’t a single lead or character who can run this type of series. The strength of this series is the variety of characters that complement the story.
“I think he’s smart enough to know how important each element is to the show. And that’s how he treated us on set. Each character on the show was weighted so that it was really impressive, ”the 37-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
Khan said she realized the scope of the series when Zafar, known as the director of blockbusters like Tiger Zinda Hai and Sultan, sent her the script.
“I said, ‘Wow, this is a huge show with so many characters.’ At the time, I didn’t know who was going to play which character, I just knew there would be a lot of very strong characters and my part is one of them.
“And when I found out that Saif was on board with such an amazing cast and finally Dimple Ma’am came towards the end, I was very excited.”
Khan, who plays Maithili Sharan, confidante of Kapadia’s politician Anuradha Kishore on the series, said she loved playing a character who “stays calm in the storm”.
“She’s not someone to panic and pressure, and that’s why she’s so close to Dimple Ma’am’s character, Anuradha. Maithili is a special figure for me because of the overall strength she has in this power game. “
The actor was kudos to Zafar, who represents the new group of directors in the industry. “It’s a very new age and doesn’t have that typical Bollywood attitude that only men can make a movie. He understood the essence of the show.
“One of the strengths of Tandav is that there are so many women who play really strong characters. It’s interesting to watch women in power too. So it’s not just about impact. That is exactly what Tandav is all about. “
Since her debut with Rocket Singhin in 2009, Khan has been pretty picky about her projects. Her last feature film was the 2017 drama Begum Jaan, starring Vidya Balan.
“I’m not picky, but I refer to quality. The type of production house and the socialmediagossips I work with are very important to me. Every year I did projects that got noticed. For me, quality is important and not that I should keep turning things upside down. “
Tandav is also Khan’s first project since her Christmas wedding with dancer Zaid Darbar.
“I found love and got married in a year like 2020. My life is always about being happy and positive. That’s how I was and that’s how I plan to continue doing it in the future. “
Tandav is slated to start streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Friday.
