‘They are not realistic actors': Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub on big Bollywood stars, Criminal Justice Season 4 and more
Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, known for his grounded performances, speaks about navigating moral grey zones, parenting with compassion, and why he doesn't see his acting style reflected in Bollywood's biggest stars.
Q: Did embodying Dr Raj Nagpal in Criminal Justice Season 4 reshape your own ideas about paternal sacrifice and moral grey zones? 
A: Not exactly. I would just say that I understood the idea, and that is why I was able to be there and play the character. So, I think the process is generally the reverse for actors.
It's not like while you are playing it, you understand that. You first need to understand it and then only you can play the character and perform it. So yeah, that would be the answer.
Q: Name an improvised moment with Pankaj Tripathi (or any other actor from Criminal Justice Season 4) that slipped into the final cut and surprised even the crew.
A: No, no. There wasn't because I did not have any dialogues as such. Not many dialogues, especially when I am with Pankaj bhai. But, I think the whole scene, I think that is how any scene happens. Like when he is sitting there and he is talking to me in jail when he comes to meet me.
I think even that or maybe the small looks that we share while he is presenting his argument, and I am standing there and just looking there, here and there. I think that was all there. So, nothing like which surprised the audience. There was nothing like that. The crew, especially. I think everything was written there. So nothing like that.
Q: You grew up in a multi-faith environment. Now, your child is growing up in a similar diversity. Which lesson from your childhood do you hope becomes her compass?
A: I would say just be kind to everyone and do not differentiate between people in terms of caste, creed or religion or anything in that sense. Just be with people because they are humans, and be kind to them. I think that is what I grew up in, and I respect human beings and all the cultures.
Q: You once joked you'd trade an arm to breathe life into Sahir Ludhianvi; which forgotten Ludhianvi verse would anchor that biopic's emotional spine?
A: I think that would be… Actually, there are many. That is why I would love to play Sahir because I think he is one of the greatest poets.
So, I think, but still what attracted me the most was:
Ek shahenshah ne banwa ke Taj Mahal,
Hum gareebon ki mohabbat ka udaya hai nazaak.
That would be the best of Sahir.
Q: Scrolling social media feeds can blur reality, especially for an actor. So, what simple offline habit grounds your perspective after heavy online chatter?
A: I think it is reading. I still read books and I don't read from digital gadgets or anything. I like to touch the paper, read it and carry the book with me. I think that is something that brings you back to reality, and you see how the real world operates. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub on his love for books
Q: You've worked with big stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, R Madhavan, Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Diljit Dosanjh, Dhanush and many other big stars. Whose approach to acting is more similar to yours, and how?
A: I don't think anyone's approach is similar to mine. They have their own style. Most of them are stylised actors. They are not realistic actors in that sense. So, I would say no one in this list.
Criminal Justice Season 4, called A Family Matter, had its OTT release on May 29. The web series, also starring Pankaj Tripathi, Surveen Chawla and Asha Negi, is streaming on JioHotstar.
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