I play a classy gangster in Ek Thi Begum (Season 2), says The Family Man actor Shahab Ali

Shahab Ali’s first big break came when he appeared as the terrorist Sajid in the first season of the acclaimed web-series The Family Man. But he became better known after the follow-up was released earlier this year. In the latest season, his character has a sub-plot with that of Samantha Akkineni. The actor's most recent outing is in the recently released second season of Ek Thi Begum where he plays a gangster. 

However, the actor told Cinestaan that he had bagged the role before the second season of The Family Man had been premiered. He got a call from casting director Rohan Mapuskar because of his work in the first season of the espionage thriller. 

Asked what drew him to Ek Thi Begum, he said, "The one thing that attracted me to the show was that it has a female protagonist. You hardly see that [in underworld stories]."

The first season of Ek Thi Begum revolves around Ashraf aka Sapna (Anuja Sathe) who is shattered at the murder of her husband Zaheer (Ankit Mohan), which was carried out at the behest of the dreaded don Maqsood (Ajay Gehi). She then sets out to avenge her husband’s death. The first season was directed solely by Sachin Darekar. For the second one, he was accompanied by Vishal Modhave. 

Speaking about his character, Shahab said, “He is the brother-in-law of Maqsood. He oversees all his illegal activities in Dubai. To cover this up, he owns a construction company. The other gangsters in the series are rough and tough, but my character is very classy. He is a person who is quite calm and a perfectionist. Even if he gets angry, he won’t show it. He speaks at a slow pace and I had to maintain this. To achieve this calmness, I did a workshop, so that that stillness was seen in me."

Shahab hadn’t seen the first season but he said he gained confidence after hearing about it. “I still haven’t seen the first season fully because I didn’t want to get influenced in any way. I saw a few episodes and I understood what the series is about,” he said. 

The second season of Ek Thi Begum will see Shahab and Sathe’s characters share the screen in quite a few scenes. "She is very understanding and there is a good give-and-take with her," he said. "She has been in the show since the first season and I am new to the cast, but she never let me feel that way. We developed a good bonding. So, it was smooth and effortless."

Unlike The Family Man, this show is set in the 1980s and 1990s. “I read about Bombay of the 1980s and 1990s and saw pictures of that period,” he said. “I saw a few films too. I studied some gangsters too but I didn’t make them my base. Ultimately, it’s a fictional character and there should be some fun around it. I also put some inputs from my side, like one takiya kalam [catchphrase] the character keeps repeating.” 

Shahab believes that there is a lot of scope for an actor while playing a negative character. But he also admits that the positive characters also have their own challenges. "You might feel that the actor who is playing a hero isn’t doing much but actually it’s really difficult. Being charming is not easy. You have to look like a hero. It might look effortless but it’s not easy," he said.

This brings to mind the fact that Shahab has played two negative characters back-to-back. The artiste now wants to take a break and play a character on the right side of the law. "I am desperate to do something in the comedy and romantic sphere. I don't want to do any negative roles right now. After the second season of The Family Man, I have been flooded with negative roles," he said. 

He added, "If you keep doing the same roles, the audience will start believing this is the only thing you can do. But the truth is that you should at least get offered something else. Only then will you prove yourself as an actor. For that, the casting director and producer should look at your potential. Talent is nothing without an opportunity."

Mafia stories have been explored umpteen times in Hindi cinema. What sets Ek Thi Begum apart is that it has a female anti-hero. Apart from this, Shahab believes that such stories are thrilling and suit the OTT sphere. 

"Ever since OTT platforms have boomed in India, the demand for thrillers has gone up," he said. "Earlier, there wasn’t much culture for thrillers. It suits this format well. The way thrillers have been received by the audience pushes the makers to make more of such content. Underworld stories have a lot of drama and masala."

The actor also believes that OTT has been a boon for actors like him. "There is the pressure of the box office and casting big names [in movies]. There is a lot of investment, so makers wish to be safe. But in web-series, I and others like me have started getting opportunities. If you have good content and script, it will be seen by people, even if it doesn’t have a famous name,” he said. 

Asked if there will be a third season, Shahab said, “You need to watch season two to know the answer to that question.”