Vijay Varma On Experience Of Working With Amitabh Bachchan & Naseeruddin Shah: Amazing To Just Look At Them Be

IFP, the world's leading festivals for all things Creativity X Culture, kicked off the first day of its milestone fifteenth season with a stellar lineup of sessions on November 29 at Mehboob Studio, Mumbai. Among the many prominent names who graced Day 1, Vijay Varma & Fatima Sana Shaikh brought the magic of Gustaakh Ishq, their new romance drama film, to the IFP 15 stage. In an engaging conversation with Swati Chopra about 'Bringing Back Old-School Romance,' Vijay and Fatima got candid about flaws, imperfections, and conflict in love and relationships.

When asked how Naseeruddin Shah's energy and presence shaped the atmosphere on set and fed into their performances as actors, Vijay expressed, "Have you heard him? It sounds like God is talking to you directly. He has got that baritone, that voice that comes from somewhere else. It sounds like the voice of the universe. Like Morgan Freeman is the voice of God in Hollywood, and we have Naseeruddin Shah as the Voice of God. I mean, his grip over the languages - Hindi, Urdu, English, even Punjabi, and Parsi... he is so good with so many different dialects. He is an institution." He further added, "Just being around him, looking at him working, looking at him being, is an experience. I have had two profound experiences. One was with Mr. Bachchan when I was shooting Pink. And one was with Naseer Sir. It's amazing to just look at them be."

Echoing the sentiment, Fatima called Naseeruddin Shah "inherently a teacher." She recalled a memory that captured the mix of fear and admiration that came with performing opposite him, sharing, "I was actually very worried he'd judge me. There was this one scene where I had to cry, and he did something really small, but it changed the whole moment. He placed my hand on his pulse so I could feel the heartbeat, basically telling me to be in the moment. What really empowered me was Naseer Sir saying, 'It's okay. Feel it. You don't have to hit those beats perfectly.'"

When asked about one modern love habit she finds charming, Fatima revealed, "I like video calls. Especially in long-distance relationships, it feels good. Those early morning voice notes, or video calls - they are so cute."

When asked about one thing his character understands better than him about love, Vijay stated, "I think my character really has failed visibly in love in the film. So I don't think he knows better than me. I know better about love than my character in the film."