ACTING ODYSSEY

Self-motivation, digital savvy, and the thrill of unconventional roles — Arif Zakaria reflects on 40 years of his career

- Dinesh Raheja

When I compliment Arif Zakaria on the thick-rimmed black glasses that are perched comfortably on his aquiline nose, he quips, “I thought if nothing works in the interview, at least my glasses will shine.” But the flooded-with-work Arif has enough arsenal to go full blast in the conversation... just like he does onscreen. The actor's latest OTT show, Special Ops 2.0, has its loyal band of followers and he will once again be playing Jinnah with aplomb in Freedom At Midnight Season 2.

Excerpts from the interview:

In your latest OTT show Special Ops 2.0, you are a new addition to an already established cast from its first season. Does that make it difficult for you to make an impression?

No, not really. The franchise is hugely popular, so when I was asked to play that part, I was thrilled. I've been in the business and I know most of the actors like Karan and Muzamil Ibrahim. I have also worked with a few of them. It’s never too difficult to blend in because it’s a very professional, well-oiled franchise.

Was the cast welcoming?

My character is not threatening their character, so it is good. They were all great professionals. We did good work on the set and we also hung around after work hours. And director Neeraj Pandey is a master at this genre. Very clear-cut, very precise and such great technical know-how.

As a freelance actor who has worked for 40 years, do you ever have to selfmotivate or are you always motivated?