Isn’t it ironic that the man who used to once run a restaurant on Delhi’s Kautilya Marg plays the role of Peter, a popular chef in Khushfehmaiyaan on Gemplex Original, a premium video-on-demand and music streaming digital platform? Only the backdrop has shifted – to Goa from the national capital. The six episode series is the story of Peter, his three “adopted cooks” who are best friends and popular chefs at Peter’s Café. The protagonist, Peter, is played by noted model-actor Nasir Abdullah.
We had a quick chat with the actor who debuted in Hema Malini’s directorial debut, Dil Ashna Hai, which incidentally happened to be the first movie of Shah Rukh Khan too.
Role in Khushfehmiyan and his digital experience
“I play Goanese chef Peter Fernandes who recruits and trains three young boys to be chefs at his restaurant. He is separated from his Russian wife who lives in Russia with their daughter. The series is the story of their coming to terms with themselves, rediscovering their identity as Peter’s chefs and most loved souls, and rediscovering their brotherly love for each other, especially after the death of Peter,” says Abdullah, adding that this isn’t his first experience on an OTT platform. “I have done bits and pieces earlier too,” he says.
Movies or theatre?
“I am not very selective about my roles. This is all I am offered and I normally say yes to whatever I am offered unless it is something very miniscule, stupid or silly and demands too many things from me,” shares Abdullah who prefers TV over theatre as it involves a lot of rehearsals. “I don’t find it easy to deal with plays,” shares Abdullah who made his theatre debut back in 1992 in Pearl Padamsee’s Mischief Mania.
Comedy Vs Serious role
“I have a flair for comedy but I haven’t done much of comedy except in Dil Aashna Hai. It was a comic role but in a serious way as I was seriously afraid of my mother finding out that I was having an affair with one of the students of the college where she was a principal. The way I would face this was funny,” he says. But, he says, he ends up getting more offers to play roles of a corporate, perhaps going by his looks. “May be for a comedian, I need to show more of what I have in terms of comedy and then they may consider me,” puts in Abdullah who was the location manager for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.
Status of comedy in India
Amazed and happily surprised with the amount of progress the country has made in the field of comedy, Abdullah says, “There are so many Indians doing great work in comedy, in English and Hindi. Comedy is where I will go to at a later stage because it is interesting and fun. I like to joke and make people laugh so it has a great future for me too.”
Delhi or Mumbai and why?
“Both for different reasons. Delhi is the city I was brought up in and this is where my parents lived. I still have friends here. Also, I am more popular in Delhi and get invited to a lot more events here than in Mumbai – Mumbai already has many film stars,” says the actor, adding that Mumbai is the place which gives him scope to grow as an actor. “Mumbai has a great professional atmosphere,” he avers.
Future plans
“I want to make short films on social issues like drunken driving, HIV AIDS, harassment, molestation and rape of women. In fact, I kind of have made a few films, rough and short ones. I have made them to show it to a few people to get the interest generated, so as to get them financed. These are short films and not expensive at all. So I hope to do those films soon,” says Abdullah who prefers watching a lot TV and plays a bit of flute and keyboard but in the end wants himself to be ‘enlightened like the Buddha’.