Strong Backbone

When I was first offered the script, I was told that it will largely be about rescuing these women from a hostage situation. According to the story, Tiger and the crew go there and get them out. It was all based on a real-life incident. And there was a need for a gloomy situation. Ali (Abbas Zafar), the director, told me that the nurses would bring the emotional value to the film, everything else would be fast-paced and action based. He said my heart should go out to the nurses and the entire film would fall apart if that did not come through.

I read up on the incident, how the nurses were extracted, the process etc. I also saw a few movies based on terror attacks to get a sense of them, and there were some very detailed workshops too. But Ali said he didn't want us to do too much prep work because he wanted us to react on a personal level to the situations in the script. He wanted it to be raw and natural, not rehearsed. It had to be our interpretation of the situation.

My character Poorna is the head nurse. She looks after everyone while she deals with her own fears. She is calm, composed and stable because she cannot fall apart. At the same time, the human being in her has to shine through too.

The strength, the panic, the pathos, the vulnerability and all the other emotions that one would feel in such a situation has to be communicated by her. She is the backbone as the other nurses lean on her. But she also has to show some amount of fear while dealing with the situation.

The biggest challenge was the location that we shot in. The weather conditions were tough because we were shooting in around 50 degrees Celsius. The scene where I am applying a bandage to Abu Usmaan was our first shot on the first day in Abu Dhabi. It was so hot that everyone was sweating while they were saying their lines. Six people fainted on the set due to the heat. So, yes, it was very tough but we sailed through. More than the actors, the crew worked really hard. Hats off to them and to Ali for managing a shoot like this.

I have known Ali for two and a half years as I had auditioned for another of his films. But this is the first one where I got the chance to be directed by him. It was just amazing. He is such a put-together director, he knows what he wants and is very clear in his mind. Also, this is a director's movie which has action, style, humour, drama… everything. Plus, he has made this movie for the masses while also keeping the niche audience happy, giving everyone a full package. It is not easy for a director to strike a balance like this.

Also, he has given each character their due in the movie. One of the best things about Ali is that he lets you be, he isn't overbearing as a director. He lets you know that he is available if you need his help.

Working with everyone on the Tiger Zinda Hai team was amazing. We became a family while working on this movie. A few of the actors playing the nurses, Parvesh, Angad and even some of the crew members, came together and became a unit. When you live, eat and hang out together, you tend to form a bond. The best part is, the bond is still there, we have kept in touch with each other.

The response has been overwhelming. Everybody loves the film. People really like my role in it and I am extremely grateful. My family, relatives and friends are very happy and I am getting a lot of messages on Instagram and Twitter from the public.

2018 will start with Padmavat being released. I had also done a movie with Nagesh Kukunoor a year and a half ago and we are hoping it will release this year. I am also doing an interesting web series with Vikramaditya Motwane. 

My character is an explosives expert. He is a man of action and few words. He is almost like the second hero in the film. He has attitude and a lot of confidence. He is calm and internalises things. While guns are blazing, he has Tiger's back at all times. Tiger trusts only my character, Major Namit Khanna. He knows that he is on a mission. He has a record of defusing bombs in the Kashmir valley and can defuse eight bombs in one go. He knows his life is on the line and he is okay with it.

I was trained for the role for a month and a half. I was put through exclusive kick-boxing classes. I trained with a Hollywood action master, who taught me how to hold a gun, how to run with it, the body language of a RAW agent, how to reload and unload a gun. I got the chance to learn a lot of technicalities involved in making explosives.

I had to put on a lot of muscle weight and I also sustained many injuries during the shoot. At the same time, I had to be agile while performing the sequences. There were many challenges in understanding the look of the character, the physicality, also shooting in 50-55 degrees Celsius in Abu Dhabi. It wasn't a set, we shot on real locations. After doing Ungli, this film involved a lot of action sequences. 'Inside Edge' too called for a lot of physicality.

Ali loves to show his characters in a big way and all the characters are very important to him. He loves to make his films larger than life. The story revolves around Tiger and Zoya, but he gave equal importance to Namit. He feels that the characters should be remembered and the story should have a commercial background along with storytelling. We were trying to collaborate for a long time, and I am glad he offered me this role.

Most of my scenes are with Salman bhai. I have known him for many years and he has watched me grow. It is good to bond with him on a personal level, to work with him, and to know the man behind the stardom. It is because of his personality that people are drawn to him. It would be great to associate with him professionally again.

It has been quite special; every review has mentioned my name and my body of work. I am enjoying all the praise I am receiving. People love the bomb scene I have done with Salman bhai. It is very heart-warming.

For now, there is 'Inside Edge 2'. I have also finished shooting for my next film called Soorma, with Diljit Dosanjh and Tapsee Pannu, and that is up for release on June 25.