Actor Hussain Dalal opens up on acting, writing and insecurity

Hussain Dalal openly discusses juggling his acting and writing careers amid industry scepticism. His experience working with Vishal Bhardwaj on O'Romeo marks a significant milestone in his dual career journey.

For Hussain Dalal, juggling two careers -- acting and writing -- came naturally to him. However, he is amused at how the industry often views artists with hyphenated careers in a different light. Using the analogy of a saas (mother-in-law), Dalal shared that he is often questioned about where his true loyalty lies.

In an exclusive chat with India Today, Hussain Dalal said that the industry is divided and that people are always ready to pull one down. “I say it as a joke, but the industry is like a saas (mother-in-law). When I started acting, filmmakers began messaging me, saying that now I wouldn’t write because I was on screen. And when I focus on my writing, many feel I am not interested in acting. But I’m like, ‘Who told you that?’ Why can’t you accept that I can do both and do it well? I want to do both, but that mother-in-law syndrome will always be there. It’s people’s own insecurities; I can’t do anything about it. But I am doing both actively and want to continue that.”

The actor also opened up about O'Romeo, his latest film, and shared how he had messaged director Vishal Bhardwaj to express his interest in working with him. The filmmaker promptly directed him towards a test and, almost a month later, he was on board. “I was amazed, as I had actually moved on from the thought, given it had been so long. But I was so grateful to be on that set and work with Vishal ji and Shahid (Kapoor). Nowadays, everybody is trying to make a film like someone else’s, and it’s just so beautiful to be on the set of an original film. It was like a masterclass for me, and I can confidently say that I came out of this film a slightly better artist.”

We further discussed whether it is normalised in the industry for an actor to reach out to a filmmaker for work. Hussain Dalal admitted that it was also a first for him, both as an actor and as a writer. He elaborated, “But because I am such a hardcore Vishal fan, I couldn’t resist. And also because he had given me that opening, in a way. I had worked on a project with Ali Fazal, which Vishal ji really liked, and he told us that he wanted to work with us. He did work with Ali in Khufiya, so I reached out based on that little license I felt I had. But I never dare to call people -- mujhe itni sharam aati hai (I feel really embarrassed).What if they think I am a bad actor or a terrible writer? I honestly don’t carry my ability around like a badge. I also feel that if they don’t want to work with me, they might feel pressured after I message them. That’s my nature, and I believe work creates work. But once your work has helped you connect with someone, then you can reach out to them. I find it strange to message strangers, but it’s also okay -- whatever works for you.”

Hussain Dalal next has Farzi 2 and Dhindora 2 as writing projects, while he will also star in the Netflix show Talaash.