‘People still ask me about Hatim’

Rahil Azam (last seen in Mahakumbh and Hitler Didi) is back on the small screen with Life Ok’s Ek Tha Chander Ek Thi Sudha, an adaptation of popular 1949 Hindi novel, Gunahon Ka Devta. In a candid chat, the actor tells us about how he prepped for this role as Chander, his hiatus and more.   

You had been away from television for a while…
I was never gone. When you’re choosy and do selective work, there are bound to be gaps between shows. I have always wanted my work to be timeless. I am motivated by quality content and the constant desire to do something new.

Since your show is a period drama, how did you prepare for the role?
My visualisation was my preparation for the role. Since the show is set against the backdrop of the 1960s, I had to put in a lot of effort to make my role look believable on-screen. We had to place ourselves in another time because it would have been very difficult for us to understand the character’s turmoil.

It was more like on-the-job training: My preparations for the role happened on the sets. Everything ranging from dialect, accent, and memorising lines — these were some of the major tasks. I had a few meetings and discussions with the creative team, but beyond that the improvising happened gradually as the show progressed. My look in the show is of a typical ’60s hero. The credit for this goes to designer Neeta Lulla and our director Ashwni Dhir. There is a lot that went into the show before it was shot.

Have you read the novel Gunahon Ka Devta, on which the show is based?
Yes, I did read the novel as soon as I learnt that I would be portraying the character Chandar.

Do people still talk to you about Hatim?
Yes, of course. People still love and adore Hatim. I guess it’s the only show in the history of Indian television that has been repeating at frequent intervals over the past 12 years. In fact, people still ask me, ‘shooting kaisi chal rahi hai?’