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After a chance recommendation, Shafeeq landed the role of the LTTE operative. He underwent a rigorous preparation process, including a look test in Mumbai, to embody this controversial figure in Indian history.
Kochi: In the final moments building up to the climax of The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, as LTTE operative Sivarasan takes his own life in a tense, spine-chilling suicide scene, something extraordinary happens — we see the birth of a tremendous actor. Shafeeq Mustafa, a 35-year-old from Kerala, doesn’t just play the role — he lives it. With piercing intensity and quiet restraint, he brings to life one of the most complex figures in India’s political history. In an exclusive interview with Asianet News English, Shafeeq opened up about his journey in landing the role, the intense preparation it demanded, and the emotional weight of portraying one-eyed Sivarasan.
Who is Shafeeq Mustafa?
Hailing from Palakkad district, Shafeeq had dreamt of cinema since childhood. He was introduced to theatre from fifth class in school, and did music videos and short films with friends. He has also tried is hand in several other fields such as cinematography and editing. Without having a film institute background, Shafeeq was quietly walking towards success at his own pace. One of his biggest breaks came in Malayalam superhit film Ayyapanum Koshiyum, directed by the late Sachy, where he could play a small role.
“After school, I had taken a break from the industry. I was shortlisted for this series after a friend in Mumbai recommended my name. The production house asked for my self-intro video and a scene to enact, after which they called me for a look test to Mumbai. It was confirmed I got the role after all these processes,” he said.
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An actor prepares
Shafeeq said that he had got only 20 days time to prepare, from the time he was selected to the start of the shoot. “I was asked to gain weight to suit the character. During these 20 days, I gained 4-5 kg by myself. I also watched a lot of documentaries, news clippings and interviews related to LTTE and Sivarasan for understanding the character. I also asked a few of my friends who have the habit of reading to tell me about the incident,” he added.
For the first time in his career, Shafeeq had to play a character with prosthetic makeup in his eyes. He said that both getting into the character and learning to speak Sri Lankan Tamil were equally challenging tasks. “Instead of reading books, I watched a lot of interviews to catch the dialect. There was a trainer from Tamil Nadu, Raja Karuppuswamy, who assisted us during shoot days. He spent a lot of sleepless nights sending us the dialogues,” Shafeeq stated.
Big names, big lessons
Shafeeq admitted that he was initially scared to work with a name like Nagesh Kukunoor and Bollywood, adding that he had a sublime experience with the team. “Nagesh sir was really energetic and was never tired. It is a really motivating gesture when a director praises an actor's performance. He came up to me and lauded me after the climax scene was shot,” he added.
Shafeeq said that the biggest challenge he had to face was to portray Sivarasan's intelligence without over-dramatizing it. “With my limited information, I developed Sivarasan's character. He was a powerful, and intelligent person. One of my favourite scenes when I watched the show was the encounter scene just before the climax where the shoot-out happens. It turned out better than I expected,” he added. Another challenge, he said, was to wear the lens in the eye for a long time as the shoot demanded it.
Shafeeq also said that he did not try to think about the controversies or how his performance would impact the audience. “What I tried to do was to understand the character so that I can make the performance better. I just tried to understand the emotions of the person,” he said.