Sajjad Delafrooz, the UAE-based Iranian actor stole the limelight as the main villain Abu Usman in the Salman Khan starrer ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’. Now Sajjad has taken the webspace by surprise with his energetic and power-packed performance in Hotstar series Special OPS produced by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Shivam Nair.
The youngster has gone through a lot of rejections, failures and of course the best of times, to be where he is today.
In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Sajjad Delafrooz takes us through his career, highs and lows and also about his big role in Special OPS.
Excerpts:
A dream come true moment for you with Special OPS.
Truly, it is a dream comes true. When I go back by about 6 years, I played a very small role in Neeraj Pandey’s film Baby. And that was when he told me that I will land up getting a big role one day. And now when I look at my present status, I am really thrilled to have been part of Neeraj Pandey’s web-series Special OPS. The journey and life change have been huge. To become one of his main characters in this series is a very interesting moment for me.
When I was picked for the role of Baby, for the role of a doctor, I went through 7-8 auditions. But when I was chosen for Special OPS, I gave only one audition (smiles).
What prompted you to take up this role?
When I was chosen, I did not know what role I was doing. After the look test, Neerajji guided me all throughout my journey with the series. Shivamji has basically directed the portions shot in India and Neerajji directed portions shot outside India. So with my scenes mostly shot abroad, I was under the guidance of Neerajji all the time. All the actions and reactions I have given are because of his constant support.
Tell us about the character?
Special OPS has started streaming very recently. So I will not want to spoil the fun for people watching it. All I can say is that he is a businessman who does not care about anything except money. He is not at all embarrassed to say that he is after money all the time. All that he loves is power and money.
Tell us about your beginnings as an actor.
It has been a very interesting journey for me as an actor. I have never had any sort of acting course. With experience and my exposure, I have learned a lot of things. Once you are given a character, you become the character and perform to the best of your abilities. Failures and rejections have taught me a lot of stuff. I have got the calmness in me that has helped me read a character better. Training through real-life experience has helped me a lot.
How has the response been for Special OPS?
We have been getting a very good response. I had done a villain role in a film before Tiger Zinda Hai. But nobody saw me in the film and I got zero appreciation. It is a happy feeling to now bag a good response for this series Special OPS. It is my biggest honour to be welcomed and appreciated in this way for my portrayal in Special OPS.
What lies in future for you?
I am not in a position to say anything. Talks are happening, but before it gets confirmed, I cannot speak of it. Above all, with the Coronavirus attack, nothing is sure as of now.
Do you continue to work on international projects as well?
I have worked so far in Farsi, Turkish, Arabic, English and Hindi projects internationally. However, for the past two years, I have been trying hard to make a mark in Bollywood. But definitely, International projects will also keep happening and I am in talks.
All the best, Sajjad!!