How did Ibrahim Ali Khan score a role in 'Sarzameen'?
What's the story
Kayoze Irani, who directed his first feature film with Sarzameen, revealed that he discovered Ibrahim Ali Khan while working on the sets of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Speaking to The Indian Express SCREEN, Irani said that both he and Karan Johar felt Khan had "a face for the camera" when they saw him. This led to the decision to cast him in Sarzameen.
Casting journey
Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kajol were 1st choices for 'Sarzameen'
Irani revealed that Prithviraj Sukumaran was the first actor to be approached for Sarzameen. The team sent him a 50-page outline of the script while Sukumaran was shooting in Georgia. Irani said, "By the evening, he called up Karan sir and said, 'I love this. I'm on. Let's do this.'" Kajol was also an early choice for the film and agreed to do it after a narration session with Irani.
Actor's training
Khan underwent a 6-month workshop for 'Sarzameen'
Irani shared that Khan underwent a six-month workshop to prepare for his role in Sarzameen. This included an army boot camp and sessions with acting coach Atul Mongia. Irani said, "Closer to the shoot, we went to Atul Mongia who has this brilliant ability to bring out the best of the actor because he believes in something known as 'inner world.'"
Character development
On how he made Khan's character vulnerable
Irani also spoke about how he wanted Khan's character to be vulnerable. He said, "In the non-aggressive scenes, I definitely wanted him to be vulnerable. So we designed the scenes around Ibrahim." The film also comments on the current political situation involving Kashmir. The film was released in July and is currently streaming on JioHotstar.