You’ve seen him as Rafiq aka Sukhbir, an Indian spy in Saare Jahan Se Accha (SJSA), as Jassi in Udta Punjab, and more such intriguing roles that linger long after the credits roll. Such is Suhail Nayyar’s on-screen presence – charismatic, gripping, and unrepentantly compelling in every character he plays.
Although I had imagined him to be rather pensive after watching his work, Nayyar’s off-screen persona is quite the opposite; pleasantly surprising. Calm, composed and always curious, meeting Nayyar felt like meeting an old friend. Every conversation with him just flows, jumping from one topic to the other, rarely being interrupted by an awkward pause.
It was a bustling Thursday afternoon in Mumbai when the actor was scheduled to join us for our editorial shoot. As soon as he walked in through the door, the mood of the room visibly shifted into an unhurried one. A warm smile here, an expressive handshake there, Nayyar showed no haste. Even though the shoot hours might have extended, his infectious energy did not seem to wither. Whether he is posing for the camera, reading scripts or just sipping on his iced americano, he never misses to keep shuffling his playlist (that he proudly gatekeeps). When I pointed it out to him, he nodded and said, “I cannot function without my music!”
Born and brought up in Delhi, acting happened to him much later. After acquiring an all India second rank for getting into the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Nayyar was subjected to rigorous rounds of auditions before he landed his breakthrough supporting role in Udta Punjab (2016). As a part of the film’s star-studded cast, he entered the project without expectations, simply grateful for the opportunity. What followed, however, was an overwhelming response to his performance. Raw, amusing and power-packed, Nayyar’s Jassi was a delight to watch as a drug-addict rock-star’s (Shahid Kapoor) loyal ally. Looking back at his first audition, he says, “Earlier I used to take them too seriously but now, I am more relaxed.”
That sense of ease follows him wherever he goes. Perhaps, that’s why he does justice to every role he signs up for. The first time I watched him as Sukhbir (in SJSA), his frustration from living under constant agony was palpable. His portrayal of the character’s complex emotions, swaying between fright, manipulation and trepidation was what kept me hooked on to his storyline throughout. But what makes his portrayals so convincing is his involvement with each character. “I sometimes improvise my own dialogues in certain scenes to make it more true to myself,” says the artist who goes on to share that the most intense example of this is the scene where he talks about his mother over a phone call to Pratik Gandhi’s character, after years of secretly living in Pakistan.
Even though Nayyar’s career took flight more than a decade back when movie theatres were hailed, in an era of OTT platforms dominating every phone and television screen, the actor has quietly built a phenomenal trajectory through some of the most riveting scripts. Some made for lighthearted laughter, some gripping, intense and thought-inducing, his choice of projects reveal an undeniable truth that sits within him – the urge to tell unique stories in the most authentic way possible.
“Every character that I play unlocks a different side of me as a person, something I did not know existed within myself. Like when I played a terrorist in my first Hollywood film, Hotel Mumbai, I felt so much rage in me because I kept thinking about what affected the character, what made him do what he did. As an actor, it was my responsibility to do justice to him irrespective of my own judgement. Similarly, the more I analyse and research every character I play, the understanding of their situation becomes more humanised, and that is what I reflect back on the screen,” he added.
Beyond the set, he likes to snap out of his characters and disconnect from their truths to reconnect with his own. How? “I never carry my characters home. You have to separate yourself from the roles you’re playing or else, it gets too complicated. But in all honesty, with cameras and lights all around, it is not possible to fully become the characters I’m playing. There’s a sense of restraint and self-calculation that comes with the job. I have to portray them in a specific way. That’s what the script demands!”
Outside the realms of acting, creativity sits in the very crux of his instinct. In school, Nayyar sought refuge in the art and music room. You can tell his love for performing arts by the way he changes moods in front of the camera, the way he grooves to music, feeling every beat and lyric.
There are actors who enter the industry to make it big, and the ones who come to make a difference. For Nayyar, the distinction between the former and latter does not exist. His belief in his own pace reflects in the way he talks about his wins; in the deeply personal moments like when Manoj Bajpayee complimented his work. “Back then, he did not even know my name,” says the actor with glimmering eyes. “In an interview he (Manoj) was asked about a new talent whom he found noteworthy and he said ‘I don’t know his name but the man who played Rafiq in Saare Jahan Se Accha. I am sure he will surprise the audience when he gets the right role.’ I consider this as my biggest achievement.”
“My philosophy is, keep your head down and keep doing what you do best.”
It is this ability to recognise value beyond the obvious accolades that has shaped the unconventional path he has carved for himself. But the real world is hardly ever accepting of the non-conforming, especially when it comes to Bollywood. When we intriguingly asked, what’s the hardest part of the job, the actor smirked charmingly before saying, “To get the right part!” Talking about the uncertainties of the rigid system inside the industry, he further shared, “It is unfair how long people take to recognise talent. But the world is unfair, it is what it is. I am grateful for the opportunities I have got.”
After more than ten years in this profession playing diverse roles, the actor carries a sense of becoming within him. “Even though people recognise me, I feel like I haven’t made it yet,” he laughs. While prominence is considered synonymous with his career path, Nayyar doesn’t think that he belongs to fame. It’s the journey he adores rather than considering stardom as the final destination.
“I don’t feel I belong anywhere. I believe in what I do as long as I do it, and I think that quest within me keeps me going.”
Suhail Nayyar has no set idea of fame that he is chasing. His path is built on a quest for something more – that innate creative instinct that aches to tell more stories. Instead of letting life happen to him, he chooses his next steps with a sense of eccentricity that thrives on unbridled performances.
As the actor excitedly looks forward to his upcoming project, Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, we ask him which dialogues has he written for this one, and he cheekily replies, “You’ll know when you watch the film.”
