A "gluttonous" affair with Hasan Zaidi

Check the slideshow above Of the various shows he has done on television, Khotey Sikkey and Inspector Gautam from Shapath have stood out and the actor was recently seen in a smart and perky avatar in Vikram Bhatt’s Horror Story. It is none other than the good-looking and dedicated actor Hasan Zaidi who joined me for a late lunch at The Oriental Residency Hotel’s restaurant Soul in Khar. As the affable Operations Manager Sameer Yelve received us, I noticed Hasan looked too lean for the Inspector’s role he essayed in Shapath. He has lately been having problem with his health as he revealed, “I have developed an allergy to certain foods like yeast, tomatoes, spices like cinnamon and I am on homeopathic medication,” which information we passed on to Executive Chef Pratap Singh Kentura, who whipped up delicious dishes in accordance. Of course, that limited our order of dishes since very few items can be prepared without lycopene (tomatoes) and spices yet the Chef with his dexterity made sure our plates were full of delectable starters like Paneer in Salt & Pepper, Mutton Rolls topped with cheese and corn-based Moti Kebab, with Hasan sipping on fresh lime and me relishing a yummy strawberry-based fruit punch. But that does not deter Hasan, a good cook himself, from preparing a mean Goulash (European stew) to Mutton Kheema at home, both of which he is adept at churning out with precision. The handsome linguist visits the land famous for Gargoyle giant and Swarvoski crystals and spends almost three months at his wife’s place cooking, enjoying and learning new languages. His lovely wife Christina Bauer comes from one of the richest European countries in the world- Austria. And how did his love story begin? She was on a work trip to India and he filled in the place of a mutual friend to take her around Mumbai. She left for her homeland in Europe but the seeds of love were sown in both the hearts which bloomed into a beautiful relationship and now they have Naila, a cute baby girl. I found him to be intensely passionate about his field of profession to the point of distraction as he has never bothered to get written about or project himself unnecessarily in the media. When it comes to acting, Hasan goes beyond the call of duty and I found him to be very knowledgeable in all the aspects of production as he himself plans to be a line producer soon. Talking about Vikram Bhatt’s Horror Story, he feels, “Horror is one genre which can never go out of fashion. The fact that people go to the theatre for a horror movie shows they though they brace themselves not to get scared, still they want to watch it.” Is he like his character of the fearless guy of the gang, Samrat, and he narrates a spooky encounter, “I was called for a solo shot and when I took the lift, it went straight to the 5th floor even before I could press any button. But when I reached there, it was very dark and there was no crew member on the floor.” Appreciating main course of Chef’s special gravy of Sabnam Kofta, Aloo Mutter and Veg Pulav, we let our conversation roll. Presently Hasan is busy rehearsing for a mystery drama called Sleuth with co-actor Rajesh Khera, an adaptation of the 1970 play of same name by Anthony Shaffer. “This will be my first appearance on stage and I am looking forward to live audience reaction which is bound to give any actor a high,” avers Hasan. On that note we order for Butterscotch ice creams and take our pleasant meeting to a sweet finale! Rapid Fire Qs with Hassan Zaidi Bollywood or TV? Both. Your genre of films… Any movie with a good story telling. First thing you notice in a woman… Her eyes. What attracts you in a woman… How comfortable she is with herself. Single or dating? Happily married. Your pet peeve (s)… Detest people who feel sorry for themselves. Health regimen… I would credit my wife with it. She has brought in a lot of routine in my life. Your fave Bollywood actors… Irfan Khan and Anu Kapoor. Your pick-up line… Hi How are you doing? (Bas, that plain???) Your dream machine… Harley Davidson’s Fat Boy and Range Rover. Money can buy… Everything material. One thing that nobody knows about you… I am a linguist. (Hasan can speak German, Turkish, Arabic besides English, Punjabi and Hindi. Check out the video which will be uploaded soon) 5 years down the line… I should have a little more time to enjoy things I long to.