I was an introvert as a kid: Sheikh Rezwan Rabbani

It has been a roller coaster ride for the good looking Sheikh Rezwan Rabbani. He is calm, composed and quite confident of what he wants to achieve in life. He has won the Best Actor award for portraying the role of Bihari on Zee Bangla's Chokher Bali. Adding more feathers to his cap, this young, talented and charming actor has bagged his first Hindi film Pakhi. On a cold winter afternoon we, team Tellychakkar, caught up with the actor at his residence to know about his new film, his ambitions and many more.
Excerpts:

Tell us something about your upcoming film Pakhi.  

The story of Pakhi is about a girl who wants to be a basketball player. I am playing the role of her brother Partha, who is a bright student and aspires to get a good job. Their father works as an auto driver. No one in Pakhi’s family supports her decision to become a sportswoman. The film shows how she rises against all the odds and becomes a basketball champion. The film has stalwarts like Jaya Seal Ghosh, musician Bickram Ghosh, and theatre personality Meghnath da, among others. The girl (Akanksha Singh), who is playing Pakhi, is the current captain of India Women's National Basketball Team.  

This is your first Hindi film. How did you bag it?

I know Abhra da (director of the film) since my theatre days. Also, the assistant director of Chokher Bali serial is also involved with this project. They asked me if I was interested in the film, and I was on-board! 

Did you face any issues delivering your dialogues as the film is in Hindi?

No, not at all. Although I am a Bengali, my Hindi accent is better. While I was a student, I had many Hindi-speaking friends and so, I am more comfortable communicating in Hindi. In fact, I have spoken in a UP accent in the film to make the character more authentic. I had delivered the dialogues in various modulations and requested the director to choose the better one. No matter whichever character I am playing, I always try to mould myself completely to step into the shoes of my onscreen character.

You are portraying the role of a villager in the film. How did you prepare yourself for the role?

 I would like to define myself as an avid observer, who imitates others. I have a lot of stock in my subconscious mind. I utilise them whenever the need arises.

This year has been a roller coaster ride for you: A challenging role in Chokher Bali, the Best actor award for the role of Bihari in the serial and now this film. What would you like to say?

 I have always dreamt of a life like this. Life should be a roller coaster ride. I don’t like to sit idle at home. I always wanted my room to be filled with various awards. I feel proud when people write about my work. I chose Chokher Bali to prove myself as an actor because the role of Bihari was quite challenging and it gave me ample opportunities to learn. One needs a certain level of maturity to portray the character and I am not even 30 yet. Although I was always a popular guy, the serial has definitely provided me a platform to carve a niche for myself. Now people recognize me as a good actor.

You have acted in the role of Bihari for a long time. You even kept a beard for the role. Did you find anything inspirational from your reel character?

 The character has helped me become calm and composed. I have learnt to ignore things that are not in my control.

You were a biology student, which is miles away from what you are doing now. So, let us know how acting happened…

 I was an introvert growing up, who was happy with his studies, sketching, cricket and cartoon shows. I shied away from communicating with people. I used to cry when my mom forced me to go places and meet people. But the moment I got into college, everything changed. I started exploring myself. I started participating in various activities like choreography, modelling, extempore, rapping etc. Instead of becoming a doctor, I started aiming for the arts…eventually, an actor. Although my mother supported my decision, my father was extremely upset with it. I started doing advertisements from where I started to get contacts and landed the key role in the teleserial Aanchol. Then Sholoana happened, followed by Chokher Bali. You know, in Chokher Bali, I wanted to play the role of Mahendra but the director/producer convinced me to play Bihari. I am thankful to them. I enjoy the affection that I receive for my work now.

What has been your proudest achievement in 2015?

 My proudest moment was the first telecast of Chokher Bali. I was flooded with calls from the stalwarts of the industry, including directors and senior actors, which I never expected. That period was almost like winning an award.

So when are we getting a chance to watch you in another good serial? 

Few offers are in the pipeline, including movies and tele-serials ...let’s see. *fingers crossed*

All the best, boy!