Meezaan Jafri On His Father's Reaction To Yaariyan 2: 'His Expectations Are Higher Than My Own'

Meezaan Jafri, the talented actor and son of actor Jaaved Jaaferi is known for his roles in films like Malaal and Hungama 2. He has also acted as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali in his masterpieces like Bajirao Mastani and Gangubai Kathiawadi. As the young actor is gearing up for his upcoming film, Yaariyan 2, he has shared insights into the film and various aspects of his career and personal life in a recent interview. The actor has talked in depth about his character in Yaariyan 2 as well as about his passion for his craft and has offered a glimpse into his journey as an artist.

Meezaan’s character in Yaariyan 2, Shikhar Randhawa, is a far cry from his real self. He describes Shikhar as a daredevil who lives life on his own terms, free from seeking anyone’s approval, he told ETimes. Meezaan also says it was very challenging for him to play the character as he, in reality, is very different from Shikhar. “His body language and his expressions are very different. And a lot of people who saw the trailer or even the teaser, especially my friends, called me up and told me that this is one film where we feel that it’s a character that we’re seeing and not you,” he adds.

The conversation further touches upon Meezaan’s struggles during the shooting of the film, to which he replied that it was indeed a tiring and emotional process. “Here were times when I had to constantly give retakes because some car driver parked the car behind in the shop, some guy was standing and watching. So these kinds of things are not in your control. But then you have to really just keep calm, let go of all those things around you and then get back into the zone. We were doing like 50-40 takes per shot, shooting for like 18-20 hours. So that became exhausting and emotionally draining,” he explained.

On being asked about his potential interest in directing films, Meezaan quickly dismissed the idea for the time being, emphasising his current focus on acting and his desire to improve in this field, writes ETimes.

A unique aspect of Meezaan’s career, as he says, is the scrutiny he receives from his father, Jaaved Jaaferi. While his father is supportive, Meezaan admits that his expectations are even higher than his own. “He doesn’t really give praises that easily. So, I don’t really expect much from him,” Meezaan says.

However, he also mentioned that his father’s feedback for his role in the movie has been positive so far. “He actually really liked my voice in the trailer and even the teaser. So, he’s looking forward to how I’ve modulated my voice for the character. And at the same time, he also loved the way I’m looking and the intensity of the character,” he said.

Meezaan’s active presence on social media has garnered him a lot of love for his personal style and fashion sense. He acknowledges that his mother often helps him keep up with comments and responses from fans. This balance between a public profile and a personal life is an aspect of fame that he handles with the help of his family, he explains.

While discussing the rise of OTT platforms and whether Meezaan has considered venturing into the streaming space. He reveals in the interview that he has been offered numerous OTT shows but has declined them, reiterating his love and passion for cinema and his desire to continue making an impact through the big screen and theaters. “There’s nothing against OTT. I love OTT. I watch a lot of shows. But personally, I would love to keep doing better for films and theatres,” he adds.

Meezaan concludes the interview by explaining that despite the presence of OTT these days, he would prefer to do theatres and work on the big screen as he feels, it offers a different experience altogether. “Of course, OTT is also there. But theatres have a different experience. It’s like an outing. And we don’t have much of it happening in a country like India. Because our culture is very different. But of course, OTT work keeps coming. But at the same time, film work is also coming, so it’s beautiful,” he says.

Yaariyan 2, a sequel to the 2014 film Yaariyon, is a coming-of-age romantic drama directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. Meezaan will share the screen with actors like Divya Khosla Kumar and Priya Prakash Varrier in the film. It is set to release in theatres on October 20.