There is an allure to quieter cinema, the kind that satiates the soul. That’s what Adil Hussain seeks with every project. And achieves too. A case in point being his latest indie film, Mercy, which won the Best International Feature Award at the London Independent Film Festival earlier this week. “I play a sort of conscience keeper,” says Hussain of his character, Father Joel, in the Mitul Patel-directed drama. “He resolves people’s crises — moral, emotional, or spiritual.”
Despite its recent international win, Mercy is yet to release in India. The senior actor is disappointed that meaningful stories are often overlooked in the Indian market. “Such films don’t meet the market’s appetite for gloss and spectacle. The market is dominated by big-budget, flashy storytelling, leaving little space for quieter cinema. People assume films like Mercy will come to streaming eventually. Meanwhile, social media floods them with shallow entertainment. People have become lethargic about seeking stories that touch them deeply,” he reflects.
(L-R) Raj Vasudeva and Adil Hussain in ‘Mercy’. Pics/Instagram, Youtube
Hussain — who has championed quality stories with Life of Pi (2012), English Vinglish (2012), and Mukti Bhawan (2016) — notes that meaningful cinema can survive only if both creators and the audience make conscious efforts. “Unless distributors, producers, and OTT platforms collectively push to promote such films, they’ll keep getting lost in the noise of short-form entertainment and cheap thrills. We must not forget that true art entertains the soul, not just the senses.”
In his four-decade career, the actor has built a rich filmography. His appearance in Kabir Singh (2019), however, was a departure from his usual projects. Later, he expressed regret about being a part of the movie, leading director Sandeep Reddy Vanga to state that Kabir Singh brought Hussain more fame than his other “art films”. He also threatened to replace Hussain’s face with an AI version of him in the movie.
Broach the subject, and Hussain, with his usual grace, admits, “It’s my fault that I did not read the script. I was travelling extensively with Mukti Bhawan then and didn’t have the time to go through the full script or watch the original Telugu version [Arjun Reddy]. I even told my manager to quote five times my usual fee, hoping they’d back out — but they agreed.” He eventually accepted the role after reading what he thought was a “brilliantly written” scene. However, his perception changed after watching the film. “I found it misogynistic. When I saw the film, I thought, ‘What have I done?’”
He, however, emphasises that his regret was personal, not accusatory. “It’s not about what Sandeep Reddy Vanga has done — it’s my responsibility. I could have said no. Several women friends expressed disappointment. It was important for me to say I regret doing that film.”