Jason Shah, who plays British cop Cartwright in Heeramandi, talks about the response to his role and how he deals with criticism
Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s maiden foray into the streaming world, is out of Netflix. The show, a fictionalised take on the famous Heeramandi red light district of Lahore, has received positive review but mixed reactions from the audiences. While critics have praised the show’s visuals and scale, audiences have criticised factual inaccuracies and some performances. Jason Shah, who plays British officer Cartwright on the show, speaks to DNA about the response he has received for his performance and how he responds to negative feedback.
When asked about how he is taking in the feedback for his performance from Heeramandi, the actor says, “I am receptive to all. But I am definitely ears open a lot more to constructive criticism than just to people who say ‘you have done a great job’. You need to be aware of someone who has a different angle. I want to ask them why they think like that.”
Jason plays ruthless British policeman Cartwright in the show, who is out to overthrow Heeramandi’s matriarch Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), for which he conspires with her rival Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha). While Jason’s performance has been praised, some other actors have received criticism for their performances. Talking about how he deals with negative feedback, Jason says, “I think it’s a good thing to listen when someone has a different opinion about your work. We should listen to those more than just the flattery or the praise because there we can find places that we can explore something that we didn’t try. Maybe that person does have an angle that we have not seen due to our lack of perspective.”
Jason says that as an actor, one should learn how to filter constructive criticism as it makes one a better performer. “We are used to being applauded and told ‘bhai kya shot diya (what a shot you have given)’. But I want to listen to the guy who tells me ‘thoda aise kar leta toh aur mazaa aata (had you done it differently, it would have been better)’. When you listen to that opinion, you improve and something great can come up,” he tells us.
Heeramandi also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, is currently streaming on Netflix.
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