Zeyn Shaw stole the hearts of millions of young girls with his mature acting skills and attractive looks in Netflix's much-appreciated web show Class. He played one of the lead characters named Veer and won over the critics and the audience.
In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon, Zeyn spoke about playing the role of Veer, keeping his sweetness aside and bringing out a darker side from within and his chemistry with Madhyama Segal. He also hinted at doing a Bollywood film this year.
Excerpts from the interview:
Class is getting rave reviews. Did you expect such a phenomenal response to it?
It is remarkable to see not just my character but also the show being appreciated. It hasn’t sunk in yet.
People call you Veer and not Zeyn..
Whenever I step out, people call me Veer and not Zeyn and this is a weird yet proud moment.
When you got to know about Veer’s character, was it an instant yes?
It was a tricky situation because when I auditioned for Veer. Ashim Ahluwalia, the director, loved my sensitive side but wasn’t sure whether I could be an asshole. He said I am too nice of a guy. Luckily, I did well in the audition. We would have shouting sessions on set because Ashim would stand in front of me atleast 20 minutes before my scene and try to make me angry. I auditioned for Veer in the Summer of 2020. Ashim then called me to Mumbai for a screen test and by then the characters of Saba (Madhyama Segal) and Yashika (Ayesha Kanga) were already locked. After the screen test and workshops, he gave me the contract.
Can we call Veer an anti-hero?
Yes, absolutely and the beauty of Class is nobody is perfect. No matter what's the background, everyone has a shade of grey. Everyone has an agenda. I love the way this world has been shown in the show.
Which was your first scene on the first day of the shoot?
The first scene on my first day was when Veer goes to meet Saba at her residence and after the Kalra party when he goes to apologise. It was a long day and I wasn't familiar with acting techniques and production methods. Those were some grueling days.
How different or similar are you from Veer?
I come from a privileged background, that’s a similarity. I relate to the softer side of Veer but not the asshole side. Full credit goes to Ashim for bringing out the darker side in me. There were days I doubted myself and there were days he doubted me (laughs).
You studied in Delhi. Did you notice any similarities between the fictional Hampton International and a real school?
All characters shown in Class are fictional. Most parents refuse to talk about such things as they become controversial. In the present time, some of these things do happen in schools.
Was it a challenge to establish a comfortable bond on-screen with Madhyama Segal?
One of the benefits of being a newcomer is the bond we share off-screen. Whatever you see on screen is a result of our bond off-cameras. All 11 of us are close friends. Madhyama and I are good friends and had to work on our chemistry.
Is the second season of Class coming soon?
Please call Netflix and ask them to hurry up! Even I am waiting eagerly to start shooting for the second season.
There's a rumour that you are doing a film with Salman Khan's niece Alizeh Agnihotri. Is it true?
It is true that I have a film coming up by the year-end but cannot speak more about it now. All I can say you will get some updates in the coming month.
