Playing terrorist in 'Neerja' challenging: Jim Sarbh

He has been getting rave reviews for his portrayal of a terrorist in Sonam Kapoor-starrer "Neerja", but actor Jim Sarbh says playing the dreadful character got on his nerves many times.

Jim has made critics and audience take note of his character Khalil, a terrifying mad terrorist on board the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73.

The actor revealed Khalil got to him as he found himself behaving like the character on the film's set.

"Khalil was short tempered and so I had begun behaving like him on sets. I used to sometimes yell at the assistant directors if my costume was not ready on time. I was saying things the way I usually don't but the way Khalil would've said it. The character was challenging, it got on my nerves," Jim told PTI in an interview.

Directed by Ram Madhvani, "Neerja" stars Sonam in the titular role of flight attendant Neerja Bhanot.

The film revolves around the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi and how Neerja fought for the lives of her passengers.

Jim is a theatre actor and director, who has shared the stage with actors like Kalki Koechlin and Ira Dubey. He has made his film debut with "Neerja".

The actor attended workshops and isolated himself to get into the skin of the character.
"I was in a bad mood because Khalil is always angry. So, while shooting the film, I went into an isolation, didn't interact with people, had no social life... But once I was done with the character, I could wash Khalil off my face."

In "Neerja", it is the unpredictability of his character, which has caught the imagination of the audience.

"There was no particular brief to play the character. It was all in the script. Khalil is the most volatile one, questions the motives of his boss, doesn't like to be told anything... He had to be messed up. And unpredictability is the friend of terror."

The actor is elated with the audience response to "Neerja" and is gearing up for his next release, Konkona Sensharma's directorial debut "A Death in the Gunj".

"The movie is coming along nicely... I am playing a sweet guy in the film. I can't define the character, but lets say if it is a 'biryani', then I am neither meat nor rice. I am the flavour."