Avinash Tiwary on working with Imtiaz Ali; Calls 'O Saathi Re' one of his toughest roles

Actor Avinash Tiwary says filmmaker Imtiaz Ali pushed him into uncharted territory with their upcoming series, "O Saathi Re", which he describes as one of the most difficult roles he has ever done.



The series reunites the actor with Ali after the 2018 romance-drama, "Laila Majnu", that has achieved cult status for its storytelling. The filmmaker had written the screenplay of the film, which was directed by his brother Sajid Ali.

Tiwary credits Ali for altering his perspective on "vanity and desirability" first with "Laila Majnu" and now with "O Saathi Re", a romantic-drama series for Netflix.




"He made me go beyond, the idea of the physical self-existing with 'Laila Majnu'. And it has affected me to a point, where post that in my head, the idea of physical beauty became redundant, to my eyes, and my understanding, the value for it and the way it's celebrated," the actor told PTI in an interview.

"It continues with 'O Saathi Re', where we let go of the physical, is when we get into figuring out what's going on really inside, and that is what he's able to do," he added.

Billed as an "evocative exploration of the vintage feeling of love in contemporary times", "O Saathi Re" explores themes of love, relationships, and human dilemmas. It also stars Aditi Rao Hydari and Arjun Rampal.

What makes Ali's direction unique, according to Tiwary, is his ability to uncover emotional depths that even actors may not be consciously aware of.

"He's someone who brings out the layers that are stuck deep inside, which you are not aware yourself. I feel that is possible when you are yourself beyond the idea of physical. It's pushed me in that direction, I'm not sure it's the best thing for an actor, but I want to hold on to it because I admire it. That's a really big contribution that he has made," he said.

For Tiwary, working with Ali is a "blessing" as he simply has to surrender to the filmmaker, who understands the depths of the human psyche better than he does.

"...Every time action was said my body would resist, I would run away from the part. So, to hold on to him has been really difficult. Thankfully, I'm working with creators, who know much more than I do and that is a blessing in itself. I don't have to think much, I just have to bring my 100 per cent into it.

"But this one was difficult and I really hope it comes through (in good way), and it doesn't look that effort has been put into it and looks effortless."

Tiwary also reflected on his last released film, "O Romeo", directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

While the film, which was released on February 13, was a significant milestone in the actor's career as it gave him the opportunity to collaborate with one of Indian cinema's most respected directors but Tiwary hoped that the film was liked by many more during its theatrical run.

"O' Romeo" is a fictional take on the real-life story of gangsters Sapna Didi and Hussain Ustara and inspired by a chapter of Hussain Zaidi's "Mafia Queens of Mumbai".

The action thriller, featuring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, received mixed response from critics and audiences. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film has minted over Rs. 100 crores worldwide.

Tiwary said working with Bhardwaj on "O' Romeo" has been one of the most precious moments of his acting career of close to two-decade.

"...As an artist, I have grown. I know that in that part, I've tried and expanded many things which I have never (done), a lot of which you don't see in the film that you saw finally. But it's taken a lot from me," the actor said.

Tiwary is keen to collaborate with Bhardwaj again on some project, with which he is hoping they will win the heart of audiences.

"I really hope that I get a chance again to work with him and then all the people who have been slightly disheartened, we both are able to win them all over. That's the only hope I have."

The actor is awaiting the release of his feature film, "Ginny Wedss Sunny 2", which is set to hit theatres on April 24. It is a sequel of the 2020 romantic-comedy of the same name.

The film is presented by Zee Studios and Soundrya Production and produced by Vinod Bachchan and Umesh Kumar Bansal. It also stars Medha Shankr, Lillete Dubey, Sudhir Pandey, Govind Namdev, and others.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”