It's payback time for Nalin

Nalin Singh was running a mass communication school in the city when filmmaker Imtiaz Ali told Rakesh Ranjan, ‘Issey acting karwao...’ Nalin, by that time, had written the script for the film based on Hitler’s life, and so, he handed it over to Rakesh to direct it.
“I already had a career, and was not thinking about a change. But when both of them insisted, I agreed to play the role of Joseph Goebbels (Hitler’s closest associate) in the film,” says Nalin, who would be debuting with this movie, and is now, also being offered a lead role in “Dilli Raat Mein”, directed by Shamin Akhtar.He says he will soon be directing a film as well.
Delhiites are, at times, looked down upon as outsiders in B-wood. Any apprehensions regarding this?
It’s not the question of being an outsider. You need to have an intelligent script and talent to get there. It’s not as difficult as people think it is. With so many Delhiites making it big in the film industry, I believe this sort of labelling will stop in the future. Anyway, Mumbai is an overcrowded city, and I feel sorry for its original inhabitants. This is also a reason why Delhiites don’t wish to migrate there. They know that now, one can afford to have a filmi career from this city itself.
Why debut with Adolf Hitler as a subject?
Hitler as a subject was on my mind since my childhood. If you observe closely, people around us use the term Hitler in their everyday lives. They do it so casually, that they don’t even realise it. Be it a strict teacher in school, father of a guy’s girlfriend, a dominating mother-in-law, or an aggressive boss – we often give them the ‘Hitler’ tag behind their backs, warning people with a ‘Woh toh Hitler hai yaar. Bach ke rehna usse, warna marega’. At the same time, there are people who like the German dictator for his management skills. Hence, I thought this would interest the audience. Also, in college, I did a play on Hitler. Strangely, a lot of questions from people emerged after that play. I wanted to answer those questions.
You had to face international criticism for attempting this subject.
I had a tough time explaining to them that we are not promoting the Nazi dictator and it’s not a pro-Hitler movie. But the real reason they were condemning our initiative was because they have seen India only in “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Lagaan” and “Peepli [Live]”. So, they thought we’re not equipped to handle something that is of international interest.
Despite knowing that the film has many beginners who need more exposure in the film industry, why have you planned the debut screening in Delhi University?
This city, especially my college, has given a lot to me. It’s payback time to my alma mater and this shaher.
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