‘Used my pauses as weapons’: Manu Rishi on playing Pervez Musharraf in Operation Safed Sagar

Manu Rishi Chadha is set to portray former Pakistani president and Kargil War mastermind Pervez Musharraf in Netflix India's period war drama, Operation Safed Sagar. However, those familiar with his extensive onscreen journey may find it surprising that he successfully embodies such an antagonistic character.

During an interview with SCREEN, the actor revealed that playing Musharraf would indeed help him break the stereotype of a comic actor that he has been labeled with throughout his career. Despite his habit of handling two jobs within one – writing and acting – Manu Rishi expressed his desire to explore diverse facets of his acting abilities.

He revealed his process of landing the role, stating that even in his odd jobs, his honesty stood out, which likely earned him the Musharraf role. The actor also discussed co-writing another Indo-Pak war drama, Kya Dilli Kya Lahore, where he played an Indian soldier from Lahore. Although the film did not receive much attention, the experience of co-writing and performing in a war drama validated his choice of career.

When asked about portraying Musharraf, Manu Rishi emphasized the importance of stillness and volume control. He compared himself to Punjabi actors, acknowledging that Punjabis from Delhi tend to be more exaggerated. The actor further described using his pauses as weapons during filming, refusing to watch the monitor during scenes, and trusting the director's reassurance even when he made mistakes.