It was difficult for me to get out of urban vibe for 'Rangbaaz': Saqib Saleem

Mumbai: Actor Saqib Saleem, who plays a rural man in the "Rangbaaz" web series which will premiere globally across more than 190 countries on Saturday on ZEE5, has said that it was difficult for him to get out of the urban vibe to play the character.

He was interacting with the media at the special screening of "Rangbaaz" along with Aahana Kumra, Bobby Deol, Ramesh Taurani, Zaheer Iqbal, Daisy Shah, Kubra Sait, Rohit Roy, Shenaz Treasury and Freddy Daruwala here on Friday.

Set against the rustic background of India's heartland, the Uttar Pradesh of the 90s, "Rangbaaz" revolves around the story of Shiv Prakash Shukla, played by Saqib.

The show revolves around a man engaging in the dark and dirty world of crime and shows the human side of one of the most feared gangsters of the region.

When asked about the challenges he faced in playing the character, Saqib said: "I was born in Delhi and now I live in Mumbai, so basically I am an urban boy but the character belongs to Gorakhpur, so, to play this character I had to get away from my qualities of a city boy."

"It was difficult for me to come out of that urban vibe. I also worked on my dialect to get hold of that particular accent which I speak in this show. Now whether it's good or bad, will be decided by the audience."

Talking about the audience's response to the trailer of "Ranbaaz", Saqib said: "I am very nervous and excited for the release of the show because whatever reaction we have got till now has been very positive. So now, I am looking forward to know the audience's reaction on our show."

The audience has earlier appreciated gangster dramas like "Sacred Games" and "Mirzapur" on digital platforms. When asked if he feels the audience will compare his forthcoming gangster drama with other shows, Saqib said: "I am not feeling competitive at all because it's a new show. We shouldn't compare this show with others which have already been released."

"I think more than competition, you should focus on how you can make your show better. If you start comparing your show with other shows then you will not be able to make a good show. I think we should work on our script, and if your script is good then you don't have to think about other things."

"Rangbaaz", which also features Aahana Kumra and Tigmashu Dhulia in key roles, is directed by Bhav Dhulia, written by Siddharth Mishra and produced by JAR Pictures.