'Scoop': Why Mohammed Zeeshan was 'frustrated' with award shows' criteria
Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub was recently honored with the prestigious Septimius Award for Best Asian Actor for his role in the Netflix show Scoop. The announcement was made by filmmaker Hansal Mehta on his X account, where he congratulated Ayyub and expressed disappointment over the actor's delayed recognition. Ayyub, who was unaware of his win until Mehta informed him, shared his feelings about the award in an interview with Hindustan Times.
Ayyub expresses frustration over previous award show oversights
Ayyub revealed that he was initially unaware of his win, as he was unable to attend the event. He said, "Hansal Sir informed me that I had been nominated, and I had actually planned to attend, but things got busy and I couldn't make it." He added, "Despite being the main lead in the show, I was consistently placed in the supporting actor category by many award shows. This ongoing oversight, especially over the past year, frustrated me and sir."
'Used to hurt a lot initially,' says Ayyub
Ayyub reflected on his past experiences with award shows, saying, "In a way, I've kept myself away from it. But it used to hurt a lot initially, especially when my performance for Raanjhanaa (2013) went unnoticed." He added, "Industry welcomed me...audition wali stage khatam ho gayi thi but apart from being nominated at one or two award shows, others ignored. Only some critics put me in their list of best performances. Uss time pe bura laga tha ki kya hua!"
Awards are recognition of one's efforts, says Ayyub
When asked about the significance of awards, Ayyub said, "It is just a recognition of one's efforts. You take your work more seriously." However, he emphasized that awards aren't a validation of a good performance. "It has been 15 years for me in the industry, and the kind of respect I have got from the audience and industry people, I cannot deny that. Greats like Irrfan sahab, Pankaj Kapur sahab, Manoj Bajpayee sahab have praised me."
