Filmmaker Hansal Mehta recently took to his X account to share the exciting news of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub's winning the Septimius Award for Best Asian Actor for his performance in the web show Scoop. Mehta’s congratulatory message on X reflected a subtle frustration about the delayed recognition. He wrote, "You can't keep a good man down. Congratulations @Mdzeeshanayyub for this much delayed but very richly deserved award. This one's for all those juries that chose to ignore your stellar performance..."
Also read: Septimius Awards 2024: Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub named best actor for 'Scoop', 'Maidaan' best Asian film
Ayyub recounts his reaction to the news and tells us, "Hansal Sir informed me know that I had been nominated, and I had actually planned to attend, but things got busy and I couldn't make it. Since I didn't receive any further updates, I assumed nothing had come of it. However, he recently surprised me by sending a screenshot of the winners list, which he also shared on social media." Acknowledging the disappointment he felt over the past year, Ayyub notes, “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.”
Speaking about the broader issue of awards and their impact, Ayyub says, "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. Industry welcomed me…audition wali stage khatam ho gayi thi but apart from being nominated at one or two award shows, others ignored me. Only some critics put me in their list of best performances. Uss time pe bura laga tha ki kya hua!"
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about the broader issue of awards and their impact, Ayyub says, "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. Industry welcomed me…audition wali stage khatam ho gayi thi but apart from being nominated at one or two award shows, others ignored me. Only some critics put me in their list of best performances. Uss time pe bura laga tha ki kya hua!"
{{/usCountry}}When asked whether awards genuinely make a difference, Ayyub provides a thoughtful perspective. He explains, “It is just a recognition of one's efforts. You take your work more seriously, ki yeh ek award mila hai. Maybe people would start watching a few of my films and shows because of it.”
"It isn'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. Yeh validation hoti hai rather than award shows," he concludes.