Actor and musician RIZ AHMED (The Road to Guantanamo) talks about his latest film Shifty, an urban drama which follows 24 hours in the life of a young drug dealer.
MMM: Your character’s based on a real person. Did you get to meet the man in question?
Ahmed: No, I didn’t meet him. The idea was based on true-life characters and true-life stories, but I think ultimately the Shifty of this film is a composite of the real Shifty and other people, so in that sense we weren’t beholden to try and represent the true-life figure.
Daniel Mays and Riz Ahmed (right) star in Shifty
MMM: What did you do to prepare for the role?
Ahmed: I really enjoy the process of preparing to take on a role. I make obscenely long iTunes playlists of what the characters listen to, and I got some of the real-life Shifty’s letters from prison as well and read through some of those.
MMM: You shot Shifty in just 18 days. Did you find it energising or just plain exhausting working at that sort of pace?
Ahmed: It was massively energising, but it was all part and parcel of the vibe of the shoot, which was everyone pitching in together. We were up against it budget-wise and time-wise, so it actually created a fantastic team spirit. There was a great sense of camaraderie on set and it was probably the most fun I’ve had filming.
MMM: Was there time for rehearsal? Did you get some time to bond with Daniel Mays before shooting?
Ahmed: There was a week of rehearsals going into it. That was a very wise decision from [director] Eran Creevy because when we were on set we were up against it time-wise, and it meant we knew where all the story beats were and had an idea what we wanted from each of the scenes. Then on the day, with the nature of the filming and it being so energised, there was still a large degree of fluidity and freedom, not least because we might lose sets that day!
MMM: What was it like working with Jason Flemying?
Ahmed: He’s the most disarmingly helpful, polite, friendly, enthusiastic bubbly guy. I remember one day we were outside filming a scene and it was really raining, and he was the first on set to pick up a mop and just go at it, roll his sleeves up. He perfectly slotted in to that whole vibe of everyone pitching in together and all hands on deck.
MMM: What’s up next for you?
Ahmed: Well, music-wise I’ve signed a record deal with an underground dance label that I really love. It’s an international dance label called Crosstown Rebels, so I’ve got a remix package out now. And film-wise I’ve got a film called Rage at the Berlin Film Festival with Sally Potter, Jude Law and Judi Dench. It’s a very innovative film in terms of its format. And there are a couple of other things that my insanely superstitious personality won’t allow me to talk about right now. As soon as they are absolutely 110% I’ll tell you first!
By film journalist Jan Gilbert
