'I Had No Worry About Getting A Bad Name'

'I enjoyed my fiery exchanges with Akshay Kumar, who was extremely gracious and generous when the camera was not rolling.'
'I enjoyed locking horns with him in court.'

British actor Simon Paisley Day plays the despicable Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer in Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story Of Jallianwala Bagh.

In a candid interview with Subhash K Jha, he says, "I am ashamed to share the title of Englishman with him and would urge our government to do what is right and issue a proper apology."

How did the role of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer land in your lap?

I auditioned for it!

Casting Director Des Hamilton had previously helped to cast me in an important piece of British television drama called This England, which dealt with the UK government's failures during the COVID pandemic. I had played Dominic Cummings, special adviser to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Des invited me to send a self-tape audition and as a result of that, I had a Zoom meeting with (Director) Karan Singh Tyagi. He then offered me the role.

I had to read many lines in Hindi, a language of which I was entirely ignorant.

I was provided with a script that was written out phonetically.

I speak French and German -- as well as my mother tongue, English -- so I was fairly confident that I would be able to master the lines, which I did. But it was only with the help of the wonderful Vivek Saini, my dialect coach.

I also studied Hindi on Duolingo, so that I could understand what I was saying.

Dyer was a fluent Hindi speaker, having grown up with Indian children, so I had to work very hard to make it sound authentic.

Were you worried that the role wouldn't make you Mr Popular among Indian audiences?

I have no profile in Indian cinema or popular culture, so I had no worry about getting a bad name.

But even if I had a reputation there, I would still have jumped at the role because the only reasons not to accept it would have been if the script was badly written or the film was painting Dyer as anything other than what he was -- a brutal, cold-blooded murderer.

I know there are actors out there who need to be adored and who only want to play heroes and lovers but I have never been cast in that way. Indeed, I often get cast as baddies and I enjoy it.

I spend most of my life trying to be a decent person, to say and do the right thing, to get people to like me, so it is actually quite releasing -- purging even -- to play characters who behave in a way that you would never allow yourself to behave.

I don't mean to suggest that I would ever behave like Dyer.

I have never entertained a single murderous thought.

But as an actor, one's job is to forget oneself and be immersed in the body and head of another person and to enjoy the extremes of that experience, knowing ultimately that it is only make-believe and that when the camera stops recording, one returns to reality.

You brought a steely will to the character. 

Dyer served for over 40 years in various regiments in India.

I have no military experience but from watching war films and speaking to the older generations of my own family, I have come to understand that, without rigid discipline, an army will never succeed.

Dyer believed in discipline above everything, and he was effective in getting his men to do his bidding. But he was leading his troops to engage in the absolute opposite of a fair military endeavour.

He acted cruelly and inhumanely, disregarding all the accepted rules of engagement, firing on unarmed protesters, failing to issue warning shots.

During the filming of the massacre, I chose to play Dyer with a zealous enjoyment of what he was doing.

He had been bullied as a boy, taunted for being a stutterer, and this was his moment for revenge.

As a human being, how do you feel about his actions on that fateful day in Jallianwallah Bagh?

I am appalled at what the man did, particularly as it was premeditated.

Even if it had been a knee-jerk reaction to some sudden riot, the level of violence would still have been unacceptable.

But evidence suggests that Dyer had planned the whole thing as a cold-blooded slaughter in order to give a warning sign to the people of India to back down from the British rule.

I am ashamed to share the title of Englishman with him and would urge our government to do what is right and issue a proper apology.

The word 'regrettable' simply ducks responsibility.

Yes, the act was regrettable but in saying that, are we acknowledging that we actually regret it?

Or are we simply describing the act as 'able to be regretted'? We need to take responsibility and say sorry. And mean it.

What was it like shooting with an Indian cast and crew?

It was unlike anything I have ever done before. Acting in Hindi, working in sometimes unbearable heat, battling stomach troubles -- all these things were challenging.

But the positives outweighed the negatives.

I enjoyed my fiery exchanges with Akshay Kumar, who was extremely gracious and generous when the camera was not rolling.

I enjoyed locking horns with him in court.

R Madhavan, who plays my lawyer, was enormous fun. We had many moments of merriment in between takes.

Filming a courtroom battle takes days, so many hours of sitting on hard, wooden chairs.

With Madhavan on one side and my friend Michael Parr (Major Briggs) on the other, we managed to jolly each other along. Michael and I played silly word games and did crosswords to kill time.

I want to make special mention of my new friend Karan Singh Tyagi, without whom none of this would have happened.

Not only did he come up with the idea and the script, he captained the ship through sometimes choppy waters and always with humour, patience and understanding.

He gave the actors constant and gentle encouragement and was respectful and appreciative throughout.

I think he is an incredibly nice man and an even better director. He has made a truly superb film and has such a bright future ahead of him.

Did you get to see India?

Not nearly enough. My daughter Beatrice joined me in Mumbai at the end of one filming stint and we flew to Kerala, where we enjoyed a week at the coast and then travelled up into the mountains for a week at a spice plantation.

We even got chased by elephants in the forest! Unforgettable in every way.

Another stint of filming happened in Delhi and my oldest friend Richard flew out to join me.

We had a lovely week visiting the hill stations north of Dehradun, where the air was beautifully cool after the heat in Delhi.

I know that my wife would love for me to work more in India so that she, a bear scientist and fabric designer, can explore India's extraordinary biodiversity while I stay in the cities, playing more baddies. We shall see.

As a Shakespearean actor, do you prefer theatre to film?

A balance is nice. I miss the immediacy of performing in front of a live audience.

Generally, theatre is all about the actors and the words, so you feel a greater sense of ownership of the project.

When you are filming, you are aware that your performance is only going to be as good as the editor allows it to be.

Ultimately, it's the visuals and the soundtrack that carry so much weight in cinema.

But I really loved filming this piece. It is an experience I shall never forget.

What are you working on next?

I am playing a wizard in The Witcher for Netflix. I have to ride a horse. Another new challenge!

Would you like to do more Indian films?

Yes, if I am to stay married. My wife is a very determined woman.

And I do love Indian food more than any other world cuisine.

Who are your performing idols?

Ralph Fiennes is a great film actor.

I love Jeff Bridges, Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench...

But the ones I really revere are all dead, like Paul Scofield, Peter Sellers, Alec Guiness, Audrey Hepburn...

I think I'm a bit old school.