Shahed Ahmadlou, actor of ‘The Special Unit’ series, talks with ifilm about his performance in this series.
The TV series is one cop show that has drawn a good number of audiences due to its enigmatic story and dramatic cliffhangers. The presence of actors such as Amir Kazemi, Mahmoud Pakniat, Hamid Goudarzi, Pedram Sharifi and Shahed Ahmadlou as the special unit forces and their close relations depicted in the series turned an enigmatic story into a social drama story. The show was able to go beyond the framework of a cop series and attracted many viewers.
Shahed Ahmadlou is a TV actor and director, whose acting CV shows his interest in the detective genre. The actor once played the role of a thief in the series ‘Liberation’ directed by Massoud Takavar and has appeared in the series "The Special Unit’ with a different role.
Below is part of the actor/director’s talk with ifilm:
ifim:
Mr. Ahmadlou, as the first question for the audience of ifilm website, tell us about your presence in this series and the role of Lieutenant Shahed Mansouri?
Actor:
‘The Special Unit’ was like any other TV series, and for me as an actor, the first step was to choose a screenwriter, director and producer - a set of criteria that allows an actor to play the role assigned to him. Of course in this series, the presence of actors like Hamid Goudarzi, who is one of my old and close friends, was not without merit, because both Hamid Goudarzi and Pedram Sharifi are my friends, and this gathering was a good experience.
ifilm:
If we look at the directing and production team, we see that the production team is from the big screen actors and crew. Can this component be considered as a success of this series?
Actor:
Yes! Mehdi Rahmani as a director and Saeed Sa'di as a producer have cinematic backgrounds, and in order to work with them, you must use all your strength for positive and good output.
ifilm:
All three main officers in 'The Special Unit' series and even Mr. Pakniat and Mr. Kazemi all had a friendly tone and attitude, a behavior that we may have seen less of the police force, or rather in police series. Was this intentional?!
Actor:
We had to feature a cop who was closer to what people have in their minds, and that was the goal we achieved in interacting with the director before the filming stage so that we could connect more with our audiences during a mysterious story. Fortunately, this connection was established, and we see that it has gained good popularity among TV viewers.
ifilm:
In fact, do you consider the acting and directing team play as the main reason the TV series was seen?
Actor: Watching this series is still popular with the audience after a few years on ifilm. A series may not be seen or rarely seen in its first broadcast, but with its re-run on ifilm, my friends and fans had a positive view of the series repetition, and this shows that all efforts of the directing and production team have been seen.
ifilm:
Mr. Ahmadloo, you have played two different roles, both as a thief and a policeman, in two series that were both in the police genre, but with different scenarios.
Actor:
Yes! It is true. I also had the experience of playing the role of a thief in the series 'Liberation' and its opposite role in the series The Special Unit'; two TV series that were seen in their time, and this is the concept of being seen in the police genre. Because the detective genre, or so-called detective movies and series, still have a lot of potentials. Such works are less offered to the audience while people love them.
As an actor and director, I would also like to contribute to the production of police series and films. Fortunately, the police force also provides good facilities for the production team, and the construction of such series can be a religious tribute to all the efforts and martyrs of police forces - those who sacrifice their health and families for the sake of security in our country.
ifilm:
We always see police series on special occasions, such as The Police Week. Can it be said that TV productions in the police genre require an order from other organizations?
Actor: Every movie and series is produced for an organization. An entity that provides facilities and support. The fact is that by making a cop series, a good relationship is formed between the community and the police forces, and various issues are presented in the national style, which should be under the supervision of the police and should not be far from reality.
The work is called customized when zero to one hundred percent of its elements are in praise of a government and private organization. Of course, each institution is entitled to introduce and present its efforts through a cultural and artistic perspective, and the police force is no exception.
ifilm:
You have experienced both directing and acting, and your presence in the police genre feels very good, and it seems that this is your interest. Do you like directing better than acting in this genre?
Actor:
If I were supposed to make or act in a series for the police department, I would definitely go for the direction because I already experienced acting. In fact, I love movies, cinema and television, and I like to connect with my audiences.
'The Special Unit' is the story of three police officers who make selfless efforts to accomplish their missions successfully. The series shows how they deal with different cases of robbery, kidnapping, murder and so on, with the help of an experienced commander and a headquarters-based tech-savvy colleague. Besides their professional relationship, the officers are close friends who help each other in their personal lives as well.
AG/AG
