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Excerpts from an Interview:
Considering that you are so choosy about your roles, what is it about Swami that appealed to your sensibility?
Swami is very close to my heart. It is a very unique love story of a husband and his wife. I play Swami, a Maharashtrian Brahmin who is devoted to his wife. It is a very simple love story meant for the family audience.
The story sounds suspiciously similar to the Shabana-Girish Karnad starrer Swami?
Believe me, only the title is the same. The similarity ends right there. The film has been shot in Mumbai and Khandala the village part and there are simple emotions and straight scenes, but then the most difficult thing about acting is to make it look simple and effortless.
Trade circles have it that you are a contemplative actor, and you take your time in giving your nod to a project. How long did it take you to accept Swami?
Sometimes it takes two minutes and at times two days to understand the implications and the impact of the script. There are times when I have liked the script during the narration itself and occasionally it takes longer when you have certain queries about the graph of the character you are offered. I green-lighted Swami after a week of the narration only because my friends advised me to wait till the inauspicious shraddh period got over. I really regret that I made Ganesh wait for a week. I wish I hadn’t succumbed to superstitions when I had taken an instant liking to the script.
Had you worked with Ganesh Acharya earlier when he was a choreographer?
He had choreographed a song in Ghaat, so I was aware of his dedication to his craft. I respect him for the fact that he hails from a humble background and has risen to this status on the sheer strength of his talent and hard work.
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There are songs in the background and there are occasions of dance, but what is so unique about this film is that Ganesh hasn’t used his core competence in the film at all.
Juhi Chawla plays the object of your affection - your South Indian wife - in the film. How was it working with the erstwhile diva?
This is my first film with her and all I can say about her is that not for nothing was she regarded as one of the best. She is very hardworking and persuading everybody to give their best shot. She’s always there for the film. She’s completely professional.
You last release 1971, despite being such an engaging film went unnoticed. Aren’t you disappointed with its tame release strategy?
I am very furious about the way 1971 was released without any pre-release promotion or proper policy for its release. What is sad that not many people got to watch it. It should be seen to be judged. I am told the film, however, had record-breaking DVD sales. The cast and crew had given so much to this project and I lament the sad waste of creative resources.
Do you feel that younger actors like Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon are racing ahead of you?
Everybody is racing ahead and everybody is left behind...I don’t know who’s winning or losing but one thing I can say for sure is that I can be judged only at the end of the journey. I am still around. As for these young actors, they are experienced as well as professional. I want them to fare very well, for we all come from theatre. We have given our sweat and blood to our craft.
Is your being too choosy proving to be an impediment in your success?
Ever since the beginning of my career I haven’t done any film just for the heck of it. It has to make an impact. Whether it was Satya, Kaun, Shool, Zubeida or Veer-Zaraa - my choices clearly indicate that I never wanted to be a superstar, I am not romancing the box-office. In any case I am the third or fourth choice for filmmakers - the roles that come my way have been thumbed down by 3-4 stars. Filmmakers are not encouraging about casting me, I totally disagree with you about being too choosy, I am here for grabs! People called me to say that they missed me in Omkara, but then Saif Ali Khan was really the right choice for the role.
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Not really, I still enjoy the luxury of being an actor. Moreover the actor in me is still not satisfied, I am hungry for good roles. How can I leave all that? And direction is rather difficult especially for us actors who are used to working within ourselves - we are too selfish.
So Mr Greedy Actor, which are your forthcoming projects?
The Whisperers, which is a psycho thriller revolving around the rise and fall of a rich guy played by me. I am also doing one of the Dus Kahaniyan co-starring Dia Mirza.
BANGLADESH |
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, Jul 26 2007, 10:04 PM EDT
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