Role Call

You once said that you feel restless when you are not working. How are you coping this time?
Ninety per cent of what I am is my work. As an actor,if I am shooting for 20 days,the other days I am either reading scripts or dubbing. So acting becomes your life,it defines you to a large extent.

Paathshaala started off as a guest appearance for you. How did you become the main protagonist?
It’s not an out and out SK (Shahid Kapoor) film. I shot seven days for it and I am there for almost an hour. When there is a known face,it reaches out to more people. I play the role of Rahul Prakash Udyavar,a teacher who is shocked by the way the faculty is dealing with the school. I am happy lending my name to the film and the audience will not be disappointed.

Did you feel nostalgic going back to school?
I am looking forward to visiting my school Gyaan Bharathi in Delhi. In fact,we also shot a small portion of the promotional video at the Bhavan’s complex. I remember driving through and seeing a new building that’s come up. There was this muddy ground,that’s now turned into a basketball court. My school in Delhi was fun,in Mumbai I was bullied. I was a scrawny teenager and had no hope.

From playing a teacher you go on to play a baddie in Badmaash Company.
This seems to have become a habit since Kaminey. Mere shaqal pe hi kamina,badmaash type kuch likha hua hai . But yes,Badmaash Company is an exciting fresh subject. It is a journey of four friends and the way they find success on their own terms. The movie has a lot of simple yet innovative con jobs.

Have you conned anybody?
Once I had a fight with this friend and I told him I wanted to make up with him. I told him I was shooting in Dubai and asked him to come there. When he landed in Dubai and called,I told him I am in Mumbai.

In Badmaash,were you okay being a part of a relatively new cast?
Anushka Sharma is young and bubbly and has a long career ahead of her. Meiyang Chang and Vir Das are very new and I was actually trying to fit into the group. There were always times when Vir wanted to say something funny on screen and he just stopped himself. He is a really fun guy to hang out with.

Will you do just one film a year now?
No. Since I have different looks for Mausam,I cannot work on any other film right now. But I’m looking forward to doing more work next year.