The only other factor in Ooh la la from The Dirty Picture that matches Vidya Balans voluptuous oomph is Naseeruddin Shah and his dance moves. The 60-year-old actor,never known to groove Bollywood style,twists and turns with infectious enthusiasm in this song. He laughs at the mention of it. But quickly retorts,I had to practise so hard for the song. Not so much the dance moves,but the attitude and the body language. I have been pretty pathetic about the dances I have done so far. The role offered to Shah by director Milan Luthria was enticing enough,he says. Milan called me and asked me if I would play an ageing superstar. Even before I could read the script,I said yes to it, says the veteran actor. Shah is hardly a regular Bollywood hero. He gives few interviews. But when he does,he talks. At the Novotel Hotel in Juhu,as expected,he had lots to say about theatre,which tops the list of his pet projects. He is excited about staging three plays next year Ismat Aapa Ke Naam-3,First Kiss by Samuel Beckett and A Walk in The Woods by Lee Blessing. He is equally thrilled about his movies. When I became an actor,I dreamt of fame and riches. I did not think I would be performing Beckett and Shaw when I am 60. I thought Id be singing songs and beating villains. Thanks to nature,I have done both, he says. In a career spanning four decades,Shah has often taken the road less-travelled. One shouldnt act for the sake of acting. If your movies do not stand the test of time,you will never be remembered even if you reach the giddy heights of success, he says. His films bear testimony to the fact that he likes fun films instead of philosophical ones. He plays an encounter cop in Maximum and an intense character in Michael. His immediate release is a crime comedy, Chaalis Chaurasi,directed by Hriday Shetty. But he is also aware of the fact that he could go wrong with his choices. With a bad script,even Marlon Brando failed; who am I? In a celebrity-centric industry,Shah has managed to survive on his own terms. Despite this,he has been fortunate enough to get work. I do one big budget blockbuster a year to fill my bank account. In between,I do all the things that I like doing, he says proudly. Shah may not choose between films and theatre,but credits the latter for finding the actor in him. Acting in plays helped me find my vocation. I started work in the 70s with films like Aakrosh,Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai. They were shot in a short duration. This helped me come to Mumbai to do plays, says Shah. Something that he will never try his hand at again is direction. I couldnt judge my own script, he says,poking fun at his directorial debut Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. This,despite being one of the best theatre directors in India. In a play,you can look at your work a year later and alter it. In films,you have to make the right decision quickly which I just cannot do.
