Out of the Ordinary

* Road,Movie has been a favourite at most film festivals. How was your experience being a part of the movie?
Dev Benegal was one of the first people I met when I came to Mumbai. And he has been very instrumental in getting English cinema to India. Working with Dev on this movie was an experience for me because I got to learn on the job. I learnt the essence of contemporary cinema and how a beautiful landscape can be turned into a piece of art.

* How was the experience of working with Abhay Deol,currently the toast of alternative cinema?
Abhay is a very interesting person and he is an actor with great talent and charisma. Even after we wrapped up shooting for the day,we would hang out,chat up and by the end of the schedule we became good friends.

* As an actor,what was the most challenging thing about your role in Road,Movie?
During the shoot,we were constantly told that we shouldn’t look like actors in the movie. We were asked to behave like common people and also made to dress up in a particular manner.

* Your name has been synonymous with offbeat cinema. Doesn’t it bother you that you may be stereotyped?
It is the age of offbeat cinema. Today’s audiences are exposed to world cinema and people these days have an appetite for different kinds of films. And when we have an audience whose taste changes rapidly,offbeat or this different kind of cinema certainly fits in. I am proud to be a part of it.

* You have done a variety of roles in your career. What is that one genre which you would still like to explore?
There are many genres,but then in one of my next movies I play a pole dancer which I am very excited about.

* Have you ever thought of becoming a part of mainstream Bollywood?
I don’t fit into that at all. I really enjoy Bollywood when they do movies that entertain. When these Bollywood movies have a didactic purpose it all goes wrong.

* You have also done a movie titled Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain. Tell us a little bit about your role in the film?
It is based on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. I am with Rajpal Yadav in the movie and we play the roles of people directly affected by this tragedy.
New projects?
There are many more projects. Bombay Summer releases in May. I start working on an English movie in Mumbai in May and then will be shooting for a Hindi film in September.