Nobody cares about actors in Bollywood: Arshad Warsi

Thinking about my time in the industry I have got more than enough. But there was a time where I didn’t have film. I think at a point in life one needs to choose between a family and a career. I chose to invest in my family, I wanted to spend time with my lovely wife Maria and my children. I was having a lot of fun during this ‘holiday’. I really wanted to be where my family is, I am totally a family guy.

Are you satisfied with films/roles that come your way?
Not completely, I am not even sure if the kind of movies I want to do are made in India. I like films like Seher and Irada, basically I like films that have a kind of depth. But then I also like Naked Gun. So I want to do different kind of work, of course, but it also matter what kind of people I am working with. I wouldn’t work with ‘a bunch of assh*les’, and waste one to one-and-a-half years of my life.

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Star power or acting prowess, what works in Bollywood?

Definitely the star power, nobody cares about the actors! Actors work in Hollywood. There, if ‘Superman’ is being made, nobody cares if Brad Pitt is playing the superhero or a new guy, the movies are still made in a same way. Here it is not like that!

What does Irada mean to you? How was it sharing the workspace with Naseer Sahab?
I am extremely proud of the film, I am glad we still have producers making such a film. I loved working on Irada as the film talks about an actual issue. It is always great working with Naseer saab. You know what, I had once worked on a film, and I met Naseeruddin Shah somewhere and he said, “Arshad, you are a good actor. What are you doing in this film?” And I didn’t know what to say! Once I was asked about Naseeruddin Shah in a interview, and I had said that he and I are not casual friends, I look up to him… To which I got a SMS the next day by Naseeruddin Shah saying ‘Why can’t we be friends?’ And there was no looking back, we are great friends, we drink together and he is a great actor as we all know.

Also read: Irada title song: Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah join forces, watch video

Which of your characters is the closest to your heart- Circuit from Munna Bhai, Babban from Ishquiya, or Vicky in Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya? Why?
I love Babban from Ishqiya. Babban was a small character and I was nothing like Babban. I love how raw the character is. I like my character in Irada too, I am portraying a role of a cop, and he is layered and deep.