Face off

quot;All I can remember is that I am from Rajasthan, my father is in the Army, did most of my schooling from Simla, am well-grounded in commercial flying which I learnt for four years in Lucknow, was about to become an instructor in Jaipur when modelling came my way thanks to Delhi-based model Shefali Talwar. Then Graviera Mr India happened in December, 1997. And yes, a month later I became the second runner-up at Mr Intercontinental in Germany. My short and sweetlife sketch.quot;

True. That8217;s the shortest self-portrayal we have heard. Let8217;s have more insight into such an uncomplicated biography.

quot;Then I came to Mumbai.quot;

Not another model-turned-actor!

quot;I modelled for precisely four fashion shows. Such fatuous stuff is not my cuppa. I can do nothing but act. Even in TV ads, I act and not model like others.

Oh yes, how can we forget his mollified expression when he bites into a Picnic bar, that macho gaze as he drives a Tata Safari and the boy-next-door smile in Bajaj Chetak?

quot;And Allen Solly.quot;

Any movies in the pipeline? Considering that he seems to be well bitten by the acting bug.

That he cannot and will not reveal. quot;It8217;s not final yet. I am in the process of meeting directors and producers. Even today I am meeting four directors.quot;

Can we at least know who all are in for the gamble?

quot;No. But UTV8217;s Kaun is one of the serials I am doing. The rest is all a secret. At least till things work out. You know, Idon8217;t want all that build-up and in the end realise that it was of no good. In other words, I don8217;t want to be canned like Arjun Rampal, if I may say.quot;

Certainly, he may. But does that mean no more music videos for fear of getting typecast?

Yes. quot;Deewana was an unintentional move. It just happened. I don8217;t want to do more music videos. I don8217;t want to be branded.quot;

So how is he going to build his brand?

quot;Directors were keen to work with me from day one. So getting a break was never a problem. It8217;s the script that matters. Till you land a good role and, of course, a good director, you can easily vanish after one movie.quot;

Any other projects on the cards 8212; o keep his face fresh in the public8217;s memory?

quot;None that I can remember.quot;

Oh, did we forget to tell you? He is so-ooo forgetful.

quot;But I remember people who have helped me shape my life. And even the movies I saw when I was all of five.quot; OK . We8217;ll reframe our words: Diwakar suffers from selectiveamnesia.

quot;Everytime my brother calls up, he has to introduce himself all over again. Just kidding! But once I went to meet Govind Nihalani for a movie and asked him whether I could meet Govind Tihalani. I just forgot his name. Thankfully, he was a sport. But then I forgot all about hisprevious movies and asked him for his bio. By the end of the meeting he was pissed off.quot;

Aha! Now we can deduce that Nihalani is one of the directors he has met.

And what is Diwakar Forgetful8217; Pundir most likely to say?

quot;Have we met before?quot;

And least likely to say?

quot;Hello, nice meeting you again.quot;