Face off / Rajeev Masand

Untouched by the failure of Mast, Aftab Shivdasani seems to have finallyfound a place for himself in the movie business.

Having already had one release as a leading actor, and currently shootingfor at least a handful of new films, chocolate-faced Aftab believes actingis what destiny had in store for him. quot;I think I was born to be here,quot; hesays confidently. quot;And that8217;s why I8217;m giving it all I have,quot; he adds.Luckily for him, he has enjoyed every moment of the job. quot;It sometimes takesthe juice out of you, but you have to be consistent if you want to achievesuccess,quot; he explains.

At 23, his acting assignments often throw up challenging situations8230;Admittedly, he doesn8217;t identify with most of the characters he8217;s playing. quot;Ihave to use facial expressions and body language to convey what I need to,quot;he reveals. At times, he8217;s expected to display emotions he hasn8217;t evenexperienced. quot;In my next film, Kasoor, I play a 32-year-old man,quot; Aftabsays. quot;That was difficult because there were situations I hadn8217;t ever facedbefore.quot; However, after much hesitation he agreed to do the film when bothhis producer and director showed confidence in his capabilities.

Although he enjoys the job immensely, he treats it with discipline.quot;Being on the sets is a pleasure, but I don8217;t take my work lightly,quot; heclaims. He enjoys travelling on the job, and doesn8217;t complain when he has tomake polite conversation with strangers: all in the name of professionalism.quot;I8217;m more of a spontaneous actor,quot; he says, adding that he rarely needs toprepare for his scenes. quot;But if long lines are involved, you8217;re most likelyto see me mugging them in my make-up room,quot; he confesses. Also, he insistshe8217;s not in the least bit conscious when performing. quot;There was someawkwardness initially when I had to do passionate and romantic scenes, butI8217;m beginning to get over than now.quot;

A die-hard fan of Madhuri Dixit, Aftab rues the fact that nobody willever cast him opposite the actress8230;
quot;I8217;d have loved to work with her, but I guess she8217;d look older,quot; hecomplains. quot;Perhaps someday I8217;ll get the opportunity,quot; he says. quot;Maybe notopposite her, but even being in the same film as Madhuri Dixit would be likea dream-come true,quot; he gushes.

Didn8217;t one recent newspaper story suggest a romance between him andco-star Esha Deol?
quot;Oh, I found that article as surprising as you did,quot; he laughs, dismissingthe rumours. quot;I get along very well with Esha and her mother Hema Malini,quot;Aftab explains. quot;We were recently shooting together in America, and we allgot along like a house on fire,quot; he adds. In fact, his mum was with him too.quot;Esha and I had a hearty laugh over these stories, and it hasn8217;t affected myworking relationship with her one bit.quot; Incidentally, quot;Esha knows I8217;mtotally committed to my girlfriend.quot;

Stardom has changed his life considerably8230;
Aftab admits that he8217;s still getting used to the fact that he8217;s lost hisprivacy forever. quot;Besides, people8217;s attitudes have changed,quot; he says.quot;Acquaintances want to be friends, and enemies want to be acquaintances,quot; hesays, laughing loudly, as if he8217;s finally understood how the system works.

He8217;s trying not to get carried away by the sudden popularity.
quot;I8217;m trying to make sure that my head doesn8217;t swell up because of all thefame and recognition,quot; he says, admitting that it8217;s very easy to get allcarried away. quot;I8217;m a fairly stable guy,quot; he says, flashing that toothysmile. quot;I8217;m educated enough to know that all this is temporary.quot;

Friends and family come first, though.
His busy schedule doesn8217;t allow him to hang out at the Cricket Club of IndiaCCI where he8217;s practically grown up as a child, but he makes sure hespends enough time with family and friends. quot;They mean the most to me, and Ineed them around me to feel secure,quot; he reveals.

A South Mumbai lad, Aftab says he won8217;t move to the suburbs foranything in the world.
quot;I realised right from the beginning that it was going to be a bothertravelling to the studios everyday, but I refuse to move out,quot; he says.quot;Perhaps I8217;ll invest in an apartment in the suburbs so I have a place torelax when I8217;m at that end, but I don8217;t see myself moving out of Churchgatefor good,quot; he insists.