Bad company

I am only working in Aarakshan. What I feel about the issue is completely personal. But yes,reservations are part of our society and we have to come to terms with it. Also,there should be an effort to uplift the people who have been left behind.

Tell us about your role in the film.

I play a flamboyant professor,Mithilesh Singh,who is brilliant in teaching,but uses education as a means of making money. He is always in conflict with Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) who is erudite and a man of principles. Also,Aarakshan is not just about the reservation issue,it is about the off-shoots of the policy and I represent the commercial aspect of education. Prakash Jha says that very soon few seats will be left in the regular educational institutions because of which there will be a surge in private institutes charging exorbitant amounts for admission. Also,good academicians will join coaching classes as they dole out huge salaries and that is what my character does.

Have you come across any incident that involved the issue of reservations?

No. Since my childhood I was fascinated by films. I always wanted to be an actor and since there is no aarakshan in this profession I haven’t faced any conflicts. (laughs)

What is the idea behind sporting long hair for your role?

The long hair with a dash of white in it was Jha’s idea. Initially,I was against the idea of sporting white hair but Jha was adamant. He wanted me to look like a professor who is pitted against the experienced Mr Bachchan.

Talking about Mr Bachchan,isn’t this the second time you are acting with him after Aks?

Yes. Aks is one of my classiest films but I think it was released at the wrong time. It was ahead of its times and was released when there were only single screen theatres. Yet,those who have seen the film on DVDs have appreciated it a lot. As for working with Mr Bachchan, I was a little apprehensive and awestruck initially. However,acting in this film has created a bond between us and I have had many friendly conversations with him. One day on the sets he invited me to his room where he recited his father Harivanshrai Bachchan’s poems. It was a great experience listening to him.

The film is hard-hitting,but were there any light moments on the sets?

Yes. I was working with Saif (Ali Khan) after LOC Kargil and I kept ragging him that he shouldn’t be playing a person from the backward community. Instead,I should have done it since I am a farmer. He would get angry and I would say this everytime he had to give a shot just to distract him.

Since the subject is volatile,Aarakshan has been mired in different controversies even before its release. Comment.

The film has been passed with a U certificate without a single cut. That says it all. It covers all the perspectives of society and doesn’t have anything controversial in it. You will understand when you see it.

Besides Aarakshan,which films do you have in the pipeline?

I have just finished shooting for an intense film by Vikram Bhatt. It is yet-to-be-titled but it is based on the concept of Raavan falling in love with Sita. The film has a lot of newcomers and theater actors. It is currently being edited. Then there is Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur based in the 1970s-’80s era tracing the coal mafia in Dhanbad. Chittagong Rising,in which I play Masterda,the mastermind behind the rising,is complete and the producers are trying to market it.

Do you think that the failure of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey,which was based on the same subject, will affect Chittagong Rising’s prospects?

Though the subject is the same,ours is a completely different take on it.

Lastly,do you think Raajneeti has turned around your career?

I am not an actor who is dependent on the box-office. I have always been around but it is the media which thinks that I am back with Raajneeti. I don’t blame them though (laughs).