Dark horse

Anurag Kashyap and you have done several films together. What did he have to offer you this time?

Anurag Kashyap and I have a long association. He has written three remarkable films for me like Satya,Shool and Kaun. During Gangs Of Wasseypur,I got a call from him at 10.30 in the night,by 11.30 pm I was in his office and in a short span,we had discussed the film. I loved the script,it was very unique and within the next half hour we had opened a wine bottle and celebrated. It was that spontaneous.

What can the audience expect from you in the film?

The audience will get to see me in a never-seen-before avatar. I am playing the role of Sardar Khan. He is a person with no morality,a complete sex maniac and crazy after women. He does everything what a hero doesnt do,and is still adorable.

Gangs Of Wasseypur was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. What was the experience like?

It was amazing. When you see the International audience cheering and responding to every dialogue or the subtitles of the film,it is very encouraging. I was overwhelmed to see our film getting a standing ovation.

Is it true that you had a total desi celebration there?

Yes,at 1.30 am,the entire team of the film was dancing on the streets,to the beats of a desi band played by some Indians. People were staring at us, amused. I didnt dance much as I was very hungry,so I went and relished some yummy pasta and French style chicken.

What kind of response did you get for your role in the film?

Many were surprised to know that I was essaying the character of Sardar Khan. Unlike my bald look in the film,at the function,I had lost weight and had grown my hair back. When I interacted with my fans,I sounded completely different from Sardar Khan.

So how did you prepare yourself to look as convincing as your character in the film?

I just shaved my head to look like my character,took tips from the director and got my acting skills right.

Is there any particular role that you are itching to do in the near future?

I dont wait for any roles. I choose the best from whatever comes to me and believe in moving on.

Tell us about your future projects

I just finished shooting for Prakash Jhas Chakravyuh where I play the role of a naxalite leader. I also shot for Neeraj Pandeys thriller,Special Chabbis. Next month I start shooting for Sanjay Guptas Shootout At Wadala. Then there is also Shonali Boses Chitagong Uprising.

After Aarakshan,you are teaming up once again with Prakash Jha in Chakravyuh.

Shooting for Chakravyuh was superb. I had to shed some weight,to look convincing as the naxalite leader. It was great fun teaming up with Abhay Deol,Arjun Rampal,Esha Gupta and a new girl Anjali Patil. We shot in the jungles of Pachmarhi for one and a half months,and we bonded really well during that schedule.

Any interesting incident on the sets of Gangs…?

I was on a diet for my role in Chakravyuh,and so for the shooting of Gangs… that happened before that,instead of eating I was feeding others. I made my co-stars hog on fattening food. Jameel Khan was very thin when he came on board but by the time the film was completed he had put on a lot of weight.