What was your first reaction to Chidiya Udd’s script?
What was your experience of working with Jackie Shroff?
What are some of your learnings from working with Jackie Shroff?
You’ve been surrounded by famous people all your life. What was it like growing up and witnessing stardom up close?
Did you see a difference between the stardom you saw and the reality of the gig when you started working?
Do you still audition for your roles?
Can you define your process of easing into roles?
How do you deal with low points in your career?
How did the switch to international projects happen with Monkey Man?
What was your first reaction to Chidiya Udd’s script?
It was a little dark and hectic, to be honest. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do another dark character. I like doing light stuff sometimes. But the script was good. The producers are people I’ve known. The director, Ravi Jadhav, is someone whose work I’ve admired. And Jackie Shroff was playing my father. I’ve known him since I was young.
I liked the character. I was lucky that we all came together. The journey of filming was good. I’m happy they thought of me for it.
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What was your experience of working with Jackie Shroff?
Jaggu Dada has known me since I was a child. I’ve grown up around him. He’s worked on so many things with my father. I have been in touch with him personally after reaching a certain age when we just developed a friendship, though I look up to him like a father figure. He’s always there for a phone call, he’d send a message and voice notes. There’s already that comfort I’ve had with him. Even though it was the first time I was working with him, I did assist in direction on Devdas, where he played Chunni Babu. I used to do lines with him there. He makes you so comfortable. I can talk to him about anything. When you’re an actor, you’re quite vulnerable. You’ve got to know how to communicate with each other. And if we do that we will keep learning forever. My father himself is constantly learning. Brando too has said the same thing, that an actor is constantly learning.
What are some of your learnings from working with Jackie Shroff?
When I saw him in the trailer, I was in awe. It’s the pauses, the way he brings power into the person. Jaggu Dada is someone who is an inspiration for me as a human being, not just an actor. He is a great actor. He’s been here since the 1980s and still getting work because of that. As a human being, the way he is with people, with animals, his outlook on life and people is something that I want to imbibe. I look for kindness. He constantly shows kindness. That is the most beautiful trait of any human being.
You’ve been surrounded by famous people all your life. What was it like growing up and witnessing stardom up close?
It’s superb. I wish I was more mature when I was with them so I could have picked their brains and learnt so much. I remember watching Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan perform for us in Yash Chopra’s living room with an audience of just 20. Today, when I listen to his music, I get goosebumps. At that time, I was so young that I didn’t care much. I’ve grown up in Yashji’s house, pretty much. I didn’t know until I saw The Romantics that Aditya, who I’ve called Adi Bhaiya my whole life, used to be so into all of this. My conversations with him were always different. I have driven Pandit Birju Maharaj. I’d pick him up every single day from Anand, this place in Juhu to Western Outdoor and Fort when we were doing Devdas. He did Kahe chher mohe and I used to take him for recordings. He used to sit with me in the car for an hour and a half. I had no questions about Kathak, or his performances, or his journey, his life or anything. I was so ignorant. When I look back, I regret it. When I see Angry Young Men, I realise I’ve grown up with Javed Saab the most. Like by chance we were on the same flight to London or something. We would land and he’d be like, “Chal Sikandar, picture dekhne jaate hain.” I can still pick up the phone and talk to them. But there’s a time and place for it. I enjoyed their company. That’s been my life.
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Did you see a difference between the stardom you saw and the reality of the gig when you started working?
My mother always said that the biggest blessing is that she’s busy. I’ve seen Shah Rukh doing three shifts a day, almost breaking his back working hard, doing stunts. I’ve seen my father doing three shifts a day. A lot of hard work goes behind whatever they have achieved. It’s constant hard work for years and years. I know I’m passionate about this. I’ve always seen it like that.
Do you still audition for your roles?
No, I didn’t have to audition for this one. It’s been a while since I’ve had to audition. I’ve been working for 18 years. They’ve seen my work. The last thing I auditioned for was probably Monkey Man. That was 10-12 years ago. By the grace of God, I think I’ve earned my place here. And people give me that respect. I also think the audition process now is that conversation the producers, directors and writers have to see whether I fit the character.
Can you define your process of easing into roles?
I don’t have a set process; I’m more instinctive. When the writing is strong, it feels natural. Not every project has workshops to explore scenes, so once I’m on the set, in costume, and surrounded by the real environment, my mind stays focused on the scene. I could be talking to you but my thoughts are on the character. I relate to Kay Kay Menon’s view. He says, “I don’t do roles, I portray people.” That’s how I approach it. No two people are the same. You can be playing a cop or a lover and still play it differently from what other people have done before.
How do you deal with low points in your career?
That was a long time back. There weren’t platforms to be honest. But I remember when there were just cinemas and you were looking for films, and that’s when I had a dry spell of a year or two in the late 2000s. There weren’t so many mediums of work. OTT brought more employment for everyone, be it for an actor, technician, writer or director. We all deal with stuff in our own ways. I’ve always been aware of how tough it is over here. It’s always going to be tough. This is part and parcel of this industry. It is a struggle. It’s never going to be easy. But I was lucky enough to have a strong family that kept me grounded. Honestly, my parents would have told me if I didn’t have it. My mum would have told me, “Look, you don’t know how to act, do something else.” She’s very honest. Many times she says, “No, it wasn’t good,” or “You could have been better.” That being said, she always believed in my work. My father has also given me a lot of faith, they both have a lot of faith in my work.
How did the switch to international projects happen with Monkey Man?
There was no switch. Seher Latif, who was a casting director, unfortunately, passed away just after COVID. She used to cast international projects in India. One day, Seher called me and asked me to test for this part. I knew it was the role of a cop. So I carried a police costume. Dev Patel was there in Mumbai. The director was taking the audition himself. That was 12-15 years ago. Filming started much later. At the end of the day, it’s a movie, and it didn’t feel different.
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