A man for all seasons

What made you do Ferrari Ki Sawaari? Tell us about your role.
I've known Rajesh (Mapuskar) for very long now and the one thing I knew is that he is a very honest and good-hearted man. And I like such people. When he narrated the script to me, it just reeked of so much of goodness. I felt this was the right film for him at the time and for me too.

Plenty of father roles, and now grandfather… Any specific preparations?
I'm a father in real life as well, so I understand the emotions of a father. My older son is now married so hopefully I'll be a grandfather soon! In terms of acting, if your director is clear about what he wants, your job as an actor becomes that much easier. I just internalised the character. I've known many Parsi old men because of my background, and somewhere the character of Deboo was inspired a lot by the mannerisms that I had seen in my childhood.

How did you react when you heard you'll be playing a grandfather’s role in the film?
I said "What! You don't find me sexy anymore?" (Laughs). I was OK yaar... I'm not insecure in that sense; I don’t think "Oh God! Now I'm getting offers to play a grandfather!"  If the script is something I like, I'm game.

How was it working with Sharman Joshi again after nearly killing him in 3 Idiots?
Well, I had to undo the bad karma sometime, right? So FKS is that film...

While talking about FKS, you mentioned in a recent interview that films work because of their scripts and not because of any leading lady in the film. Is script the only criteria for you?
Absolutely! That, and the director and producer's commitment to the film – it can make or break a movie.
 
From selling potato chips to all those hit films under your belt, how has the journey been?
Spectacular, and overwhelming! Even now I sometimes cannot believe that I have done almost 52 films in a career spanning, what, 10 years? It has been deeply enriching.
 
What does it take to be an actor? What were the main challenges?
Actually, I never wanted to be an actor. I'm an actor by chance. My life's been interesting in that sense. Photography happened to me since I got bored of the wafer shop. Theatre happened because I wanted to find a new hobby. And I really think theatre was a great learning and disciplinarian ground for me. I would like to believe that I always had the talent; I've been a good mimic. But theatre really gave me the foundation that I needed.

Now that you have become a full-time actor in Bollywood, are you able to find time for theatre? Do you miss it?
Of course I miss it! And yes I don't get the time to do it so often anymore… Soon!
 

You’ve straddled almost every genre in cinema. Which one do you enjoy the most?
I'll tell you what I don't enjoy – I don't enjoy the long wait between takes. Other than that I'm fine, yaar. I feel lucky to be getting the kind of work I'm getting, and I really have a good time with everyone. By God's grace I don't think I've made a single foe in this industry.

You've shared screen space with Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. How was the experience of working with each of them?
You know each one is very different from the other. But there's one thing that's common to all three – they're all very hard working, extremely passionate and can really push the envelope when it comes to drive. Look at Akshay – he wakes up early every morning for his fitness; Shah Rukh breathes and sleeps films and no one needs to say anything more about Aamir. They're all really good human beings too...

So do we see direction on the cards any time soon?
Ah no… I think I'm too lazy to be a director.
 
The most promising female actors from the current lot according to you…
You want to break-up my marriage?