You seem to have a penchant for morally flawed characters—from Murder, Aksar and Footpath to Tiger 3 and your upcoming project, Telugu film OG opposite Pawan Kalyan. What draws you to such roles? There has always been a lure and intrigue about antagonists and their motives. They are the ones who take the risks and there’s is a psyche that you don’t completely understand. They are the heroes of their narratives, and their objectives have an element of suspense. That is what I found exciting about Aatish as well.
What do you make of the mixed response to Tiger 3? While a section of the audience considered it a blockbuster, there was another that felt otherwise. The film has garnered huge profits for the producer, and that is my only barometer. There will always be a section that will shoot a film down, but I stay away from it all. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I don’t let it impact me.
During your 21-year-long career, you have been associated with a certain kind of image despite having reinvented yourself repeatedly with films like Shanghai and Awaarapan. What do you make of this perception? Often, a certain image that has been built around you eclipses diverse performances. I was amused by how my image of a serial kisser sustained for so long, even when I stopped doing such roles. Regardless, what I want to focus on is doing good films, keeping my fans happy and expanding my CV as an actor.
You are mostly a no-show at award ceremonies and fraternity parties. How do you sustain yourself in this hyper-competitive industry? I think I’m surviving pretty well. Every actor has their outlook on how they present themselves and the films they do. I have always been asked why I only surface around the release of my film, and disappear into the shadows soon after. The answer is that I like to compartmentalise my life. I don’t like talking shop; I would rather let my work do the talking. I like keeping things private.
You are all set to make your Telugu debut with OG, which also stars Pawan Kalyan. What can you tell us about the film besides the fact that it is a gangster film set in Mumbai? OG is my first Telugu film, but it will be released in multiple languages. It is a pan-Indian film in the true sense of the word. It has an interesting premise and has been shot on a huge scale. The film is expected to release in June.
Posters of Showtime and OGWho, according to you, is the OG in Bollywood? The all-time OG for me is Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan. There is no actor in the industry today who has not learned something from his graph and watching his films. He has an aura that’s insurmountable.
Today, actors across industries are working together like never before. Do you think it is time we dropped the Bollywood vs South debate? Yes. There is this constant chatter about which industry is doing better, but it is just pointless. During the pandemic, there was constant Bollywood bashing; we were told to pull up our socks because we were unable to drive crowds to near-empty theatres. But, 2023 has been a year of phenomenal comebacks, all of which are pan-Indian films. We have the southern film industry working with Hindi actors and vice versa. These days it is difficult to make a theatrical film run for long; there are so many variables involved to make the audience purchase the ticket. OTT has made it even more challenging because there is so much good content, so you have to think out of the box and get as many actors together as possible to draw viewers. I see that happening now. This is the future.
You also have Karan Johar’s web series, Showtime in the pipeline. The show looks at nepotism and power struggles withing Bollywood. What are some of the secrets that we can expect to be spilled? Having been in the industry for so long, I have seen both the good and bad sides of it. So when this show came to me, I grabbed the opportunity. I believe the audience will resonate with it on many levels. We are still working on it, but yes, some secrets will tumble out.
