You are one of the finest actors we have. I am not flattering you to make you comfortable. Tell us, where have you been?
I had a few personal things which did not allow me to work for a while. After that, it took me quite some time to get something that excited me. I am not someone who can work for just the sake of working. Some people might find their comeback vehicle soon, but yeah, it did take me an unusually long time. i said 'No' to many offers.That's the nature of the beast in terms of being an actor.
It was being said that you have shifted to Alibaug...
Not true. I do have a farmhouse in Alibaug, where I go only over the weekends.
So where were you exactly when you got the Dishoom offer?
I was in Mumbai (smiles). I was told that Rohit Dhawan wanted to meet me. He came over and the film's brief itself excited me no end, mind you in just one line. It's a superb role. It's a great cast- Varun and John, both are young and energetic.
Tell me that one line, which bowled you over...
48 hours before an Indo-Pak match, a top star batsman gets kidnapped.
How different is your role in Dishoom from Humraaz and Race, where also you played a villain?
I don't mind playing a villain. I love it if it is entertaining and I can have fun. My role in Race and Humraaz was as entertaining as the ones essayed by the male leads of those films. The same is the case in Dishoom, where in fact I think I have the most entertaining role within the structure of the script.
Your last film released in 2012- Gali Gali Chor Hai. It's been four years, and four years is a pretty long time....
It was a difficult and frustrating period. There's nobody who doesn't want to work. I don't want to say anything more on that.
Are you difficult to approach? There's an impression out there that you are a very moody person...
I can't speak for other people but personally I don't think I am difficult to approach. Everybody has my phone number and he/she can call me up if they want to.
You don't have a PR machinery around you...
That's one aspect of me which has been constant. Over the years, PR has become overwhelmingly important--- and I totally get it. Not having a PR is a big negative for anybody in the public domain.
So, why don't you have one?
I don't enjoy giving interviews. I don't like when I am asked questions. Is it bad for my career? It is. Do I want to improve that side of mine? No. People might find this strange but that's the way I am.
I don't like to see myself in newspapers. I don't like it if I am written about.
Was any particular story responsible for this?
No, it was not any particular story. Let me explain. If you have a phobia, I can never succeed in eliminating it. There are many people in our society who love to be written about, but there are people on the other side as well- and I am one of them.
You are not on social media as well...
I love following other people.
I get that you are a private person and all that...
Some people might feel I am an idiot in today's times when social media rules the roost. Some people may feel it's ridiculous especially because I am an actor.
You still haven't answered my question. Are you moody?
We all are moody, we all have mood swings. I don't know why that tag has stuck with me. You can't describe me as someone who has a chemical imbalance.
Marriage?
It's not that I don't believe in the institution, but marriage is not for me. I know that for sure. It makes no sense to me because of the way I am. I cannot promise anybody that I will live the rest of my life with you. I would be happy to live with a person as long as both of us are happy to be in that relationship, but we should be free to leave if either of us feel at one point otherwise.
Marriage is a legal thing. If I want a divorce, I will have to go to the Court. Toh woh main aapne sar pe kyun rakhun? And why mistakes and ruin someone's life when you know the way you are?
So, are you living in with someone?
Even the thought of living with someone day in and day out--- no matter how much I love that person--- would be extremely difficult for me. I like to live alone.
Go on...
I think we should be little less judgmental about people. Everybody should have the freedom to live his/her life on his/her terms.
There was a story in 2008 which said that you had taken to alcohol and went to a rehab...
You wrote that story?
No, I did not. Like you have this tag of 'moody', I have the tag of 'being associated with all the stories'. But I did not write that one, else I would have told you...
I never read that story.
But you reacted to that story in one of your interviews...
People can say anything about anybody, it has become very difficult to keep a tab on everything and then clarify. Take the case of big stars like Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. So many people are talking about them all the time. Whatever they say gets so scrutinised and magnified.
Is a star's life today far more difficult than a star's life was, say, 10 years ago?
It's not difficult, it's just that the stars have to be more careful today. Actually, we all have to be careful.
Look at the media's exponential growth that has happened in today's times. They have to produce content for 24 hours, so they will take anything and produce content--- and there is nothing right or wrong about it. Like I might say something in this interview and it might offend somebody. We guys have to be very careful. I might say something in this interview and it might just go Wham!
Do you think that's exactly what happened with Salman recently?
Honestly, I don't want to get into this. But yeah, why shouldn't I say what I feel? The guy never meant what he said.
I am sure he didn't mean it...
It was a mistake. Something came out of his mouth which should not have. But I am sure he didn't mean it. You know we say certain things and we don't mean it.
Absolutely. Like we say, I am screwed- and we definitely don't mean it. And then, people jump onto those statements and use it for their 15 seconds of fame to lash out at others...
Yeah. So, people should learn to understand and differentiate before highlighting those statements, jumping to conclusions and going ballistic about them. It must have been very hard on Salman.
Coming back to films. Do you think cinema has changed from your earlier days of Himalaya Putra, Border...?
The technology and business side of it has become far better, but the creative growth is slow.
So what's your gut feeling about the public response to your comeback?
I don't know how they will take it, but let me tell you that I have got very good feedback about Dishoom after its promo. Sajid Nadiadwala is a wonderfuland successful producer who has a great start-up model, and Rohit is a fab guy who knows exactly what he wants. Dishoom has been a great experience.
After Dishoom?
It's a film with Sridevi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, produced by Boney Kapoor and Sunil Manchanda. It's a terrific one.
Image Source: Manav Manglani. southdreamz & twitter/varun_dv
Image Source: Manav Manglani. southdreamz & twitter/varun_dv