ACTING CANNOT BE TOUGHT

How do you feel on the eve of the release of Bada Din?
I’m okay. I’m not really nervous at all. I mean, the film has already premiered in Calcutta and Delhi and the response has been very positive.

Did you identify with your role in this film?
Yeah, I identified with my role quite well, mainly because I was fortunate enough to be given the script well in advance, so I was able to work on it and get in synch with the character. Also I have a couple of friends who are a lot like the character I play, so I borrowed from their experiences and psyche. What I really liked about my character is that he is a very ordinary guy, a bit of a loner, someone who takes life as it comes. He’s not aggressive at all and he’s totally into his music. But like most common men, when his back is pushed against the wall, he finds the will to fight it out. In real life, though, I’m the complete opposite of my screen character — I’m an aggressive go-getter, and the only thing I have in common with the character is a passion for music.

Were you waiting to make your debut in a film
which was not a mainstream movie?
Did you think you would make more of an impression with such a film?
Well, it would be more accurate to say that I was waiting to make a debut in a film with a very strong story and structure, and with me in the lead. It didn’t matter whether it was commercial or not. And I would say that Bada Din is 80 per cent commercial. It has a very melodious soundtrack by Jatin-Lalit. For the future also, I don’t care who I work with or what kind of role I do, as long as it is good and convincing. Having said that, I realise that somewhere along the way one also has to make some compromises. There are a lot of offers coming my way even now, but I think I want to continue being choosy at this stage. I’m not signing films left, right and centre.

So which other films have you signed so far?
Actually, I’m in the midst of negotiations with three people, but I haven’t signed any films yet. I want to wait and see the outcome of Bada Din. I’ve waited for a couple of years, so waiting for another couple of months is not going to make any difference.

How was it working with a veteran like
Shabana Azmi in your very first movie?
It certainly added to my performance. I feel very lucky to have been able to work with her in my debut film. She was always there for us, she was very giving and understanding. We could imbibe a lot of knowledge from her, and her presence lifted my performance to a new height. It was great working with Tara too, she is a very fine actress.

Why do you think there’s a sudden surge of models turning to acting? Though female models have chosen to become actresses fairly regularly in the past, a lot of male models like Milind Soman, Rahul Bose, Arjun Ramphal and yourself have recently decided to take up acting.
Well, I think it is largely due to the fact that the myth that models can’t act has been exploded. Secondly, models are a lot cheaper to hire than big stars, and yet they are known faces. As for male models turning to acting, I think the film industry needs more guys who can act well and look good too. Also, many established stars simply don’t have the dates to spare for several months. In this situation models are a good option.

How did you prepare yourself to take on the challenge of acting?
Well, I didn’t go to any acting classes. Because I think acting is a craft that cannot be taught. Perhaps the finer aspects of method acting can be taught, but in the final analysis the ability to act has to come from within. My preparation consisted of re-watching a lot of Robert De Niro’s movies, because he is one actor I really admire and respect. He’s so natural. I also read some of the books he’s written.

So you wouldn’t recommend anyone going to acting classes?
Each one to his own!

Will you continue to model, or are you planning to concentrate on films?
I want to concentrate on films, but I will also continue to model. Modelling is a passion, and I have a lot of good friends in the modelling world. It’s more peppy, it’s more happening. And I have a passion for fashion. So I’m not likely to ignore the modelling world at any stage.

What was the most memorable experience
during the making of Bada Din?
I’d say it was the general atmosphere on the sets. It was cool, no ill feelings. It was great working with everyone who was a part of it, and we had some real good times when we were on location like in Darjeeling. The director, Anjan Dutt, plays the guitar, so after pack-up we would often have a sing-along with him strumming on his guitar.

And what was the most memorable thing that
happened to you during your modelling days?
Well, I’ll tell you the most embarrassing thing that happened to me. I was doing a ramp show in New Delhi some time ago, and I walked to the head of the ramp. I was standing there on my own and the entire audience was yelling and clapping. It was only the next morning, when I looked at the newspapers, that I realised why they had all been yelling like that. I had been standing in front of hundreds of people with my zipper down! Embarrassing, but at the end of the day — good fun!