How is your married life goingIJ
Very well. Soha is great, we were seeing each other for the last six years. We were happy in our space and nobody likes any change when you are happy in the right place. But, luckily, for us, it is been the same. I think it also has to do with the fact that we were already so comfortable with each other and we lived together before we got married. I think all that helped and it’s been great.
You are returning to the big screen after a gap of two years. Were you waiting for the right scriptIJ
Not really. Sometimes you finish a film very quickly and at other times, it takes a while to finish a film. After Go Goa Gone, I did Bhaag Johnny and Guddu Ki Gun. Bhaag Johnny took some time since it was a big project action film. We were finding the right time to release both the movies and now, they are releasing back to back. One will be released on September 25 and Guddu will be out on October 30. Now everything has come all together but having said that, I want to add that I am not being very selective. You cannot do everything that is offered to you. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense. I choose the kind of work which I know would make me happy. Unless, I find a script and a role that I am happy doing, there is no point doing it.
The trailer of Bhaag Johnny looks promising where you play the role of a casanova. Given that you are shy in real life, was it difficult for you play the partIJ
As an actor, you have to deliver the parts that you play; you live so many lives as an actor. Sometimes you are a cop and then maybe a casanova. It is part of the work and at times, you are most comfortable doing it because you are doing something out of your comfort zone. I am a shy person and the role is completely opposite to what I am in real life but, I think everybody wants to be like that. People like me always say, ‘Oh my God, how do these guys do itIJ’ but as an actor that is nice because at least you can play their part in the reel life. There are some scenes that you are most comfortable doing, there are scenes that you cannot relate to at all. If you are not comfortable then you are unable to give your best shot, the director doesn’t get what he expects. You will keep doing that particular scene over and over to get the perfect shot but at the end of the day, if it doesn’t look nice, then it’s not worth doing it.
How is the role in Bhaag Johnny different from the roles that you have played earlierIJ
It’s completely different from anything that I have done in the past. It is such a high concept film. This man gets a chance to live two lives. He can live with two different decisions, in one life, he goes from grey to white as the right thing. And in the other, he murders someone. He is getting deeper and deeper into his misdeeds, he is moving to the darker side. It was interesting to play a positive and a negative role at the same time. You are shooting every day and sometimes you are shooting both roles and you don’t know whether you are getting it right, that keeps you on an edge. It is like an adrenaline rush for an actor, when he is really nervous on getting the part right. For that you trust your director and as an actor, I really enjoyed it. I am dancing, which I haven’t done in my previous films and then there is a lot of action which I loved doing.
In an interview, you had mentioned that the screenplay technique of the movie is quite different; can you tell us more about itIJ
If I am going to show you two films in one, then I need to do something that doesn’t confuse you. You should be able to understand what is happening. It is not a double role yet he is leading two lives. He is one guy who reaches a point then something happens and he is forced to commit a murder and he thinks it is the only way that he can get out of this mess because they have already set him up for it. He has three days, if you think this is right, go and do it but they will give you another chance, you can also choose not to do it. So, his life splits from that place for three days. In one life, he has killed this woman and in the another life, he is running with a girl. Now, from this point, the audience will see both these characters and their stories at the same time.
You said that the story of the movies is its USP...
It is. I think in any film, no matter what the genre is, the story has to be the hero. I might come to watch an action film but nothing can make me sit in a theatre for two-and-half hours, if I don’t follow the story. This film is special. We have seen films with double roles and we often see one type of life. But here we see both of them put together in the most interesting way.
A reel action scene was turned real while shooting for the movie. How did that feelIJ
We actors try to do our stunts ourselves, but when they are beyond our capability, we try not to do them. We were shooting for this particular scene where I am running and the cops are chasing me while Zoa Morani (who plays Tanya) is on a boat. We were shooting in a floating market and in the scene I did a lot of action. I was supposed to jump on this bridge and there was a boat and I was supposed to match my timing with the boat that was coming from the other side. So, we did that couple of times. After the forth cut, we tried to do another safety shot. Someone told the boatman in Thai that I wasn’t about to jump whereas I was asked to jump. So because of this miscommunication, when I took the leap, the boatman did not know about it, so the moment he came close to the boat, he turned it in the other direction but by that time, I had already jumped. I almost hit my head and received some injury on my leg. It looks really dangerous on camera, it seems as I have hit my head and threw myself into the water.
How was the experience working with Zoa MoraniIJ
She told me when I was working for Raja Hindustani I had met her, which I probably did, but I do remember meeting her sister. When we met on the first day of the shoot, we did not speak to each other because we were running in the fields outside Pattaya. It was hot and we had to run for this scene. The whole day went by and we realised that we haven’t had a conversation. But, then I got to know her and she is so much fun. She is like a small child on the sets and is excited about everything. She is enthusiastic to learn and would often ask me, ‘I can’t do this, can you show me’ and I would do it for her. But, after a point, I had to tell her that I can’t do it (laughs). Both Shivam (director) and I saw her grow as a person and she is really hard working and positive.
Do you think that the audience here would now also opt for offbeat filmsIJ
I do think so. We are a very divided audience in this country, and hence we have this whole criteria of multiplexes. Cinema has been evolving, we had action and drama films but not many comedies. But, now they are being considered as front runners. I think the audience and movies are constantly evolving. Hence, there is no formula for any movie which will make sure that it’ll be a hit. But I think we are in an interesting time. Nobody wanted to do Go Goa Gone. We were sure that we wanted to cater to the multiplex audience. We didn’t believe that the audience would show up. It was very difficult for us to put it on paper without any backing or money. Finally, when it was made, people loved it and now they want us to make a sequel. It is really fulfilling and exciting. As cinema and audience are evolving, you might make a movie which can be ahead of its time, you just need to believe in it. But, at the end of the day, you need to be satisfied with your work and I don’t think there is an audience out there which would accept or reject your work completely.
Do you think Kalyug was ahead of its timeIJ
Not way ahead, it was topical back then. The director wanted to make the film because MMS scandals were happening at that time. There has to be a shock value to your film (reoffering to homosexuality in the film). At times, we are all very hypocritical. We like erotica because they do well, but at the same time when the trailer comes out, we frown upon them. That’s why I am saying that we are such a divided audience. Once Bhatt sahab was asked during an interview why he made a so-called ‘cheap’ film like Murder when he made hits like Sarransh and Zakham. And he was very frank in saying that, ‘I have to feed a lot of people. When I make Murder, it makes `20-30 crores, and that becomes a superhit. So if this is what you secretly want, then I am going to give it to you because I need to run my business.’
What do you enjoy the most — comedy or actionIJ
I enjoy my day at work doing different things. Comedy is exciting because when you are on the set with other actors, there is a scope of improvisation. It is less taxing, at least for me, because you can still be in good mood at the end of the day. Whereas, in an intense drama film, it is more taxing. I remember while I was doing Kalyug or Traffic Signal, when I used to come back home and to pass out. On the other hand, in films like Go Goa Gone, its like being on a holiday. You are basically being paid to have good time. I couldn’t stay way from doing a comedy film for a long time as enjoy doing it but there are times when I really want to challenge myself as an actor.
photo Pankaj Kumar