Rahul Singh
After making a dhamekedaar entry with Zubeida, Singh has been in the thick of things, signing up for films like Jail, Tere Bin laden and Khiladi 786, and having worked on TV shows like 24 and Sapno Ke Bhanwar Mein. But the learner in him is never satisfied and pushes him to give his best. Singh’s upcoming films have a refreshing storyline and he plays varied characters. The suave actor chats with SANGEETA YADAV
‘I can never stop learning’
You started off as an actor in Shyam Benegal’s Zubeida in 2001 and then Khiladi 786 happened with Akshay Kumar. How has the journey beenIJ
It’s been great. I owe my success to veteran director Shyam Benegal who is a brilliant tutor. Even now, he has a lot to share. I am also in awe of Madhur Bhandarkar who believed in me for playing such an important role in Jail. Till now, that has been one of my finest performances. But it was Khiladi 786’s director Ashish R Mohan and co-actor Akshay Kumar who helped me carve out a place for myself in this industry.
You are a part of many big banner films this year. NervousIJ
I have an impressive line-up for this year — Abhishek Sharma’s Tere Bin laden 2, Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s Zed Plus and John Abraham’s 17 Ko Shadi Hai. And the roles are very varied. Tere Bin laden 2 is a situational comedy, Zed Plus is a socio-political satire and in 17 Ko Shadi Hai, I’m playing a corporate honcho whose marriage is on the rocks but by as the film ends, everything changes.
How did you prepare for these rolesIJ
For TBl 2, we had a workshop where we tried to get into the old mould and rejuvenate ourselves with the new storyline. I like to do my homework before taking up any project. For Zed Plus, I went to the CRPF and undertook NCC training. I met the DIG and IG of Rajasthan who made me interact with jawans and taught me about ranks.
Define yourself as an actorIJ
Acting is all about being versatile and I try to imbibe that. Though it’s been over a decade in the industry, I still consider myself an acting student and learn from every moment. It’s just a foundation stage for me and I’ve to go a long way.
Have you learnt that the hard wayIJ
I believe that if success takes time, don’t let failure build bitterness in you. That will ruin your life and spoil your relations. I did not let success take over my learning attitude. I have seen many people who become egoistic after their success and make mistakes and I don’t want to be counted as one of them.
Are you a method actorIJ
There is only one formula that drives me — be a good human being and stay cordial, even with people who don’t like you. My aim is to focus on my job.