‘I don’t want to live my life being responsible for another human being,’ says Akshaye Khanna. By Team Viva
Why are there such big gaps in between your filmsIJ Is it that you are unable to relate to a script, or are you seeking for something else to do IJ
Actually no, I’ve been working for 23 years and I have always done two or three films in a year. It’s only this little span of two years that I was not working because of some personal issues which didn’t allow me to work. And once that time passed, I started working again. It takes some time to set things in momentum. last year, I did one film, this year I’m working on two films. gradually I will increase the pace of the work.
There are a lot of expectations from you but you did some scattered roles in between, whyIJ
An actor is only as good as the people he works with. When we are working we are so vulnerable and dependent on the people working with us. It’s a fact and no one can deny that. When an actor makes a debut, it is the audience who decides whether they want to watch that face or not. Over the years, it depends on how one’s career shapes up and again it’s the audience who decides the time period for an actor. While some actors have a career of five or 10 years, actors like Sridevi are still continuing after 50 years.
Every artist has been given a life and it’s span is decided by the audience. And this may be the case across the globe, except some artist who have been given extended life in various art forms whether it is singing, dancing or painting.
You have been well-received in both comic and dark roles and especially for the one in Dil Chahta Hai, . As an actor what do you think constitutes for an audience acceptability. Is it the big numbers, returns or anything elseIJ
The obvious answer is Box Office. The only parameter by which one relates the extent of our work is how widely our work is accepted. The other parameter would be the kind of interaction among the people who have watched your movie, whether or not they liked your work. Here you get a sense of what’s happening, whether your work is appreciated or not.
What attracted you towards MOMIJ It has Sridevi on one side and Nawaz who has a theatre background and is a very strong character. What made you take up this scriptIJ
Making a film is like playing in an orchestra. The conductor is the director! A whole bunch of musicians come together and make music. Similarly, in our profession we come together and try to tell a good story. The basic quest of any actor is to be a part of a good cinema and storytelling. And have the ability to have an impact on the audience. These are the two basic quests of any actor. The selfish aspects of an actor are whether I have a good producer, a good director, a good co-actor, a great cinematographer and people who will enhance my work.
There are only few films that has a lasting impact on the audience and I really feel that this is one of those films that will have a lasting impact on the audience. It’s going to remain with them. That’s the basic reason for the excitement and I strongly feel that this will have a great impact on the people and I am looking forward to see if I’m right or wrong.
Which roles have creatively satisfied youIJ
I don’t think one is above satisfaction. Forget the film, after every shot one has the feeling of dissatisfaction, that I could have done better. Sometimes it’s a good day and sometimes it’s not, so total satisfaction is not something I’ve felt till now.
Have you ever thought of experimenting with the various forms of performanceIJ like doing theatre, live art or even web series, something in a sightly different formatIJ
Never, the only platform that doesn’t appeal to me, unlike millions of other actors is theatre because I have stage fright. Performing on the stage or in front of the camera are two different things. So, that’s number one. Secondly, when you are used to the power of cinema which no other art form has, it’s very difficult to climb down the ladder.
Till recently, there has been a very clear divide between film, television and stage actors. Today, with the advent of the content on the internet those barriers are gradually getting demolished. Now, the focus is not the medium, rather it’s the content. So, it doesn’t matter which platform people use to view my work as long as the content is good. I believe that after some years almost all the content will be viewed on the mobile phone because that’s the way the world is moving.
The second thing is that the content is no longer restricted to 2,000 screens in India, when it’s on the internet and has subtitles, the audience is continuously growing. Even language is also not a barrier. As an actor the opportunities for us or the writer have definitely increased.
As a child, did you always want to be an actor. Considering the star aura of your father, did that influence your decision to become an actor or was it something else altogetherIJ
I think if one has to be honest, I always looked at it in two ways. Firstly, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. And secondly, as a child when I was 13-14 years old, I always thought this is something that I will be happy doing. But it also was an easy way out because I was never academically inclined. If I chose to be an actor, I could ignore academics. Because in my mind, it was never a requirement to become an actor. So, along with being an easy way out, it was something that came very naturally.
What are your specific film influencesIJ When you talk about acting, something must have stuck in your mind.
Yes, basically it was my father because it was through him that this industry was introduced to me. Had it not been for my father being an actor I might have not been an actor today. Acting would have not been a career option for me and maybe my mind would not have ventured there. Had my father been from a different profession, my life and childhood experiences would have been different. So, that is the key. Of course, we have actors who do not have a lineage in the industry and had their own reasons to be a part of the extended family. But my introduction is definitely because of my father.
I cannot say that I was a great student or lover of cinema before I wanted to be an actor. The main influence was that my father was an actor.
So did you end up watching his films at homeIJ
As a child I have never been much of a film buff. I loved movies but I can’t say I was a buff. When I was growing up, my mother never allowed a television to be in the house. And at that time it was like 1990 when every single home had a television set. I use to be so angry with my mother, but now when I look back at that time, it was because we didn’t have a TV, that I was forced to spend my time reading, cycling and learning to play an instrument instead of being stuck in front of a television or a computer.
Did you ever have a chat with your dad about the art of film making or was it just outside the houseIJ
Yes, we used to talk about film making, scripts, directors but nothing very memorable. It used to be just casual conversations and nothing more.
Your father was a huge star. Were you and your brother ever perturbed with the aura of stardom that surrounded himIJ You both had to deal with it at certain levels, people might have asked, that he was such a great star, what are your career paths.
Every artist is different. There can be no comparison between any two and comparing is such a futile exercise as it doesn’t achieve anything.
So any other areas other than acting that you are looking into. Maybe someday you will write a story as you are acquainted with the medium so wellIJ
I think I don’t have the talent to write. If I had the talent, I would have written or if I had the urge to direct a film, I would have done it by now. I cannot talk about the future. I can only talk about now. See, after a certain point of time, there will be actors who would want to direct or to produce their own films. Why is thatIJ There are two things. Either it’s a creative urge and/or you want more power. When I say power, it is about having more say in the creative process. So as an actor, you have a certain amount of say but as a director, you have much more say and as a producer you have the utmost hold because it’s yours. While the director is the captain of the ship, the producer is the owner. That gives you the ultimate power in the creative process. So if an artist urges to have more say, more power, then it is absolutely natural that he will opt to direct or produce. And I think if you have tasted the power, it gets hard to let go. But with extra power comes greater responsibility on both the creative and financial front and I have always been a person who is shy of taking responsibility which is again a major reason why I’m not married. I don’t want to live my life being responsible for another human being.
As an actor, what is your input process, how do you prepare for a roleIJ
I never have and I can’t intellectualise the process of acting. My process is very simple. I read the script and what comes to me naturally is what I do. If I’m not doing something right, my director corrects me. I listen to him and if he is adding something to what I am doing and I feel that it’s correct, I’ll accept it otherwise I reject it. But at the end of the day I have to follow his vision and both our visions have to be in sync.
If there is a scene which is already on paper and you give that scene to me, I’ll process it mentally, emotionally and physically. However, we process material and I will do the scene in a certain way. If you give that scene to two different artists, those two different actors will do it in 10 different ways. As an actor, I decide what do I add to what is already on paper. What is the value that I bring to the whole sceneIJ And the value that I bring is my processing.
Sometimes the character may be alien to you and your surroundings that you are exposed to, maybe geographically or culturally. How do you cope up with itIJ
I am yet to come across a character that is offered to me which is alien. Something that I, in my lifetime have never experienced. I have no understanding of that kind of a person. Now that doesn’t mean if I’m to play the role of a murderer, I have to experience murder. Rather, the important thing is that its in the realm of our understanding. But I have never been offered a character that has been so alien to me that I have to research it or I have to familiarise myself with that kind of a world.
Had it not been for my father being an actor I might have not been an actor today. Acting would have not been a career option for me and maybe my mind would not have ventured there.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar