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'I enjoyed doing OSO'

SHREYAS TALPADE, who has won accolades for his characterisation of Pappu Master in Om Shanti Om, has not had the time to enjoy its success, he says wistfully. In fact, except one day in India, he's rushed straight from the film's mega London premiere to Mauritius, ...

where he's shooting for Sangeeth Sivan's Click.

"I couldn't really enjoy anything post the release," he says, asking for details of the response in India.

But the London experience more than made up for things. "It was superb," he says, "I haven't seen that euphoria and craze ever — of course it was all thanks to Shah Rukh Khan."

Most overwhelming has been the response from the British media, who have appreciated the '70s kitsch film for what it is.

"Not for a moment did people say, 'What are we watching?' They've kept logic aside and enjoyed it," says Shreyas.

Quite a jump for an actor who is known for his serious roles in arthouse films, where performance, not glitz, is king.

"Oh, I enjoyed doing OSO for a variety of reasons," he says, "It was a fun role, the kind I've not attempted before."

And of course, he had his bash at seriousness in the second half, he points out.

"There were lots of reasons I wanted to be a part of it. Shah Rukh, Farah, and especially the kind of reach a film like this has."

So how did he adjust to all the ceetee-generating hair-flicking mannerisms and polyester shirts?

"I loved every moment of it — the clothes, accessories, hair," he declares.

"But the best was our chemistry — Shah Rukh's and mine — that really worked. He too preferred to improvise on the sets as we shot, so that was really enjoyable. If our chemistry didn't work, the film wouldn't have either."

Of course, with the newness of it all, he was pretty nervous on day one of shooting, he admits.

"But Farah and Shah Rukh helped tremendously."

Does it bother him that light movies like OSO make it big at the BO, but serious films in which he's worked hard on characterisation like Dil Dosti Etc and Aggar fade away? "Aggar fared badly," he admits, "But Dil Dosti Etc did decent business. I got really encouraging responses from youngsters in metros who watched the film and liked it."

Shreyas isn't done with fun and frolic yet. He has Nagesh Kukunoor's foray into mainstream cinema, Bombay to Bangkok, releasing in January, and Click.

So what type of cinema appeals to him most? "Just cinema — any kind," he says, "I never segregate my films into arthouse or commercial. Whether it's OSO, Dor, Dil Dosti Etc - as long as you enjoy what you're are doing, that's what is important. I'd rather work that way than think of balance, or what I should do next."