Media reports had suggested the trip would begin as soon as Sunday and last two days
Which is why when I meet the actor, after years, at a studio, there are no off-the-record statements, no ducking of questions, no predilection for projecting a squeaky-clean image. Here are excerpts from our conversation:
There has never been any intention to top any performance. I've always looked for strong roles and attempted to do justice to them. Some have been of the same calibre, some have been more evolved than that of Bhiku Mhatre. I think Pinjar (2003) was my career best. I'm also extremely proud of Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Aligarh (2016). Earlier, there was Raajneeti (2010), which made me understand the craft of speech to accentuate the oratory skills of the character I was enacting. I'm afraid very few actors work on their speech, dialogue pitch and dialect nowadays.
It's tragic. Ever since the 1990s, no one speaks Hindi, no one has knowledge of Hindustani (a blend of Hindi and Urdu). Even assistants on the sets speak in English. Scripts are no longer written in Devanagari. Whenever I ask for a script in Hindi, I get a strange reaction, as if a mad dog has bitten me.
Believe it or not, the actor you're looking at right now reads scripts.
See Rukh and Budhia were ultra-intense, dramatic and targeted at a niche audience. Today, there are far more avenues - satellite and streaming channels, especially - to get back a film's investment and decent profits. Contrary to popular belief, small films don't lose money at all. There has to be a spirit of idealism among the actors and technicians. When a film is made with the aim of telling a powerful story, we have to happily agree to take a cut in our salaries. However, if I'm cast in a big-budget, fun film like Baaghi 2, with Tiger Shroff in the lead, I expect to be paid in accordance with the project's overall budget.
True, but what can an artiste do? We're thick-skinned rhinos. Mercifully, being the kind of person and actor I am, there's no greed for money. As long as my family and I can live comfortably, the role matters more than the pay packet. The most expensive thing I've ever bought is the apartment we live in. I don't shop for expensive gifts for my wife (actress Neha). If I were to buy her jewellery or perfume, she'd think I've gone crazy. In any case, she doesn't approve of my taste in such things.
At least 20 of them were awful. I wouldn't name the films because these were choices made out of needs and circumstances, to run the kitchen. I've been a responsible father to our six-year-old daughter but not as hands-on as I could have been. I hope to rectify that.
Neeraj is fastidious about his script and technique. Like me, he isn't the sort who hangs around in social circles to be seen at the right place at the right time. He tells important stories in a way that reaches out to a wider audience.
Not at all. There's a difference of 360 degrees between them. Ramu is unpredictable, you can never figure out what's going on in his mind. Neeraj is very organised, precise and in harmony with his actors. There are no last-minute arguments on his sets. If any actor wants a clarification, that's discussed and resolved at the scripting stage.
How can you say that? We belong to different age-groups. They can't do my roles, neither can I do theirs. I can't imagine myself in Newton or Trapped. While acting with Rajkummar Rao in Aligarh and Chittagong (2012), I could see he is a committed actor. Nawazuddin has his own distinct persona. I'm particularly proud of Pankaj Tripathi. Both of us are from Bihar, where family pressures are such that you cannot even dream of becoming an actor and parents hope that their children will grow up to become bank officers, district magistrates or police officers. Had I not left home, I'd have become a farmer, who is content being at home with his elders, wife and four children.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com
Media reports had suggested the trip would begin as soon as Sunday and last two days
Visitors can enjoy movies with family favourites, including ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Zootopia’ to match the wild theme every evening from 8pm
Sheikh Mohamed conveyed his congratulations to all eight honourees, recognising their inspiring efforts and significant contributions in service to society
His father thanked everyone who participated in the search mission despite the challenges posed by flooding in various parts of the emirate
It will be humid by night and Sunday morning with a probability of mist formation over some coastal and internal areas
Nearly 6,000 volunteers linked to a single support group are working tirelessly across the country to help those affected
Real estate developer MAG pledges to cover all the costs of necessary repairs for affected residents
The substantial increase in charges left many residents financially burdened, as they strive to retrieve their stranded vehicles