Grey characters don't only mean broody characters. A totally smitten lover boy can be equally grey if written that way.
— Tahir Raj Bhasin
It's challenging playing grey characters because there's no right way and you get to make your own rules.
As an actor, you want convince the audience that you can do different things. So, if I have to run in slow motion, I am more than happy to romance.
I'm a 90s child and I have grown up on a staple diet of David Dhawan films, Baazigar, Rangeela and Dil Chahta Hai.
I remember how as I kid I would love stories of every kind - whether they were narrated in school or what I read in books. Storytelling would always appeal to me, I would take part in poetry reciting, dramatics, choreography and debates. There was this fascination for performance, which finally culminated in a professional sphere.
Actors normally go to the gym to achieve a certain kind of fitness for a role but when you start playing a sport, then you realise that being athletically fit is a very different kind of fitness.
When an actor thinks he has arrived and become the best one, that's when your downfall starts. I will always strive to do better than in my last film.
As an actor, you always have to love who you are playing.
As much effort it takes in nailing great comic timing, it takes the same effort to ace any dance step or a romantic dialogue. All of them have their different space.
I really believe quality over quantity and 'Mardaani' was really well-received. It got me critical acclaim and box-office success, both.
I want to take up work in different genres.
I want to keep looking for roles that have an element of surprise.
I think as an actor, you have to make yourself vulnerable to emotions.
I would prefer to not talk about films I have not been a part of.
In 'Chhichhore,' I play the most layered and fun character.
There is something challenging in shooting something in just one day and there is freedom knowing there is going to be no censorship.
I spend Diwali in Delhi because it's such a big festival.
Real life is never black and white why must the movies be?
I'm truly humbled to work with epic minds like Nitesh Tiwari and Kabir Khan.
Things that matter are a great story, entertainment, how the lead part moves the story forward and who the directors are.
I look forward to parts that have a dimension or depth to them. This makes it interesting for me to do and the audience to watch. Whether he's a chocolate boy die hard romantic or a gangster with swag, every good has a little bad and every bad has a little good in them.
I spent my childhood all over the country. In certain parts where I grew up, films were this fantasy world.
I haven't been an athlete in school or college, though I have played basketball and football.
One of the things I love about acting is that there is always scope for growth.
It is a matter of pride, and a lot of pressure to play the role of a legend like Sunil Gavaskar. He is India's first cricket superstar.
I think when you're a new actor in Bollywood, it's about seizing the moment. If you can prove to the audience there is an emotional vulnerability to your character, regardless of it being black or gray, I think the audience will accept you in any role - be it romantic or action.
There is something very exciting when you're playing a villain. You're being a rebel within the story because you are breaking the norms, and also when it comes to the structure of what a conventional lead is supposed to be.
I understand that I need to take up quality work.
I think every Delhi guy who comes to Mumbai has a huge Shah Rukh hangover. He has been so good with the variety of roles he has played in his career.
I don't think there are any negative roles anymore. I think we can aptly put such characters under 'anti-hero' tag.
My interest is to do interesting lead parts, to tell different stories and to surprise the audience. But as they say in Mumbai, everything is pre-written and it chooses you.
In real life I'm shy sometimes, sometimes I'm romantic, sometimes I can be funny, so it's great to be doing different kinds of parts that expose your personality.
Censorship is a really big deal, but online you don't have anything. You have slightly more freedom.
There isn't that big a vibe around Diwali in Mumbai. Over there its Ganpati Visarjan, which is quite huge.
It's always interesting exploring something that has dimensions and layers to it.
I greatly admire how the essence of Nitesh Tiwari's films resonate with you long after you've left the theatre.
I get very competitive with myself and always look to better myself from my previous projects. I have learned that it's important to work on the craft than the project.
If you want to live a fulfilling life, then you have to do something that motivates you and also earns you a living.
With my work in 'Mardaani' being well-received, I am more aware than ever that I have to keep the game up. I don't want to disappoint myself as an actor first and let my audience down.
Everyone has loved 'Chhichhore' for a different reason, which I think for an actor is the best thing to hear. What I've been most touched by is that most people have discovered something new about the film when they have walked in the second time.
Acting is about being in the moment and audiences are smart to know what is authentic and what is not.
Nitesh Tiwari is so particular about his pre-production, where he plans every aspect of his film.
When I'm doing a part, I'm not coming with any baggage of who did what. I looked at 'Force 2' as a fresh film. It's a new story and a new director.
My wishlist of directors, who I want to work with is endless. I want to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar and many more.
I want to do interesting characters with depth, which are a part of great stories. In fact, if the character is quirky and challenging, that's even better.
The digital medium gives you the license to talk about many things as compared to movies. It is quicker than shooting for a film.
When you play an anti-hero, it is a task to make people empathise with your character.
There is enough work for everyone. So there is no fear when I look at other people doing well. But it makes you realise that its important to ensure that you keep your quality up.
When 'Mardaani' came out, one of the great compliments was that we hated the character but we loved the guy. So that was a great compliment to get, especially from female fans.
I think what working in a short film online is that the response from the audience is immediate whether your short film or web-series works or not, it is immediate. You can see comments and you can also see how many people have viewed it.
