 Yes, sir. Hi. Hey, how are you? Very well. How are you guys? Doing the morning there, right? Well, yeah, it's 8 30 not too early Not too bad There's only a 12 and a half hour difference between us. So it's fine. It's Anyways, I want to thank you so much for talking to us. We are big admirers of your work We think and I think I speak for a guy We think you're probably one of the best actors alive currently At doing what you do that and that's in general not just to India. That's that's in general We really appreciate we really appreciate your talent in the mountain. Thank you started to explore you So I actually just wanted to start right off at almost the beginning of your career with Satya Which we just which we just got to watch How did you get involved with that at your early stage? Okay, those were the days I mean the I mean the initial days are I mean four or five years in the city The going was very tough, you know finding a role in the time when Satya kind of films was you could not even dream of making it, right? You could think of making it, but you could not even you know, that that could not be a reality We needed somebody like Say, you know, Ram Gopal Varma kind of a talent who was Who was not who's not only, you know immensely talented and visionary but also a Very confident and stubborn man, you know, so whatever he wanted to do Whatever he wanted to make he somehow found his way, you know, so he was stubbornly after making this film Somehow bandit queen of Shekhar Kapoor, you know has given him loads of confidence To make to make this film on Mumbai, you know mafia world, which was very very powerful those days Yeah, you know in mom now you don't see that kind of a my know world that kind of underbelly in Mumbai because of The the police and everyone, you know, they got after them and they completely wiped out the city I wiped out the city of of those elements, but yes To answer your question It just happened to me, you know, it came as a surprise I went to him for a for a very small role in the film that he was making a Mainstream film with a very big with two very big stars of that time and I was taken to him by By by by a friend of mine who was actually who I knew from my first film bandit queen with Shekhar Kapoor So he took me there for that small role and when he came to know about me And that is that I'm talking about, you know, four years or five four and a half years after him watching bandit queen Somehow he remembered my face, you know Somehow he remembered some of my my presence, you know left an impact on him And he kept on looking for me for me for four and a half years and somehow, you know, he could not Find me in the city, you know And here here here I was, you know for a for a small role and then he started talking to me asking me what all I have done and When I mentioned bandit queen and the role he kind of jumped up. He said a man. I was looking for you all these years I won't I want to make this film on Mumbai gang world and I All I think you were just the right person for that role and that's how the journey started You know for four four and a half years five years after I landed in his city Then, you know Satya happened to me. So yeah, I think it was came as a You know Completely miracle, you know godsend That's fantastic. Did I hear you originally wanted to play Satya? Oh, yeah, I mean, he didn't have a very He had one line ready with him He wanted to make a film on a on a guy who was coming to this world to Mumbai He's new to Mumbai You don't know anything about this guy and then he you know, he starts getting into the underworld That was the line that he had, you know, and then I knew one rocker ship I knew the sort of Shukla all of these guys. So so he gave me this responsibility to you know, too To expose him with with the with the new talents which were there in the city So that's how I took these guys to to to Ramu or to Ram Gopal Varma and you know, he immediately clicked with them and They started developing the script and now, you know, the script that that you see it went through so many changes And then, you know, finally when he had the script in You know, in his mind or he started happening on the paper He said they had this character Biku, you know Or he started emerging very powerful So one day he called me up and he said, you know, I think you should play that guy instead of the title role because For a title role, I need a I need a guy who you know, who's whose presence is good and but for this one I need somebody who has who can deliver, you know, okay So that's how that role happened to me. And though I felt bad that, you know, the title role is taken away from me I didn't I didn't know the potential of it. But when we started working on it Slowly slowly, you know, it's start six months. I got actually I had I was not working that much I didn't have that much work, but I had so many days in my hand to really, you know Develop the character to really give a concept to it To think about it as to what I wanted to make I was going through your reaction to the film You said one thing fantastic both of you that, you know, it was on It could be annoying and irritating. Okay It could go The performance could go That side any time. Yeah easy. Yes any time. It was go it could go any time that side But I had a concept. I had a backstory of the character in my mind and I didn't do I didn't want to compromise on on on the note of it So I took a risk. I it was a it was a risk which was known to me Okay, and I went with it. It was a it was a do and die situation for me. I Have and then I after so many years had, you know of Satya and I was watching Wolf of the Wall Street Okay, and I said, oh God, I mean Those days are few of few of few of the naysayers, you know Some somehow they said that the pitch was Manoj's pitch was a little high But it worked beautifully with you know with everyone who has watched the film But Wolf of the Wall Street everyone was going gaga about de Caprio's Pitch and note, you know, and I said man, you know, look at this You know, I have I have done it so so many years back. Yes Yes Yeah, it's a it's a it's a you guys have pointed it out very correctly that you know that kind of a pitch can go Wrong any time it's a it's a it's a very dicey It's a very tricky tricky tricky kind of a decision that I took if not handled by the right actor that that performance could have been like Really really bad, but obviously you hand right masterfully. So go ahead Rick Yeah, it it that was one of the questions I wanted to ask you about the creation of that character We referred to him in the review as the laughing gangster Yeah, and I was that was that something you found in the backstory or was that something scripted? Or did you just create that as you went? No, the way that was up I know that is something the backstory that you know, I worked on it So it's when the film start hit the when the film starts he's just kind of You know He's got an independent as a gangster, you know He's no more working with the with the with the gangster who has a political ambition now Okay, he was working under him. So he is on a high He he wants to he wants to have a he wants to have a control over this city And there is only one guy who was who's to work with him, you know earlier under this politician gangster And that guy, you know, he wants to kill he sat there wants him to bump him up You know, he's not that much convinced in the beginning, but he gets convinced by sat there Yeah, okay. So he this guy when the film start this guy is on a high He's just got an independent as a as a as a you know as a gangster Yeah, and he he is he's somebody who wants to you know, terrorize the city He wants to have a control over it and then he gets sat there in his life and sat there starts showing him the Ambition to and the ways to do it Okay, so That is why I wanted to show that high of This character from the beginning, you know, and that is why the laugh Yeah, so these kind of gangster, you know, these kind of gangsters gangsters are very dangerous who are you you know, because they are If they get unhappy with you, you are in danger, you know And if they are really happy with you still you are in danger, you know, so is he's a he's a he's a guy who is Who can trust you very easily but you know within a fraction of a second And you know, it will take him to you know to to believe somebody else and bump you off Right, you know, so all of these elements could only come with his laughter and with his high pitch Okay Okay, so and that I Mean this is this is how much I remember of the backstory that You know, he could not say no to this gang the gangster under whom he was working earlier That is why when I when I go to his house When we try to bump bump off for this guy at the airport and we get this call that you know we have to cancel our program of Killing him and we are called to this boss To his house and I go there the first thing what I did because of my backstory That I have worked on I went there and I touched his feet Then the director came to me and asked me. Why did you touch his feet? I said because you know, that's my backstory that I was working under him and And he has kind of my father used to work for him after my father is gone He's the guy who has taken care of me and my family. So I am under a lot of obligation And so if you see the film here The Rango Paloma has taken the close of how me touching his feet is the establishing Establishing the status there and the backstory So, yeah, I mean a lot of thought has gone Yes That's why you're clearly such a fantastic actor because obviously you take the time out to really delve out into your characters And it's obvious watching you and anything and everything we've ever seen you in Yeah, I was there a lot of improv on set. I did hear that the the moment hold on for anybody who hasn't seen Satya This is a spoiler. So go away for like 10 seconds when you get shot in the head Were you the only two people that knew that you were getting shot? Were the other people unaware that that you were being shot? Okay, there's an interesting, you know a story to it. So Angra Kashyap as you guys know him, you know, he is he was at the he was 23-24 that time, you know, and he was he was somebody quite revolutionary in his mind You know, so he wanted this scene to be to happen the way it was shot and Everybody he kind of convinced everyone even rub the director was convinced that, you know, because should go in like that Yeah So and people should be shocked. So so it was it was all planned But when we went there to shoot when the when we were inside and and it would be were so we thought of Kind kind of, you know, rehearse it and that was all That was not designed those dialogues were not there So we were the actors were actors were given this job of doing it in such a way So that everyone is convinced that he should die in this manner Okay Okay, so there because there are many people were in two minds Whether I should die, you know with one bullet or I should die, you know after a little bit of a struggle so we've done the rehearsal and And that was that was fine. You know, so everybody everybody kind of bought bought the What the performance bought the silence, you know bought the shock. So that's you know, so yeah, I mean I'm getting so excited. You know talking Good That's fantastic. Yeah, 22 years man. I mean, yeah Well, it shows it shows the love you have for the craft and the love you have for cinema It shows in your performances because because we know enough about acting to know that you don't get performances like that Simply Happen stance. It's it's a collaborative effort. It's a lot of the work that the actor does They know how to listen and different things now I remember Amitabh Bachchan saying that things change drastically for him after anon like before anon and after Is there a film and is this the film where there was a real change in the amount of work you got to do in the notoriety? You had was it was it this was it gangs? What what was it? Okay, uh, see 21 years back. Love, you know, the going was very tough You know, we the actors like me we didn't have a we didn't stand a chance In the films which were being made Uh, in our industry it was a it was a fair it was a commercial films, you know full of song and dances You know, there used to be a hero and there used to be a villain or there was there used to be romantic films So we didn't have any any any, you know, uh, I mean the the kind of roles that I was looking for Um And I I didn't want to be you know typecast as a villain So so it was uh, it was uh satya happened Uh, it has given me immense popularity immense. I mean people used to stand in queue just to see how I look in person, you know Uh, uh, whichever city I visited whichever city Hosted me here The city used to be out just to see how biku mahatre looks in person. Okay So that was the kind of adulation because for people it was a very new experience but But coming to getting work. I was only getting work for of villains Okay And I didn't want to be typecast. I wanted to wait Uh So the the going was very tough after satya very very tough I mean for many years if you see my filmography In just in just to you know run the kitchen. I have done one or two films But I had to wait Eight months ten months from sometime one and a half here Just just for that one script to happen and I was the only actor, you know Irfan and KK Menon All of these guys came much later after that but And then in industry was getting offended with my nose and So they they they didn't know what to do with me. I didn't know what to do with those offers So, yeah, it was uh, it the journey was not that easy All I was doing was offending people, you know by by saying no to them So, yeah, I mean so when you're There's so much money. There's there's so many offers. You're saying no to everybody is, you know, having their own perception about this new actor Who's saying no, okay so, uh So, yeah, I mean, uh, I would say that For satya for many years life was not that easy the waiting period used to be very very very long And I was a known guy living living in a rented flat and but You know, the the the wallet was very thin Yeah Uh, I did hear, um That actually sounds a very similar to when we talked to, uh, Nawaz and Sadiki That he said when he came on the scene everybody just wanted to hand him a gun And and those were the kind of roles that that he was given I did hear though that at the beginning which is a very strange thing to me that, um, and we talked we've talked to, um, Abashek, uh, uh from, uh The casting director, uh from, uh, Potalak Uh, that the industries and the way they work especially the way they used to work is very different Like they used to drop off scripts and money Like at your house to try to get you to accept the role Right. I mean, uh, the the there used to be, you know, I I still remember a few occasions Occasion people came not with the There was no script culture. Okay Uh, so and I was asking for a script And everybody used to look at me with some kind of, uh, you know, uh But thinking that you know, there's there's this mad guy. I mean he's asking for a script for what? I mean, there is Yeah, why does he want a script? I mean in the name of script sometime I used to get one page Just the synopsis of the film. Okay. Wow. So the so, uh, so that was I'm talking about that time And sometime there's to come just to lure you, you know with suitcase full of cash Wow, you know and the cash used to be heavy those days because the industry got organized only much later, you know after satya So saying no to that money You know for me who has never seen That kind of my even half of it in my life Okay, I was saying no to money saying no to offers films Work, uh, it was very hard. It was it was really really hard for me somewhere Um, I I decided that you know, either I do things what I really want to do or You know, just wait wait till you get it There was thankfully I didn't have those stars in my eyes I think that saved me. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's clear It's clear from what you're saying and from your work That you are a lover of this art form and I understand that since you were a little boy, correct You wanted to be an actor since you were a little boy Yes, I always wanted to be an actor I was a lucky one Yeah, how did that happen for you when you when you decided you're going to make that choice you went to drama school Oh, I tried. Oh, yeah, National School drama here, which is very prestigious And I always maintain that it's one of the best in the world and it turns you down, right? Uh Pre-consecutive years. Yeah, I heard that. Yeah, which is crazy. Yeah, so and uh, and But I know thankfully I kept on doing theater outside and there was uh, there is this legendary, you know theater director called Mr. Barry John he He uh, he's a British origin Indian. Okay living in India since a long time. He contributed a lot to Indian theater So he somehow, you know saw me in his workshop And he decided to train me. He decided to you know, Take me under his wing and then I used to just and he he was giving me books on on On acting he was giving me roles in his plays They used to take me to his workshops With the children with professional actors with college students So I was working 18 hours a day with him. Okay, so and uh, and he was paying me thousand bucks You know every month um So, yeah, it was uh, it it was a it was he was kind of a blessing in disguise Mr. Barry John So every year I was going for national scope drama and I was getting rejected But I was not stopping to work outside Doing theater And then I we formed our own group outside that group started doing very well. So, yeah, I mean uh, Theater time was very hectic very intense Uh, I didn't I it reached a point where I didn't want to live theater Though he doesn't it's not paying at all in in our country. Yeah So we were you know, but you know, the the food was something which Never occurred to us, you know, it's somehow we got our food Somehow we got some money to pay our rent But the madness about the craft and theater was Too too intense. You know, sometimes I sometimes it scares me whenever I think about those days Would you ever go back to theater? I try I'm I still try to uh, to at least do a Or one man show I'm trying I'm still trying. Um, I'm dying to get back to it Uh, it just that the the the time is so good It's it's for actors here in Mumbai. Yeah You know the OTT platform has given such such a relief To each and one of us And so much hope That no that will will never be without Content will never be without a great role. So I'm always getting offers always getting to read scripts very busy doing that. So, yeah, I mean Not because I Because of the money is because of the The great roles. I I don't want to miss out on those on those roles. Yeah, so Yes, I'm I'm trying very hard to at least do one play I would love to see that that'd be fantastic I would love to see you on stage That would love to see when we when we watched this the the short film out. Yeah. Oh, yes Oh that that for me. I remember when we watched that I not only loved the premise and loved everything about that, but it it Made me want it felt like a two-person play It made me want to see you on stage and just do like a two person or a one person play Yeah, did it feel that way when you were filming it that it have I mean was it it seemed like you shot that And maybe one or two days one day one. Yeah One day, you know, you know in a hotel suite We kind of took it on and then from morning to evening we kind of wrapped it up and had a bottle of wine On on the ott platforms since we saw family and we loved family man. It's a fantastic series Uh, can't wait for season two and we'll ask you more about that here in a little bit. Um, but how do you Uh, we've talked to quite a few people from petal locked from sacred games to wherever and and we get this general consensus of Obviously, it's changing the industry for the better in our opinion. Uh and giving actors who aren't Quote-unquote the star actors The but the the really really talented actors the spotlight to shine in creating great content So do you feel that same way and how do you if you could only work on like TV shows for the rest of your life or films, what would you choose? Ah, I would choose theater I If theater could pay me, you know, yes to really run my life comfortably, I will choose theater it's uh because theater In what happens in theater that not only is an actor's medium in in films what I feel that it The when I see my performance, I feel grateful to so many departments to really make it Okay, yes So, uh, you don't feel the ownership of of your performance. Okay, right Yes Theater, I feel that, you know, I feel that whatever you have seen is done by me Okay If you got moved if you got disturbed if you felt happy, it was me. Okay Cinema is a director's medium and it's a technical medium too, you know So you you cannot have a sense of ownership On the work that you do so definitely I'll choose theater if it really, you know, it makes my life comfortable Yeah, yeah, I man after my own heart that I It being the actors medium versus directors medium as well as the the the combination of obviously the immediate response and that living relationship with an audience And then to be able to reinvestigate day after day these relationships and this it's it's inexhaustible for an actor Now in that light if you could choose any play and it didn't interfere with other great roles You could just choose to do any play and play any character Is there one that you're like I want to do that play I want to play that character Can you select one? Oh, yes, McBeth anytime Yeah You know that I would love to see that Yeah, Hamlet used to be my favorite till the time I I was I was of the age I could play I was gonna say until you hit Right Now you probably are thinking I have the mind to play Hamlet. I just yes. I'm not gonna be believable I'm not young enough. It's right. So, you know, so Hamlet is a very complex play very very complex I think and it's a it's a very difficult role for any actor to play But, you know, so is McBeth so is king layer. I mean, I don't know. I mean, it's the greatest ever play that Shakespeare, you know with Whatever age that you are in you always you always find something new in Shakespeare always, you know, the nuances are so many You can play it in so many ways. That's why I I love Shakespeare. Hmm. Did you did you? This is just an off-topic thing because we've seen all of the Charvard watches Shakespeare trilogies Did what did you try to get involved at those at any time? and Vishal and me are friends. I mean from you know each other since our daily days. Yeah, yeah, I mean I did never interfere with his with his casting Yeah, also also because I have known him and didn't want to But yes, we were we were supposed to work in his debut film as a director But just 10 days before the shoot, you know, the film got shelved For for for some reason but after that, you know, we kept I was he actually wanted to play uh They had those had those uncle in uh in Heather, but I was very busy. I was I was doing something else that time Yeah, but they said but they've taken they've taken a better actor KK Menon is is an actor. I mean love I love I love watching him. Yeah. He's a phenomenal. I you just seem to fit that world really really well So I was yeah, I would love to see you in it. Do I know you've said before that you um You used to be very daniel dayluis in terms of your acting in terms of getting into character, but you've kind of delved out of Fully doing that like being the character in day in and day out So where do you fall now on being like method? What is your I'm mostly I mean most of the films that I do I prepare with a lot of intensity Uh, the they are roles which are very demanding. They don't they don't let you sleep. They don't you know, they they They require a lot of attention from you But now, you know with With age and experience, uh, you learn To to you know, approach them with a little bit of distance. Okay But you know in your earlier days, you really don't know any other way We just kind of you take a plunge into it completely without knowing how you're going to you know, swim out so Yes, it was uh, those were the days when I I risked my sleep, I risked my mental peace but now uh Things are things are, you know, I mean you learn your craft as you age your craft keeps keeps on getting better and better with experience So now yeah, I mean the craft is far far Better far far bigger So, uh, you know, it's it it becomes easy to come out of it But still I maintain that you know the roles that you approach with so much of intensity Are consciously you are out of it, but there are us You know, uh subconsciously there are few of the bruises you always get as an actor That you can't avoid, you know, there are and and that is why I feel actors Actors are moody, you know They you know, I don't it's not because of it's not because of anything else is because of the work That they do it's uh, it's so insane if you look at it. I mean madness to play somebody is it's nothing in insanity That's true, it's very true And I think I think I know the answer to this question if you were giving advice I don't want to assume but if you're giving advice to young actors who are who are wanting to have a career in acting Notice I didn't say tv film or theater. Just they want to be an actor Uh, would you I'm assuming you would recommend first and foremost that they should get training First for more they should do theater, you know, uh, no training school will be you know good enough If you don't do it, you know Yes, doing it doing it is so important because acting, you know, no matter how many books you read It it's always a talk at the end of the day, you know, right Right, you you only see it when or feel it or experience it when you start doing it I mean no matter how much uh backstory I kind of put it down on a paper Uh, no matter how how many underlines I do in my scripts or makes make notes on the pages But when it comes to doing it that is the time you start, you know, uh Realizing as to how much it's working and how much it's not working. So I really I You know religiously I advise all the newcomers whoever comes to me, you know For any suggestions or advice I always say, please do theater for two three years Don't don't join any acting class, you know Go for theater go do theater do theater wash plays Read plays, you know, these are the things which are which are far more And you know, they they prepare you for future Yeah, the the one play can actually Take care of everything if you if you do one play in your lifetime Yeah, yeah with the right with the right director with the right director Yeah, yeah, yeah So we we first saw you I believe it was in gang's wasp her Um, and obviously you were fantastic, but I think the next thing we saw you in was Al Ghira, is that how you pronounce that? I'm terrible pronouncing names Aligarh aligarh. Yes. Thank you. I'm terrible pronouncing names. Um, well, you were fantastic and uh, you you brought such a Uh, a different performance obviously from gangs obviously that was so that was a completely different turn But some of our favorite parts of that entire film where when you were sitting in the chair And you were kind of I believe it was listening to music Was that a hundred percent improvised by you the director just said hey Do what you want to do during during this time and he just shot for a while. Is that what happened? Yeah That that's exactly what has happened. You know, so there is a there's a funny story behind it So it was a night time and I was uh, I was feeling very tired So I was you know, kind of pushing my director to you know, finish my work for my work for And he's a he's a friend of mine since since my struggle days Uh, uh, and he kept on telling me. Oh, no, no, there's there's the you know, if you read the strip manoj There are only two lines that you know your character is sitting listening to the music and drinking You know, that's one shot. I'll just put the camera you perform it and you go go to your hotel You'll be done and you know And then I started I was thinking to myself that is he going to make it that shot Okay, let's see how it goes And then I sat on the chair. I prepared myself. I sat on the chair They put the camera wherever they wanted to put and then I started performing and he didn't cut Okay And I went on I went on with my performance And then he He observed many movements in my body And my performance many nuances then he started taking cuts of those. Okay And you know, I got free only at two o'clock in the night So when you're doing this you're really that's really Yeah Yeah, I mean, but you know when when you are actually doing it that time you are not thinking about your hotel room That time you're not thinking about anything else that time You were just kind of focusing on all the aspects of of the performance And you want to do it, right? But by the time I was free, you know, which was it was too late So we uh, the director was very happy after that we went back to the hotel We had a small party there just because you know, he was very happy with With the with the with that scene because even we I mean none of us realized that this is going to be Such a such a long scene Even the writer writer editor Apurva Ashrani, uh, when he saw it on the edit And he was he was telling me that you know, I didn't know which one to cut and which one to keep for me the decision was Quite quite tedious at the same time difficult. So, yeah Some things some magic happens on the set And and I think as an actor we should be open about it But you can only improvise if you if the if the preparation is really You know in place you can't you can't you can't improvise you And be with the script and be with the director's vision if you if you if you are half-baked If you if you are not prepared enough. Yeah, correct. Yeah. Yeah, that's a great thing that you just said In order to improvise you really need to be prepared and know what you're doing beforehand You can't wing it. I'm yeah improvisation comes from the preparation From the preparation it comes from the preparation. I mean there are there are times I've uh Even at satya on rug And we have a great understanding since those days, you know There's there on rug has a has a as a writer what he does that there are few scenes he writes and few scenes a few Scenes few dialogues. He doesn't write he leaves it to actors to improvise Yep But if you're not if you're not if you don't know your character If you don't know the scene if you don't know where the character is coming from and where he is going Then you are going to be at all over the place. Yeah So so it's better to be prepared So that you can improvise very well, you know, exactly exactly Yeah, which is it always reminds me we mention this all the time of dustin hoffman as ratso riso in midnight cowboy When he's crossing the street when he says i'm walking here That came out of his creation and all the work he did for for ratso riso And i'm i'd love to know obviously the training and love you up to the craft Who are some of the artists either actors or directors? But especially actors that inspired you as a little boy and as you grew and even today Who are the actors that you just love to watch? Oh, when I was uh when I was growing up Mr. Mitabushin was quite uh quite an impact. Who's that? You know So Yeah, I mean he was in I I was growing up in a small city and And mr. Mitabushin was like a god for us And then when I was doing theater, uh Mr. Nasruddin Shah and mr. Om Puri these were the guys were making uh, you know different They were giving a new meaning to you know to craft of acting And they they came from they came from theater. So, you know, I mean there were various actors various performances, which were kind of And then in I when I was in deli I started watching American films and british films or say polish films But those days in the film finding those films were very difficult Now they are available, you know everywhere But those days for for one film we had to make so much of an effort to say to watch one taxi driver to watch Uh, say scarface or any polish film, uh, or any checklist walk-in film We we used to make a lot of lot of uh, a lot of effort to really go and watch it and those were the actors were Uh Were leaving such immense impact on your mind about the craft Of acting, uh, and then we were only getting educated, uh, and we were the the definition of acting The craft was changing with each performance with each film with each play that we've seen Uh of these great actors in deniro or brando or pacino Dustin Hoffman all of these actors they left such a huge huge impact Absolutely And um, once again, forgive me for butchering the name, but son She-ra, right? So son. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Once again. I'm terrible at pronouncing things. It's a golden bird and golden bird It means golden bud. Uh, we love that film. We were actually really sad with once again, spoiler When you die really early, uh We thought the whole film was you, uh, and then they kind of just killed and then you came back With flashbacks and stuff. And so we were happy about that But why do you think because what after we watched it? We were shocked to find out that it wasn't a Commercial success in terms of the box office. Not a lot of people went and saw it What why do you think that is in terms of like, why isn't Beautiful films like that recognized as much as other films Um, thank you very much for mentioning so much. Yeah, I really feel that this was one of the most important and one of the One of the best film of of my filmography Beautiful. Uh, it's it's shot. It's shot in The director has shot it. Abhishek is shot it in such a western way Um, but still, you know, um He is showing the decoyates. He's showing all these guys who are Looting and robbing and killing but there is a They are looking for redemption. They are, you know, when the film starts All of them are struggling in their life looking for redemption. They are seeking bigger truths in life You know, so for me, I really feel how could how could a director writer think of such a spiritual, you know Is Story and that too in a valley valley like that. It's a dangerous valley. It's about the bad people the bandits And they are looking for the redemption and he shot it in a way, you know, western In no way So when I saw the film, I didn't know that, you know, this is how I'm going to look he when he approached me I said, you know, uh, you know, Abhishek, it's a very small role. What do you want me to do with this? So he said, no, I really want you. I I want you because, uh, When he dies, uh, I want that Uh, the effect of his death to be lingering, you know, yes. Yes throughout the film So and then, you know, I'm a big big fan of this director He's a very he's a young young mind-blowing talent And I keep telling them telling him that, you know, I would really love to be part of each and every film that you make each and everything that you do So, yes, uh We are talking, uh for future collaboration too. Yeah, but for but, uh But the experience of working in that film, uh Is is very precious for me very very precious every day That the look that we worked on The the the walk in the beginning that you see the man who is reluctant from the beginning He's reluctant to continue as a bandit Okay, he's he's somehow looking for some kind of a redemption and redemption is He's he only finds a redemption in in being killed Okay So that's how you know, that's how it all happened. So for me, it's a it was a very new interpretation and And that could only come from a director like abhishek. Yeah. And what was it like working with the late great sushant? uh, we we got to talk to uh, swashika who worked with him on del bachata and, um, Detective bumkeshi, I believe it is. Um, so I was just wondering. Yeah. Yeah. What was it like working with with him? Very very intelligent mind very very intelligent mind somebody Uh, who was very eager To learn the craft almost every moment. He was not taking any moment for granted on the set. Um Discussing either either the craft or the quantum physics This is what I remember of of that young boy Yes, uh, we, uh Will always miss him. Uh, I had an I had a I had a great time working with him Great association. I always remember him with a lot of fondness Yeah Yeah Considering the ott platforms that have opened up not only artistic freedoms that were not available as well as More work right now. The other thing it's doing that we're so happy about is it's giving a broader audience to indian cinema and indian television and, uh, uh, do you Have you wanted to? Cross the bridge as it were and work a lot in american cinema or are you very content working at indian cinema? And if it happened that'd be great, but it really isn't a dream of yours. Uh, how do you feel about the connection? Okay, so, you know, I come from a village very small village coming to delhi or coming to mumbai Was a impossible dream Okay Yeah, that boy, you know for that little boy to to to travel You know this this distance was uh, something that we could not think of And I took that I took that journey and I reached here But uh, and I keep going to la Yeah, it's a long flight man. Yes, it is I've done it a few times. It's a long flight Yeah, I mean no, I mean uh But on a on a serious note, I must say that if there is something really worthwhile Uh, where I really you get an apportionate opportunity to a chance to really Give my 200% And be excited about You know doing that role definitely I'll do it But I'm very sorry. I can't be doing something just in the hope that I'll be getting work there. Yeah You know, oh no, I can't no no no No, but for what it's worth You you are at a level and we one of the things we Are pride ourselves on if I can use that word is that we're not going to give people compliments If we don't believe the compliment, we're not going to just say you're good if we don't think you're good And and you really do The the the depth of your capacity Is so strong and and at the upper echelons of the craft that we would love to watch you share the screen With the heavyweights you named you can easily without question Share the screen and be as magnetized and as enjoyable and as inspiring as the names you listed to see you opposite Pacino or a denier or some of the newer actors who are of the younger elks like a Joaquin Phoenix or a christian bale and But I we know based on what we know of you You clearly would would only do something if it's going to stir the artist in you It's never going to be for career choices. Yeah Yeah, I mean I was I was watching just before We started chatting and I tried trying to get in touch Right now to start the video chat. I just finished one film that I missed out on Ford versus Ferrari and it was it was something it was on my list I was watching it and I I realized You learn so much just by looking at christian bale And his relationship with the with the with the with the track with his relationship with the with the car The relationship he shares with Matt Devon His child his wife It's and you see the actor's approach, you know, it's not he's not missing one moment Yeah, he's not missing one moment here and there I mean why I I really get inspired by by actors who work very hard Uh the other day Dirty I mean dirty john is something that I Chanced upon watching there is a there's a series on netflix. I don't know whether you've seen it or not No, there is a series called dirty john. You must watch it and there are two seasons So both the seasons are based on two stories and the second season amanda peat When I was watching her I was getting whiz bumps I was getting not only that's feeling happy But at the same time I at the same time I was getting scared as to how much An actor gifts It's scary as you know at times you feel when I was watching taxi driver. I felt the same thing. I got scared Yes, god, I'll have to work this hard I Felt that way after watching gangs of new york and watching uh, daniel day lewis has built a butcher. He's scared. Yeah, it was the same exact thing. Yes Yeah Yeah, but but at the same time you feel motivated to you know, I'm ready to to you know for for for the next job You know, yes, you really getting yourself ready. Okay. Okay. Give me that kind of a role I'm ready to put in that measure for of an effort. Yeah And on the family man Uh, which once again fantastic fantastic series Very much looking forward to season two and we know it's in the editing phase right now And so we don't technically know when it's coming out yet. But what can we expect from season two of family man? Uh Earlier I used to say that is you know after shooting After we completed the shooting part. I used to say that is going to be bigger and better But now I watched it because We were doing some, uh, you know patchwork in dubbing though. It's a sing sound um, and I watched the whole thing and also The directors They have chosen few of the test audience So one of the test audience is known to me And uh, I kind of happen to see the see all the episodes I can see that it's a it's going to be a different experience for people. It's a it's a it's a it's a season where You know, we definitely The life of the protagonist is not the same because where you left him in the last season The we are going to actually pick him pick him up from there Okay So his life is not going to be the same in the in the and and uh His relationship with his colleagues his family. It's not something that you've seen already Okay. So the tone tone of it is Is very very different. Okay Uh, the humor is definitely the humor is there but intensive intensity wise it's it's high voltage completely Yeah, it's uh, it's going to be it's going to be quite an experience for for everyone Uh, because I when I when I was performing at this time Uh in season season two, I felt exhausted I never felt exhausted in my in the first season, you know, rather, you know, we were always Walking out and laughing and you know, improvising Making the scene but we were making a scene here too but with a lot of angst with a lot of intensity with a lot of You know, a lot many arguments were happening because the atmosphere has changed. Uh, the protagonist Surrounding has changed. You know, it's a it's going to be quite a quite a different kind of an experience for for for the audience this time Awesome. That's exciting Yeah Well, do you want to do you want to head into rapid fire right now? Yeah, we'll end this off just a little bit of a rapid fire. Not nothing, uh, serious Uh, yeah, but uh coffee or chai? Chai anytime I mean, I I I die when I have to go to us I You know, I know and they sell it they sell it and they say it's chai after you had chai in india I make better chai and because we are when I when I go to Any city or la we always kind of rent a place and Who I always carry my you know, dipty all the time That's great, uh Favorite alcoholic beverage Or wine actually white wine is something I love white wine or champagne or prosecco Uh favorite hollywood film Uh There's so many, you know doing injustice through if you But yes, I mean I will I'll take the name uh of say laurence of arabia because it's something Um that has uh completely blew blew me, you know when I watched it first a taxi driver All of these films I have seen only much later after law Did you get did you get to see laurence of arabia in a theater on a screen in a in a theater on a screen? Okay, okay. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I was completely blown Blown away by the by the direction by the performances. Yeah, peter who too is one performer If I have learned speech from him, you know just by watching him again and again and again again. Yeah Uh favorite indian film any any region? Uh Favorite indian film I would say One film that has completely changed my my actor is There's a film called acrosh Okay, Mr. Om Puri was there. Okay in the entire film He doesn't speak. Yeah He in the entire film. He doesn't speak You know, there is this guy who's a tribal guy and he's charged with the murder of his own sister Okay So, uh So, yeah, it's a great film. It's one of the greatest film that this in indian film industry has ever made And Om Puri was oh Something else in that film Uh What is your wife's favorite film of yours? My wife's favorite film of yours. I think that's a good question. That's a good question. Uh, Okay, uh, she's seen um Alligar. Alligar is something that she loved alligar. I mean she's she's she's loved in many films and she hated me in few films definitely Yeah She's and and And she's quite, you know brutal when it's when she doesn't like something she's she's brutal. Yeah, that's wonderful I always tell my tell my critic friends that you guys can't be as brutal as my wife. So I don't care about reading you guys. I have to ask her But you know, alligar is something that she loved satya satya is she's in any day She's in love with there is one film that I have done Right after two films are done right after satya is one is gone But there are only three three characters by that is the same director rango palbama and shul Which written by again, uh, anraka ship She loved me in shul and pincher Is one film on partition Yeah, she Usually like these these performances of mine in these films I won't ask what her least favorite performance of yours is Although I am interested I know I know but I'm interested. Um Favorite favorite indian actor or actress Ah I mean mr. Mita much is some I mean some Everyone's favorite because you know, I was completely enamored by him when I was growing up And the manner he conducts himself in every possible way, you know, I I just love him But ohm puri who uh, we've lost uh And mr. Nassuddin Shah There is one, you know veteran actor that I I have I had a privilege of working with him in in theater And he also works in films sometime His name is rug rug over yado He has kind of He impacted me quite a lot when I was doing theater Okay, so, uh I would definitely say that, you know When I became a professional actor I mean doing my theater days. This is one actor who I wanted to be like, okay And he's somebody if I improvise if I if I do those kind of performances It's it's everything that I have learned from him From this actor And the the the the tradition of natural acting Is uh In our time started by him. Yeah, and we always we actually somehow Um, you know forget to give Give him the credit because he's He because he never Came that much into limelight, but whenever he is performing whenever I see his any performance in any film or show I may make it show that I watch it because he he has that ability to be so natural And it's still so impactful. Okay, so Yeah And uh last question it's something I've asked every single person we've interviewed I'd just like to get your opinion on it. Um, one of the biggest things we've noticed in Indian cinema is how bad White actors are Most of the time how bad white actors Are and uh, I want to get your opinion on why that is No, I don't see for me A bad actor is a bad actor. A good actor is a good actor. He can be white brown anybody. Okay But they're all terrible No, no, he can I mean the it's it's it's never about The the color or the region Uh, there are there are bad performances. There are a few of my own performances that I don't see I say, okay, please switch it off. I don't want to see it, you know But if I go by I will look the new yesterday I was sitting with the director of sonchiria and I was telling him that I feel motivated as an actor when I see a good performance and a good film I feel depressed And demotivated when I see a bad film when I buy 100 percent. Yes. Yes. Yes, sir It makes you sad Yeah, it makes you sad. It makes you sad. I sometimes I still remember Few of my experiences of watching bad films and bad performance I started thinking whether you know, I should really continue as an actor or not I mean, if this is what I'm going to do in future, then it's better that I give up It make you feel so bad And demotivated. Yeah. Well, I want to thank you so much for talking with us, man. We really appreciate it It's obvious one just from your performances, but clearly talking to you how much You love the craft and and how how seriously you take it because of your love for it and and It's it's clear. That's why you're such a brilliant actor And I want to thank you for thank you for your for the work that you do because it's such a blessing just to watch you Um, and so and also if you are ever come back to la after the united states gets covet under uh control Uh, we would love to we love to meet you and talk shakespeare with you. That'd be fantastic Rick. Oh, definitely next year. I mean next year god willing Next year by the end of next year. Definitely. We are actually we were planning to Be uh, be in the u.s. This year itself for my for my daughter's vacation But you know pandemic Yeah Exactly, but yeah, we we Of course, and I've known each other a long time and we The core of us is is acting and the love of this art form And can I just say? A couple of things number one Thank you so much for the choices that you've made through your career Because the most important thing about what you've done is not the resume you have But the legacy you've left that's been an example and you continue to be an example For actors to make choices based on the craft and the art form not on success and commercial and money and it is it is a Wonderful thing that i'm so proud of you for doing and you are for for us Your work speaks for itself But who you are and the choices that you make you're the kind of person This industry needs more of we need more of you who love this craft and want to make great films Because they have a passion for the art form. So thank you for being who you are Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks. Thank you so much. I hope you have a fantastic night Thank you You