I really believe quality over quantity and 'Mardaani' was really well-received. It got me critical acclaim and box-office success, both.
I don't think there are any negative roles anymore. I think we can aptly put such characters under 'anti-hero' tag.
It's a big responsibility to play an icon like Sunil Gavaskar.
On the sets of the movie 'Manto,' I found that one of the challenges of embodying real-life stories is the mixed medium of facts and imagination, and how one's collage of experiences colour ones representation on celluloid.
My mother worked for Confederation of Indian Industry, and Aptech Computers.
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.
To play the role of a sports champion, I first needed to break my body and become supremely fit to convincingly look like a college athlete. Along with acing sporting disciplines, I also had to balance the emotional graph and light heartedness of a college drama while competing in varying sport! Combining the two drained a lot out of me.
I was an above-average student who excelled in basketball and theatre.
I have been part of really good projects which I'm extremely proud of and 'Chhichhore' will stand tall among my body of work. This is my first Rs 100 crore film and I know I will cherish this moment always.
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.
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.
Nitesh Tiwari is so particular about his pre-production, where he plans every aspect of his film.
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.
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.
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.
Grey characters don't only mean broody characters. A totally smitten lover boy can be equally grey if written that way.
