"In the next elections, you'll see my involvement" - Shreyas Talpade
The only thing we learn from a new election is we learned nothing from the old. But post 26/11, things have started to get a bit serious...too serious it may seem for Shreyas Talpade. The elections are two weeks away and the actor who was personally invited on behalf of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the Prime Minister's meet recently has decided to enter active politics in the near future. After having a candid chat with Shreyas at his Waldorf apartments on an extremely hot summer afternoon over a cool, sweet and salty nimbu paani, we almost read the actors mind and figured out his inner most revelation - a politician thinks of the next election but a citizen like Talpade, of the next generation. We find out more about the intentions of the actor's plunge into the big bad world of politics, his lost faith in the security and judiciary, his advice for the youngsters interested in joining politics and of course...his films,Paying Guest, Click and Aage Se Right.
It's
a
dog
eat
dog
situation
when
you
enter
the
political
battlefield.
You
ready
for
it?
Well,
let
me
clear
the
air.
I
was
invited
by
the
CM
for
the
PM's
party
meet.
They
all
spoke
well
and
we
sat
there
for
a
good
couple
of
hours.
I
was
accompanied
by
Subhash
Ghai
and
Manmohan
Shetty.
I
wanted
to
meet
our
PM
because
I
respect
that
person
a
lot
but
we
didn't
get
a
chance.
I
wasn't
supporting
any
party
as
such.
I
was
just
invited
and
I
had
to
honour
the
invite.
Today
our
job
doesn't
end
by
going
and
voting.
It's
a
little
bit
more
than
that.
Post
26/11,
we
all
are
shaken
up.
Ab
maamla
ghar
tak
aa
gaya
hain.
Today,
one
has
to
be
a
bit
more
responsible
and
involved,
and
if
that
involvement
means
me
getting
into
politics,
I
really
don't
mind.
So
may
be
in
the
next
elections,
you'll
see
my
involvement.
There
is
a
price
you
pay
when
you
join
politics.
How
do
you
deal
with
it?
To
a
certain
extent
it
is.
Every
now
and
then
you
hear
some
candidate
being
shot
or
murdered.
Politics
has
become
dirty.
Someone
told
me
that
even
today;
the
ratio
of
good
people
is
more
than
that
of
the
bad.
When
this
same
ratio
is
flipped,
we
need
to
be
alarmed
about.
Having
said
that,
there
are
lots
more
educated
people
coming
into
politics
now
and
are
trying
for
a
change.
And
things
will
change.
Perhaps
it
might
take
two
more
elections
or
let's
say
one
more.
We
have
got
everything
inherited
from
our
ancestors
and
it's
time
we
give
something
back
to
our
future
generation.
It
seems
you've
lost
trust
somewhere.
You're
right.
I've
lost
faith
completely
post
26/11.
I
don't
trust
anyone.
I
just
want
that
faith
to
come
back.
The
whole
idea
is
to
trust
someone
or
someone
trusts
you.
I
was
in
South
Africa
when
the
Taj
and
Trident
incident
happened.
I
was
there
for
the
next
thirty
days
and
missed
being
part
of
those
rallies
and
ceremonies.
I
wanted
to
be
with
my
India
and
my
people
in
time
of
grief.
I
was
frustrated.
In
fact,
post
26/11;
people
have
become
a
bit
responsible
if
not
trustworthy.
With
so
many
successors
ahead
of
you,
as
a
youngster,
how
far
do
you
want
to
reach
in
politics?
Let's
say
in
acting,
I
want
to
be
number
one.
I
want
to
be
the
best
and
I'll
do
what
I
can
to
compete
with
SRK,
Ranbir
Kapoor
or
whoever.
Politics
is
a
completely
different
ball
game
all
together.
Politics
is
all
about
coming
together
than
competing
with
each
other.
My
idea
is
not
to
be
the
PM
of
India.
But
even
if
I
can
do
something
in
my
locality,
it'll
be
great.
If
I
can
make
my
area
secured,
I've
won
my
election.
How
much
room
is
there
for
idealism
in
political
leadership
and
achieving
your
goals?
I
think
idealism
is
the
factor
that'll
prompt
you
or
motivate
you
to
do
certain
things.
The
word
idealism
exists
but
it's
time
we
need
to
give
some
meaning
and
depth
to
it.
Each
party
started
off
with
some
ideology
and
down
the
line
we
see
that
it
has
gone
for
a
complete
toss.
Few
days
back
I
read
an
interview
where
Mr.
Sanjay
Dutt
was
asked
about
his
manifesto
which
stated
that
the
party
will
ban
English
and
there
won't
be
computers,
machines
won't
be
used
for
farming,
etc.
When
asked
Mr.
Dutt
on
his
comments
about
the
manifesto,
he
said,
"I
was
busy
campaigning.
I
didn't
have
time
to
read
it".
My
question
is
-
What
was
Mr.
Dutt
campaigning
about?
I
think
that
things
are
really
going
wrong
somewhere.
Is
there
any
room
for
idealism
here?
Do
you
ever
stop
and
think
back
how
you
could've
handled
things
differently
if
you
weren't
an
actor?
I
don't
know
what
I
would've
done.
Probably
get
a
stable
job
in
a
nationalized
bank.
And
before
you
ask
why
a
bank
job,
because
there
is
an
inter
bank
drama
competition.
That's
how
my
hobby
can
be
fulfilled.
If
a
young
person
came
to
you
who
wanted
to
live
a
life
of
activism,
a
political
life,
what
would
your
advice
be
to
him?
When
I
started
doing
Iqbal,
there
was
one
thing
that
Nagesh
Kukunoor
told
me
that
if
I
ever
wanted
to
succeed
as
an
actor,
I
just
needed
to
be
honest
with
myself
and
the
character
I
was
portraying.
I'd
like
to
advice
all
youngsters
to
be
honest
to
themselves
in
whatever
they
do.
What
do
you
see
as
the
biggest
challenge
ahead?
Not
just
for
you
and
India,
but
for
the
world
which
is
heading
quick
in
the
21st
century?
At
the
moment,
the
biggest
problem
we
are
facing
is
security.
Every
side
and
part
of
the
world
is
under
tremendous
tension.
We
are
more
worried
now
and
want
to
find
out
who
has
come
to
live
next
to
us,
meaning
our
neighbours.
Who
are
they?
Where
have
they
come
from?
etc.
The
trust
and
security
issue
is
what
we
need
to
handle
in
the
current
scenario.
Most
of
our
revenue
is
going
in
defense
services,
arms
and
ammunitions.
So
if
that's
the
case,
why
is
there
a
lapse
in
security
each
year?
Get
it
sorted
man!
Tomorrow
if
you
join
politics,
what
would
be
your
Indian
Dream?
Everybody
wants
to
see
India
on
the
global
map,
the
next
super
power,
etc.
That's
secondary.
I
want
to
get
my
faith
back
and
that's
my
primary
concern.
And
not
just
me.
The
whole
nation
wants
to
get
their
sense
of
security
and
faith
in
the
political
scenario
and
the
security
of
our
country.
If
they
can
do
that,
I'll
be
like
a
King.
That
for
me
is
my
Indian
Dream.
From
a
serious
topic,
let's
move
on
to
a
bit
on
the
light
side.
Films.
Do
you
think
post
the
strike;
many
films
are
going
to
suffer.
I
mean,
there
is
always
a
right
time
and
the
right
place
for
films
to
release?
I
completely
agree
with
you.
I
also
feel
that
today
people
can
smell
films.
They
see
the
first
promo
and
the
first
poster
of
the
film
and
decide
whether
they
want
to
go
and
watch
it
or
not.
But
if
your
story
is
good,
it'll
work
and
recover
its
money,
and
that's
not
rocket
science.
For
some
films,
a
lot
of
word
of
mouth
is
required.
My
first
film
was
pitted
against
No
Entry.
Still
both
films
worked
in
some
way
or
the
other.
Take
us
through
Click
Click
is
a
horror
thriller
film
directed
by
Sangeeth
Sivan.
I've
worked
with
him
in
Apna
Sapna
Money
Money.
Actually,
people
see
him
as
a
comedy
director
but
I
guess
his
forte
is
suspense
thrillers
and
horror.
We've
got
some
very
good
songs
in
the
film
too.
And
this
is
my
first
ever
horror
film.
So
I'm
looking
forward
to
it.
And
Paying
Guest?
It's
a
story
of
four
friends
who
are
staying
as
PG's
out
of
India.
One
fine
day
they
are
kicked
out
from
the
place
they
are
staying
and
the
job
they
are
doing.
Due
to
certain
circumstances,
they
have
no
place
to
live
and
no
work
to
do.
One
lie
to
another
and
the
balloon
bursts.
What
about
Aage
Se
Right?
Aage
Se
Right
is
a
comedy
flick
with
a
Pink
Panther
sort
of
humour.
It's
not
slapstick.
It's
a
UTV
and
Ronnie
film.
It's
a
story
about
a
cop
who
loses
his
gun
and
there
is
a
terrorist
in
the
film
too.
He
finds
his
gun
but
again
the
gun
goes
somewhere
else.
It's
a
bizarre
thought
but
it's
something
never
been
made
before.
It's
because
of
the
one
wrong
'right'
turn
I
take
and
what
happens.
Are
you
happy
in
the
small
space
you've
made
for
yourself
in
the
industry?
I
am
very
happy.
I
am
also
ambitious
and
want
to
grow
and
achieve
a
lot
of
things.
I
know
I
will
but
want
to
give
a
bit
of
time
to
it.
I
want
to
stay
here
for
a
long
time.
So
with
the
pace
I'm
going,
I
am
safe
and
sound.
But
in
my
entire
journey,
I'd
love
to
work
with
Raj
Kumar
Santoshi
because
I
think
he
has
got
a
very
honest
and
an
aggressive
approach
towards
all
his
films.
Mani
Ratnam
is
the
next
director
I'd
love
to
work
with
because
of
his
superb
and
diverse
filmography.
Having
said
that,
I've
also
worked
with
a
completely
different
school
of
directors.
From
Nagesh
and
Shyam
Benegal
to
Farah
Khan.