'I
Feel
Glad
I
Didn't
Give
Up'
Q.
2019
has
been
amazing
year
for
you
with
the
blockbuster
success
of
Kabir
Singh.
Recently
in
an
interview,
you
mentioned
that
there
was
a
time
when
directors
rejected
you
for
films
and
now,
you
have
a
interesting
line-up
of
films.
How
does
it
feel
to
finally
get
that
validation
in
the
industry?
A.
It
feels
like
finally,
I
am
doing
the
kind
of
films
that
I
am
really
excited
to
do.
I
am
excited
to
go
to
work
and
learn.
It's
making
me
more
hungry
to
do
better.
It's
very
motivating
when
directors
from
the
industry
call
you
up
just
to
talk
to
you
about
your
performance
as
they
have
dissected
your
work
and
brought
out
certain
scenes
which
they
really
like.
I
was
like,
'wow'.
When
I
was
enacting
those
scenes,
I
was
giving
it
my
best
shot
but
I
didn't
realize
that
it
had
created
such
an
impact.
In
creative
field,
sometimes
people
really
enjoy
the
scene
in
many
different
ways.
I
don't
know
what's
happening.
(laughs).
I
just
want
to
work
now.
I
have
had
days
where
I
have
wanted
to
be
busy
working
on
a
film
set
but
I
didn't
get
those
opportunities
because
I
wasn't
signing
films
like
I
am
today.
I
was
waiting
for
these
opportunities.
It
can
make
you
feel
a
little
low.
I
feel
glad
that
I
didn't
give
up
and
went
after
my
dream.
Today,
I
am
getting
those
roles.
For
me,
the
moral
of
the
story
is
never
to
give
up.
If
you
have
talent,
that's
one
thing
which
nobody
can
take
away
from
you.
Work
on
your
talent,
hone
on
your
craft
and
learn
to
be
better.
I
keep
doing
that
as
and
when
I
can.
Q.
Your
character
Preeti
in
Kabir
Singh
was
appreciated
by
the
audience...
A.
Some
characters
just
stick
with
you
and
I
felt
that
recently
when
I
was
in
Chandigarh
to
launch
a
song
from
Good
Newwz.
At
the
song
launch,
Akshay
Sir
and
I
were
there
and
when
I
walked
on
to
the
stage,
everyone
started
chanting
'Preeti,
Preeti'.
This
happened
with
me
for
the
first
time.
It's
amazing
to
be
addressed
as
a
character.
There
are
still
memes
on
Kabir
and
Preeti
on
everything
else
I
am
doing
in
life.
I
feel
that
they
will
also
be
there
and
it's
very
special.
That
film
is
very
special
for
me.
It
will
always
be.
But
now,
the
goal
is
to
make
each
character
that
I
play
as
memorable
as
this
one.
I
hope
people
give
that
much
love
to
other
characters
that
I'll
be
playing.
Fingers
crossed.
'There
Are
Kabirs
And
Preetis
Who
Exist
In
This
World'
Q.
But
the
film
also
had
its
share
of
controversies
for
the
portrayal
of
characters
of
Kabir
Singh
and
Preeti.
Do
you
think
that
you
have
a
responsibility
towards
the
society
or
is
it
that
you
want
to
enjoy
playing
the
characters?
A.
Everyone
is
being
responsible,
but
how
does
Kabir
Singh
become
an
irresponsible
film?
I
understand
the
debate
over
the
differing
viewpoints
of
scenes.
It
was
great
that
it
impacted
people
so
much
that
it
made
it
to
prime
time
news
debating
over
these
things.
But
it
was
a
bit
shocking
at
first.
You
realize
that
certain
films
will
have
topics
that
make
people
debate,
and
that
people
have
left
the
theatre
still
thinking
about
the
film.
That's
a
huge
thing
for
any
filmmaker.
I
did
not
feel
in
any
way
that
it
was
an
irresponsible
film.
I
looked
at
it
as
a
flawed
character.
In
no
way
was
Kabir
Singh
a
'hero' for
me.
He
was
a
flawed
character,
whose
biggest
weakness
was
his
love
for
this
girl
which
made
him
do
all
sort
of
things
which
led
to
his
own
downfall.
As
for
Preeti,
there
are
Kabirs
and
Preetis
who
exist
in
this
world.
We
can't
deny
it.
But
at
the
same
time,
this
is
a
fictional
story.
People
are
discussing
it
as
though
we
are
telling
everyone
to
be
like
Kabir
or
Preeti.
Never.
It's
the
story
about
these
two
individuals
and
their
lives.
Watch
it
and
just
leave
it
there.
But,
whatever
happened,
happened.
As
an
actor
and
a
person,
I
will
have
different
views
in
terms
of
how
someone
behaves.
I
am
very
different
from
Preeti.
It
was
very
challenging
for
me
to
play
a
character.
But
when
a
story
connects
with
you,
and
it
is
a
beautiful
story
because
it
is
so
flawed
and
so
imperfect.
If
I
was
in
that
situation
as
Kiara,
I
would
have
walked
out
and
not
given
that
person
a
second
chance.
Preeti
does
walk
out.
But
I
guess
that's
what
love
makes
you
do
at
the
end
of
it
that
you
end
up
forgiving.
People
give
marriages
chance,
they
go
through
separations
and
come
back.
This
happens.
This
is
life.
We
are
all
human
beings
and
we
are
all
imperfect.
We
learn
from
our
mistakes.
Nobody
is
saying
it
is
right
or
justified.
The
character
Kabir
Singh
was
responsible
for
his
own
downfall.
Both
are
equally
wrong.
Even
Preeti
was
wrong
in
many
ways.
Even
she
wacked
him
at
the
bus
stop.
That
slap
was
such
a
big
deal.
Had
he
slapped
her,
that
would
have
been
an
even
bigger
thing.
What
didn't
people
pick
up
on
that
point?
They
thought
to
move
on
just
because
she's
a
girl,
so
it's
okay.
Of
course
not.
Nobody
should
be
violent.
As
an
actor,
I
had
to
really
make
myself
believe
that
a
character
like
this
exists.
I
couldn't
judge
those
actions
of
hers
because
I
had
to
play
her.
If
at
all
I
had
the
slightest
inhibition
while
playing
her
and
allowed
my
thoughts
to
come
into
that,
you
wouldn't
have
believed
in
it
as
an
audience.
Then,
we
wouldn't
have
got
these
reactions.
Q.
Do
you
think
the
audience
today
is
getting
very
critical
about
the
entertainment
quotient
of
a
film?
A.
Everyone
is
free
to
have
an
opinion.
Today
on
social
media,
every
single
person
is
a
critic
and
everyone
wants
to
put
their
viewpoint
out.
It's
fine.
But
then,
everything
should
be
done
in
a
limit.
Beyond
a
point,
me
as
an
actor,
I
stop
reading.
Initially,
I
would
read
every
single
viewpoint.
But
now,
I
have
realized
that
one
needs
to
stop
somewhere.
Now
with
social
media,
every
single
person
is
just
writing
stuff
left,
right
and
centre.
It's
fine;
we
have
freedom
of
expression
so
you
are
allowed
to
say.
But
then,
there
are
hundred
other
more
important
topics
which
should
be
written
as
well.
'Cheez
Badi
Hai
Mast
Gave
Me
Karan
Johar's
Lust
Stories'
Q.
The
runaway
of
success
has
catapulted
your
career
to
a
different
league.
But
when
a
film
like
Machine
bombed
in
2016,
did
you
ever
doubt
your
calibre
as
an
actor?
A.
No.
I
was
very
well
aware
of
what
I
was
doing.
During
Machine,
I
wanted
to
work
with
Abbas
Mastan.
To
be
really
honest
with
you,
I
was
not
getting
any
great
opportunity
for
films
and
I
really
wanted
to
work.
Here
were
two
amazing
directors
who
have
given
such
iconic
films
and
they
were
probably
the
best
ones
who
had
come
to
me
at
that
point.
The
film
itself
was
a
little
larger-than-life
and
unrealistic
in
certain
sense.
But
then,
they
are
the
kind
of
directors
who
make
such
films.
I
believed
that
I
would
learn
a
lot
from
them.
I
genuinely
feel
that
irrespective
of
the
outcome
of
the
film,
I
have
learnt
whatever
I
wanted
to
from
the
experience
of
working
on
that
film
as
an
actor.
It's
always
about
the
journey.
The
end
result
is
always
left
to
the
audience.
Yes,
I
felt
bad
that
it
didn't
work
at
the
box
office.
But,
I
really
bring
that
work
brings
work.
That
film
gave
me
the
song
'Cheez
Badi
Hai
Mast'
and
that
song
gave
me
Karan
Johar's
Lust
Stories.
Everybody
ask
me
what's
my
turning
point.
Yes,
there
are
some
characters
like
the
ones
in
Kabir
Singh,
Lust
Stories
which
have
been
huge
turning
points
professionally
in
my
career.
But
personally
and
as
an
actor,
every
film
that
I
do
is
a
turning
point
for
me.
There's
always
an
audience
for
certain
kind
of
films.
Machine
may
not
have
been
appreciated
in
urban
setup
but
when
I
visit
places
like
Nashik
and
other
small
towns,
they
don't
know
me
because
of
my
character
in
MS
Dhoni.
They
know
me
because
of
Machine.
They
have
loved
that
film.
As
an
actor,
you
want
to
cater
to
everybody.
I
have
worked
in
South
films
as
well.
If
you
bring
me
a
Korean
film,
I
will
do
that
as
well.
(laughs)
Q.
When
a
filmmaker
like
Karan
Johar
signs
you
for
back-to-back
projects,
do
you
think
in
your
head
that
you
have
finally
arrived
in
the
industry?
A.
Not
at
all.
I
feel
I
still
have
a
long
way
to
go.
But
I
do
feel
is
that,
it
gives
me
the
confidence
that
someone
like
him
has
put
so
much
faith
in
me.
To
take
risks,
to
take
my
challenging
roles
which
are
different
from
my
personality
and
outside
my
comfort
zone.
It
makes
me
little
more
confident
to
get
into
the
skin
of
those
characters.
Right
from
Lust
Stories,
it
was
very
challenging
to
take
up
a
role
like
that.
But
the
minute
I
know
that
Karan
Johar
was
directing
it
and
he
has
put
that
faith
and
belief
that
I
could
pull
off
that
genre,
it
just
gave
me
that
confidence.
'When
People
Don't
Expect
Anything
From
You,
There's
No
Fear
Of
Losing
Out'
Q.
You
have
an
interesting
line-up
of
films
in
2020.
Do
you
think
that
there's
a
pressure
on
you
to
perform?
A.
I
am
excited
for
all
the
films.
Right
now,
I
am
putting
all
my
energy
in
Good
Newwz.
I
think
pressure
comes
from
expectations.
Now,
there's
a
certain
expectation
that
people
have
from
me.
But,
I
don't
want
to
allow
myself
to
be
bogged
down
by
that.
When
people
don't
expect
anything
from
you,
there's
no
fear
of
losing
out.
That's
what
happened
with
me
when
I
was
doing
Lust
Stories.
When
I
am
doing
a
film,
I
am
not
thinking
about
the
result.
I
don't
think
about
what's
going
to
happen.
It's
only
a
week
before
the
film
that
I
start
getting
butterflies.
Yes,
there's
a
pressure
now.
I
want
people
to
like
my
films.
But,
I
am
trying
not
to
let
the
pressure
take
away
the
excitement
and
the
fun.
I
am
looking
forward
to
how
people
will
react
to
my
upcoming
films
because
each
character
is
different
from
the
other.
I
don't
know
if
they
will
accept
me
or
not.
I'm
hoping
that
I
will
be
able
to
prove
my
versatility.