“Short Kut is a highly emotional film"- Arshad Warsi
"I wish I had conned a whole lot of producers, I'd have had a better career today", is what Arshad Warsi humorously quotes as he sits comfortably in Anil Kapoor's office looking corny in his black and white chequered shorts with a black tee. I compliment him by saying, "Those moustaches (which he has kept for Vishal Bhardwaj's film Ishqiya) are looking so good on you". "Yeah. I was conned for that too", comes the reply. The latest hoardings doing the rounds of Short Kut has Arshad in the same moustaches.
Now we know why he says that he was conned. "When you get to a certain level doing comedy, people just start laughing even when you're not being funny," says Warsi, slumped back on the chair lighting his cigarette. And it's all Arshad's doing, of course. With his unique talent for hyperactive outbursts, he wields enthusiasm that's so relentless, so shamelessly unhinged; just looking at him makes you crack up. But come to think of it, he ain't that funny. He is a serious man looking seriously into his debut film Kaun Bola as a producer under his production house called 'Shooting Stars'.
We think 'explosive' is not the word to describe Arshad Warsi's talent as an actor. Instead, words like 'gigantorous,' 'magno-rific,' 'Tyrannosaurus Rexian.' works because you have to coin new terms to describe how potent a force he is to our Indian Film Industry. Today, the actor has reasons to be cheerful. He hasn't applied any short cuts to climb up the ladder of success and his latest film Short Kut shows exactly the opposite.
You've
worked
with
newly
set
up
production
houses
before.
What
are
the
criteria
on
which
you
decide
to
work
for
them?
It
all
depends
on
who
owns
or
runs
the
production
house.
There
are
so
many
people
who
are
new
comers
and
want
to
make
films.
99%
of
them
do
not
want
to
make
films
because
they
love
cinema
but
because
they
want
to
know
the
industry
and
get
to
know
these
gorgeous
actresses.
People
like
ABCL,
AKFC
are
in
the
cinema,
know
cinema
and
like
cinema.
That
is
the
reason
I've
too
set
up
my
own
production
house
called
'Shooting
Stars'.
I
really
like
the
look
of
yours
on
the
posters
of
Short
Kut.
Oh,
don't
say
that.
I
look
pathetic
in
Short
Kut.
Actually,
my
look
on
the
posters
is
from
Vishal
Bhardwaj's
film
Ishqiya.
I
was
shooting
for
Ishqiya
and
had
come
for
the
photo
shoot.
So
the
banners
are
looking
good.
I
do
these
stupid
things
and
then
regret
by
saying,
'Why
did
I
do
this?'
I
play
a
role
of
a
guy
who
has
no
scope
of
becoming
an
actor
and
yet
becomes
one.
He
is
a
bad
actor
with
a
bad
look
and
is
not
meant
to
be
anywhere
near
the
film
industry.
So
I
wanted
this
guy
to
be
as
grungy
as
possible.
Badly
dressed,
etc.
Have
you
decided
yourself
not
to
break
away
from
the
comic
image
everyone
has
tagged
you
into?
No
I
don't.
The
fact
is
that
eight
out
of
ten
films
that
are
being
made
are
comedy.
You
can't
be
so
obscure
and
wait
for
those
two
films
that
are
serious
to
come
your
way.
I
don't
even
remember
the
last
time
I
saw
a
sensible
cinema
being
made,
like
New
York.
So
the
famous
Neha
Dhupia
quote
should
change?
Yes,
SRK,
sex
and
comedy
sells.
Absolutely
correct.
When
do
we
see
you
in
a
sensible
one
then?
I'm
actually
fed
up
doing
comic
roles.
It's
like
eating
the
same
food
everyday.
Comedy
is
getting
on
my
nerves
now.
But
I
keep
myself
growing
by
doing
different
kind
of
comedy.
I've
never
repeated
my
Munnabhai
character
ever.
Once
the
film
is
over,
my
role
is
over
and
my
character
is
gone.
Short
Kut
is
a
new
role
for
me.
I've
never
played
a
crazy,
funny
and
a
villainous
guy
before
in
any
film.
Vishal
Bhardwaj's
Ishqiya
will
also
have
a
different
sense
of
humour.
Dhamaal
and
Golmaal
were
like
chalk
and
cheese
too.
I'm
waiting
for
some
sensible
film
to
come
my
way
now.
How
would
you
describe
your
humour?
I
don't
have
any
humour.
I'm
an
actor
who
performs
the
role.
You
write
a
role
for
me
and
I
will
play
it
much
better
than
how
it
is
written.
That
much
I
can
guarantee
you.
I
cannot
define
anything
and
in
today's
time
we
actors
are
slaves
to
the
pen.
Do
you
think
somewhere
down
the
line
the
box
office
also
relies
on
you;
more
than
you
rely
on
the
box
office?
I
do
think
so.
Nobody
will
hire
me
if
I've
failed
a
producer
or
if
people
didn't
like
my
work.
It's
not
rocket
science.
I'm
getting
something
back
on
the
table
for
my
producers
and
that's
why
both
I
and
the
box
office
are
going
hand
in
hand
(laughs).
Anil
Kapoor
mentioned
that
Short
Kut
-
the
con
is
on
is
not
a
comedy
film.
You
conning
the
public?
(Laughs).
It
is
not.
Anil
is
right.
It
looks
like
a
comedy
film
when
you
see
the
film
poster.
It's
a
story
filled
with
emotions
and
the
time
I
enter
the
scene
is
where
the
comedy
starts
from.
Have
you
been
conned
before?
Yes.
Hulchul
was
the
film,
and
my
co-actor
was
Akshaye
Khanna.
That
film
should've
been
called
-
the
con
is
on.
I
completely
thought
something
else
will
come
my
way
but
when
I
reached
the
sets
it
was
a
different
ball
game
all
together.
But
because
I
had
committed
I
decided
to
do
the
film.
Akshaye
Khanna
is
termed
as
a
man
who
sticks
to
himself.
He
is
more
of
a
recluse.
Is
that
true?
Yes.
He
is
a
guy
who
keeps
to
himself.
I
don't
know
him
very
well
as
a
person
because
personally,
I
haven't
hung
out
with
him.
We
haven't
spent
a
lot
of
time
together.
But
whenever
I've
seen
him,
he
is
in
his
own
world.
Having
said
that,
he
is
a
damn
good
actor.
His
last
film
Gandhi
My
Father
deserved
an
award.
I
remember
seeing
his
first
film
Himalaya
Putra
and
I
said,
"This
guy
can
act." He
has
done
a
very
good
job
in
Short
Kut
too.
When
will
your
career
reach
its
peak
Arshad?
I
don't
know
man,
and
I
don't
know
if
it
ever
will.
See,
there
are
lot
more
other
things
that
require
to
become
a
super
star
or
a
star
who
is
worshipped.
You
got
to
have
a
very
sharp
mind,
got
to
be
a
good
business
man,
you
got
to
keep
your
entire
personal
life
somewhere
else
and
go
crazy
behind
your
profession.
You
need
to
be
very
hungry
and
greedy.
I
am
not.
I
can't
do
all
these
things.
I
have
a
simple
and
a
straight
life.
I
like
to
balance
my
personal
and
professional
life.
Plus,
I'm
very
lazy
too.
Arshad
Warsi
is
not
aggressive.
I
like
to
chill
out
with
my
family,
hang
out
with
my
kids;
I'm
fine
if
I
am
not
working.
I
will
buy
a
car
if
I
can
afford
but
can
do
without
it
too.
I
am
a
satisfied
person.
When
was
the
last
time
you've
applied
a
shot
cut
to
climb
up
the
ladder
of
success?
I've
never
done
it.
Short
cuts
can
only
be
obtained
by
people
who've
got
the
facility
to
short
cuts.
Say
for
example,
a
star
kid
will
always
have
a
short
cut
ready
to
enter
films.
A
regular
guy
can
never
get
a
short
cut.
Mine
was
a
freaky
case.
I
was
doing
something
else
and
was
picked
up
and
put
into
acting.
You
never
dream
of
pursuing
your
previous
career
as
a
choreographer?
Oh
I
wish!
Dancing
is
something
that
requires
time.
I
had
opened
a
dancing
school
but
had
to
shut
it.
Now
if
you
open
a
school,
you
need
to
be
able
to
run
it.
Don't
lie
to
the
public.
If
I
want
to
learn
dancing,
I
want
to
see
the
person
teaching
me
how
to
dance.
I
do
not
want
to
see
any
tom,
dick
and
harry
teach
me
how
to
shake
a
leg.
Acting
is
such
a
profession
that
takes
a
lot
of
your
time.
The
time
you're
free
you
see
yourself
promoting
the
film
or
doing
something
else.
Not
many
people
know
that
I
love
photography
too
but
then
again,
it
is
just
a
hobby.
I
cannot
think
of
turning
it
into
a
profession.
You're
quite
lucky
for
the
new
directors.
You're
right.
Let's
put
it
this
way.
I
cannot
think
of
any
well
known
established
directors
I've
worked
with.
Whichever
films
I've
worked
on,
new
directors
took
over.
Whether
it
was
Raj
Kumar
Hirani,
Rohit
Shetty,
Siddharth
Anand,
Kabir
Khan,
etc.
Of
course,
now
they
are
all
established
and
have
set
their
place
in
Bollywood.
Neeraj
Vora
for
that
matter
is
one
of
the
very
few
known
directors
I'm
working
with
in
my
career.
What
I
like
about
the
new
lot
is
that
they
bring
in
a
new
energy
and
a
new
thinking
wave,
new
technology
and
new
creativity.
Then
the
already
established
ones
stick
to
their
age
old
formula
and
template
which
they
follow.
It
is
only
Ram
Gopal
Varma
who
has
got
the
b****
to
take
chances
in
film
making.
How's
your
rapport
with
Anil
Kapoor?
He
is
a
fighter.
Anil
Kapoor
is
the
only
man
in
the
film
industry
who
will
come
across
as
a
new
comer,
from
his
first
film
to
his
last.
He
always
wants
to
prove
that
he
is
the
best,
and
he
has
always
proved
himself
right.
Anil
is
the
best
in
the
business.
Has
your
wife
seen
the
film?
Yes.
Maria
has
seen
it
and
she
liked
it.
She
liked
the
music
of
Short
Kut
and
whenever
I
came
on
screen.
Other
than
that,
I
think
the
romantic
bit
in
the
film
got
dragged
a
little
bit.