New
Delhi:
Playing
a
typical
Haryanvi
boy
in
Matru
Ki
Bijlee
Ka
Mandola
was
not
easy
for
Imran
Khan
but
the
actor
says
his
director
Vishal
Bhardwaj
gave
him
enough
space
to
interpret
and
understand
the
character.
"I
was
very
surprised
with
his
directing
style.
Since
he
is
an
experienced
director,
I
was
under
the
impression
that
he
would
sit
on
every
single
detail
of
my
performance.
But
the
kind
of
freedom
he
gave
me,
no
other
director
has
ever
done," Imran
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
The
29-year-old
actor
spent
a
lot
of
time
taking
dialect
classes,
doing
workshops
and
meeting
locals
to
understand
the
milieu
of
the
film,
which
is
set
in
the
backdrop
of
land
acquisition
issue
in
Haryana.
"Vishal
would
give
me
lot
of
material
during
the
rehearsals,
like
things
to
read
and
watch.
They
were
basically
tools
to
create
my
character
but
from
the
day
we
arrived
on
the
sets,
he
told
me
'Go
ahead,
I
have
given
all
the
tools
to
you,
they
are
in
your
pocket,
you
decide
which
one
to
use
and
how
to
use',"
says
Imran.
The
actor,
whose
fan-base
is
largely
urban
thanks
to
hits
like
Delhi
Belly
and
Mere
Brother
Ki
Dulhan,
says
having
so
much
freedom
at
the
sets
was
"scary
but
empowering".
"That
kind
of
freedom
increases
your
responsibility,
puts
a
lot
of
pressure
on
you
and
is
very
scary
but
at
the
same
time
it
is
very
empowering.
I
had
a
sense
of
accomplishment
at
the
end
of
the
day.
Really,
no
director
has
given
me
that
kind
of
confidence
that
Vishal
did,"
says
Imran.
Another
challenge
that
the
young
actor
faced
was
matching
up
to
the
performance
of
Pankaj
Kapur,
who
plays
his
boss
in
the
movie.
"Pankajji
is
the
sweetest,
kindest
person
you
would
ever
meet
but
as
an
actor
he
is
completely
different.
When
the
cameras
roll,
he
turns
into
a
powerhouse,
a
volcano
and
then
you
have
to
face
that.
You
have
to
ensure
that
your
part
is
not
falling
apart
in
front
of
him,"
says
Imran
while
sharing
his
experiences
of
working
with
the
veteran
actor.
Imran
says
Kapur
never
advised
him
or
gave
any
tips
on
acting
but
his
presence
was
inspiring.
"The
actors
who
are
very
talented,
they
understand
that
the
process
is
different
for
each
actor.
He
did
not
give
me
tips
or
advice
but
the
kind
of
focus
and
dedication
that
he
brought
on
the
sets
everyday
was
inspiring,"
says
Imran.
Though
the
village
setting
was
entirely
new
for
Imran,
he
says
working
on
the
film
was
fun
because
his
sensibilities
matched
with
Bhardwaj.
"The
funny
thing
is
that
Vishal
called
me
for
this
film
only
after
watching
Delhi
Belly.
These
two
films
are
world
apart.
His
style
of
humour
is
very
much
in
tune
with
my
sensibilities.
That
being
said,
the
character
itself
was
hard
for
me
to
play,"
says
Imran.
The
actor
is
currently
busy
shooting
Once
Upon
A
Time
In
Mumbaai
2.
He
begins
working
on
Tigmanshu
Dhulia's
Milan
Talkies
by
the
end
of
the
year.
Imran,
who
made
his
debut
with
Jaane
Tu...
Ya
Jaane
Na
in
2008,
says
he
is
happy
with
the
way
his
career
has
shaped
up.
"I
think
I
have
a
record
that
any
actor
would
relish
as
the
last
five
or
six
films
of
mine
have
been
hits.
I
am
very
happy
with
the
way
things
have
shaped
up
but
that
does
not
mean
I
can
sit
back
and
relax.
The
pressure
is
on
me
to
do
more,"
he
says.
PTI