Q.
Badla
received
some
rave
reviews
from
the
critics
and
is
having
an
impressive
run
at
the
box
office.
Were
you anticipating
this
sort
of
a
response?
A. Honestly,
yes.
I
remember
texting
Sujoy
on
New
Year
to
wish
him.
He
told
me,
'Bro,
I
need
to
show
you our
movie.'
Two
days
later,
he
showed
me
the
pre-edit. Sujoy
told
me
he
was
happy
with
my
performance.
Even
my
producers said
the
same.
All
the
strategies
performed
and
I
knew
that
once
the
promotions
were
in
the
hands
of
Red
Chillies
and
it's
under
Shahrukh
Khan,
it
would
be
marketed
well.
They
are
very
smart
and
intelligent
to
tap
into
the
right
market.
They
promoted
the
film
beautifully;
not
too
much
and
not
too
less.
After
the
first
show,
my
friends
called
me
from
Mumbai
to
tell
me
that
cinema
halls
there
were
almost
full.
The
more
I
heard
that,
combined
with
I
had
seen
and
heard,
I
knew
that
people
would
like
the
film.
Q.
What
was
your
reaction
when
you
watched
yourself
in
Badla
on
the
big
screen?
A.
I
watched
the
film
alone
in
a
dark
room.
Sujoy
refused
to
join
me
saying
that
I
would
keep
talking
to
him
instead.
(laughs)
I
sat
all
alone
and
from
start
to
end,
I
was
totally
hooked.
The
first
time
I
saw
it,
I
didn't
pay
attention
towards
me
and
my
performance
because
everything
felt
so
perfect.
I was
just
watching
the
movie
even
though
I
knew
what
the
script
was.
I
got
to
see
myself
as
an
actor trying
to
judge
his performance
when
I
watched
the
movie
at
the
special
screening.
I
feel
blessed
because
being
in
a
film
with
Amitabh
Bachchan
was
amazing.
I
come
from
a
middle-class
background.
One
fine
day,
I
find
myself
with
the
great
Bachchan
Sir.
The
minute
I
saw
the
film
rolling
and
him
walking
through
the
bridge,
I
said
a
quiet
prayer
to
God
thanking
him
that
I
was
a
part
of
this
project.
When
the
project
was
over,
I
was
stunned.
There's
a
certain
sense
of
happiness
that
comes
from
deep
within.
It's
not
like
you
jump
and
scream
and
all
that
you
see
in
chocolate
commercials.
Q.
Sharing
screen-space
with
Mr
Bachchan
is
every
actor's
dream-come
true
moment.
Did
he
give
you
some
acting
tips?
What's
your
favourite
memory
of
him
from
the
sets?
A.
I
was
suppose
to
begin
shooting
from
June
14
though
the
film
hit
the
floors
a
few
days
earlier.
Bachchan
Sir
was
already
on
the
sets
doing
his
scenes.
All
his
scenes
with
Taapsee
were
shot
then.
I
arrived
in
Scotland
around
June
7.
Around
June
9-10th,
Sujoy
Sir
asked
me
to
come
to
the
sets
and
watch
Mr.
Bachchan
perform
on
the
sets.
The
first
time
I
met
him
face-to-face,
I
was
with
Sunil
Kheterpal
whom
I
fondly
call
'Big
Boss'.
He
was
the
one
who
actually
found
my
photo
and
suggested
my
name
to
Sujoy.
I
was
standing
with
him
and
talking
while
I
was
watching
Bachchan
Sir.
I
could
see
him
discussing
with
Sujoy
Sir
and
joke
with
the
stylist.
I
was
standing
there
watching
him
for
half
hour
with
Sunil
Sir
by
my
side.
Then,
I
was
looking
at
my
shoes
for
around
two
seconds.
When
I
looked
up,
I
found Bachchan
Sir
standing
right
in
front
of
him.
(laughs)
With
a
smile
on
his
face
in
his
baritone
voice,
he
wished
me,
'Hello'.
I
replied
back,
'Hello
Sir'.
To
that,
he
said,
'Welcome
to
Badla'.
(laughs)
He
wished
me
luck.
He
was
very
kind.
That's
one
moment
which
I
would
cherish
throughout
my
life.
We
didn't
exchange
any
acting
tips
as
such.
I
believe
acting
is
all
about
observation.
You
don't
have
to
tell
anything.
By
just
watching
Bachchan
Sir
perform,
I
learnt
some
of
the
things.
So,
it
was
all
about
warmth,
kindness
and
fun
on
the
sets.
Q.
Considering
you
played
a
layered
character,
was
it
easy
or
difficult
for
you
to
let
go
out
of
it?
A.
Once
the
character
is
finished,
I
don't
carry
anything
with
myself
too
much.
There's
a
certain
amount
of
material
in
ourselves
that
we
identify
with,
with
our
characters.
We
just
put
that
forth.
The
moment
the
film
gets
over,
I
do
not
feel
the
change.
Ya,
maybe
it
could
happen
for
a
day
or
two.
You
are
in
a
kind
of
hangover.
But
then,
it's
back
to
being
normal.
Q.
It
was
through
Malayalam
filmmaker
Jeethu
Joseph
that
you
landed
your
Bollywood
debut.
Initially,
he
wanted
to
cast
you
for
his
Bollywood
project
'Body',
but
then
'Badla'
happened.
Now
when
you
look
in
retrospect,
are
you
happy
with
the
decision
that
you
took
back
then?
A.
(laughs)
I
never
had
a
choice
in
any
of
this.
Everything
was
destined.
All
those
discussions
about
me
being
a
part
of
'Body' happened
between
Sunil
and
Jeethu.
The
only
offer
which
I
was
given
was
at
the
end.
It
was
Jeethu
who
thought
Badla
was
a
bigger
and
better
movie
for
me.
Sunil
too
agreed
with
him.
It
was
both
of
them
who
decided
that
I
should
try
for
Badla.
So,
I
had
no
choice.
I
just
accepted
my
destiny.
Q.
Before
you,
a
lot
of
Malayalam
actors
like
Mamoothy,
Prithiviraj
Sukaran
and
others
too
starred
in
Bollywood
films.
However,
they
couldn't
create
a
bigger
impact
here
like
how
they
did
down
the
south.
However,
times
are
changing
now
and
the
audience
is
embracing
regional
actors
and
cinema
with
open
arms.
Do
you
believe
you
have
an
upper
hand
now?
A. Mostly
definitely.
I
think
Karan
Johar
is
doing
a
great
job of
bringing
this
nation
under
one.
He
is
distributing
movies
and
collaborating
with
great
filmmakers
down
the
south.
He's
trying
to
bring
the
nation
together.
It's
not
about
north-south
anymore.
Instead
it's
between
us,
the
Indians
and
the
rest
of
the
world.
There
is
a
huge
market
out
there
and
today
with
Netflix
and
web-series,
people
are
ready
to
watch
different
languages.
I
believe
by
the
blessing
of
God,
I
am
at
a
very good
time
today
because
most
of
the
people
prefer
to
view
films
as
Indian
cinema
and
not
according
to
the
regional
divide.
What
matters
is
great
performance
and
great
content.
Q.
Your
choice
of
films
down
the
south
have
been
very
interesting.
You
played
an
antagonist,
a
scientist.
There
are
some
quite
brave
choices
for
an
actor
to
make
at
the
early
stage
of
his
career.
Are
you
planning
to
follow
a
similar
template
when
it
comes
to
Hindi
films
as
well
or
your
focus
is
going
to
be
solo
projects?
A. Down
the
south,
I
was
offered
these
roles.
I
think
I
was
blessed
to
get
the
chance
to
work
with
some
great
directors.
Jeethu
Joseph
launched
me.
My
second
film
was
with
a two
time
National-Award
winning
director
and
in
that
film,
I
was
the
only
newcomer.
I
feel
blessed
to
have
got
these
roles
immediately
because
good
directors
always
noticed
my
performance.
So,
I
was
always
dependent
on my
performances
to
get
my
next
role.
I
am
a
new
boy
without
any
experience.
I
belong
to
a
middle
class
family
minus
any
filmi
connections.
So,
everything
depends
on
my
working
talent
and
my
performances
in
my
films.
So,
I
have
to
wait
for
my
films
to
release
and
then
I
get
the
next
offer.
That's
why
I
tend
to
take
some
time
to
sign
films.
Finger
crossed,
I
have
always
managed
to
land
up
with
great
characters.
I
always
depend
upon
one
film
to
release
and
then I
choose
from
the
offers
that
I
get.
People
like
me
who
ain't
star
kids
and
want
to
be
actors,
in
my
opinion,
if
you
cannot
do
a
character
role
in
a
film
starring
some
of
the
best
actors
and
still
stand
out,
then
you
don't
deserve
to
be
a
lead
actor
because
it's
going
to
be
tough
for
you.
That's
the
reason
why
I
took
up
character
roles
early
in
my
career.
It
teaches
you
pain,
suffering
and
at
the
same
time teach
you
how
to
act.
Now
after
doing
Badla,
I
can
say
that
I
have
almost
covered
all
the
emotions
and
essence
of
a
character.
I
have
done
comedy,
played
an
antagonist,
a
casanova,
a
smart
guy
and
now
a
layered
character
in
Badla.
This
fulfills
me
as
an
actor.
About
the
future,
now
after
Badla,
I
will
wait
for
a
nice
film
to
be
offered
to
me.
It
doesn't
matter
if
it's
a
solo
lead
or
not.
As
long
as
it
has
great
scenes
and
I
have
something
to
offer
as
an
actor
and
improve
as
one.
Q.
Do
you
have
a
specific
list
of
Bollywood
actors
and
directors
with
whom
you
wish
to
work
with?
A.
(laughs)
Till
last
year,
I
had
no
clue
that
I
would
do
a
Bollywood
film.
Nobody
even
thought
that
I
would
make
my
Bollywood
debut.
So,
the
question
of
wish-list
of
actors
and
directors
does
not
arise
at
all.
I
will
feel
blessed
if
anyone
wants
to
work
with
me
and
offers
me
a
good
script.
I
am
an
actor
and
not
a
star
material.
Sujoy
told
me
that
he
wasn't
going
to
launch
me
as
a
star
with
glitzy
promotions.
He
said
he
is
going
to
place
me
as
an
actor
and
I
believe
that's
the
future.
Today
with
content
being
the
king,
there
will
be
a
lot
of
demand
for
good
actors.
There
are
going
to
be
great
roles
and
you
need
to
be
fluent
actors
to
get
them.
I
am
open
to
working
with
anyone
as
long
as
they
were
happy
to
work
with
me.
I
believe
everyone
who
has
made
it
in
this
industry
wants
just
that.
I
will
be
happy
to
do
good
work
and
collaborate
with
good
directors.
Q.
Your
journey
has
been
an
interesting
one.
You
are
an
engineer
who
took
up
modelling
and
is
now
an
actor.
When
you
look
back,
how
would
you
define
it?
A.It's
been
an
excellent
and
grand
journey.
I
became
an
engineer
because
I
wanted
to
make
my
parents
happy.
Everyone
in
my
family
wanted
me
to
be
a
doctor
or
an
engineer.
Those
days,
you
had
very
few
career
options.
I
kept
my
family
before
me
and
did
my
engineering
for
my
dad.
I
was
a
good
student
but
I
found
engineering
boring.
Then
modelling
happened
and
it
just
picked
up.
I
don't
know
how.
One
fine
day,
I
found
myself
in
Milan
working
for
some
of
the
big
shows.
I
traveled
half
the
world.
So,
it's
been
a
long
wonderful
ride.
Like
they
say,
'do
not
count
your
lives
by
the
number
of
breaths
that
you
take
but
by
the
moments
which that
take
your
breath
away'.
I
had
my
few
moments
which
took
my
breath
away.
Badla
is
one
of
them.