Mumbai Is a Difficult City So Be Sure That Acting Is Something That You Really Want to Do

Be prepared to keep learning and always hone your craft. Rejection is going to be part and parcel of the journey but never let that disappoint you or make you feel dejected.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

Well I changed 7 schools in my school life. My roots are from Delhi, but my dad was a banker and was in a transferable job so we shifted a lot when I was growing up. I am a trained actor who has studied Acting for the Camera from Melbourne, Australia, where we were based before moving to Mumbai.

I was doing a degree in Finance and Marketing and studying acting on the side, given that it is my passion. Like everyone who dreams of a career in acting, I thought I will arrive in Mumbai and will be lapped up by the industry. But given that I didn't know anyone in the industry when I arrived, it was a challenge.

I decided to fall back on my degree in Finance and Marketing and joined a leading film distribution company in the marketing department. The aim of this move was to understand the workings of the industry while I was in a steady job and also look at ways of making contacts and thus creating a few in-roads into the industry.

I was good at balancing both my job and my acting career and started finding innovative ways of getting out of the office to give auditions. I also started doing theatre after office hours, which really helped me grow as an actor. I started connecting with different production houses and directors while I was working and soon started getting TVCs as an actor.

People also slowly started to get to know about me through the theatre circuit and started calling me for auditions. A balancing act is what led to me to getting work in films. I played character roles in a few small films and then landed a fun role in a Hollywood Film titled "One Night With the King", where I acted alongside legends like Omar Sharif and Peter O Toole, an experience I can never forget.

I also acted in a few short films, one of which went to many film festivals and won a lot of awards. Despite having done multiple TVCs with leading directors for brands like Monster.com, Via.com, Onida AC, McDonalds, Frooti, Aditya Birla Group, and many more, it’s in the last 2 to 3 years where I have begun to get exciting roles as an actor.

This began with the movie Manto, followed by the Netflix original series Selection Day, The Tashkent Files, and a web series called Holy Cross on Sony Liv, where I have played a character with grey shades for the first time. My role in Holy Cross has also led me to being nominated for an ITA Award for Best Male Actor (Popular), which is a humbling experience.

I also acted in the Netflix original film, “Yeh Ballet” directed by Sooni Taraporewala. There's a lot more in the offing that I am looking forward to.

Along with being an actor, voiceover artist and an Emcee, I am a filmmaker who produces and directs ads and short films. I run a production house called T Junction Media, where we script and produce branded content and ads and do end-to-end work for our clients.

We have worked with some leading brands like Microsoft, Tata Capital, Pigeon India, Color Plus and many more. I am also grateful to have gotten an opportunity to produce and direct one of India's first web series in 2012.

2. Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?

I was fascinated with films from a very young age. My parents tell me when I was 4 or 5, and the family was living in Srinagar, I used to constantly watch the movie Bobby. My VCR was my best friend and I used to be fascinated with Video Libraries from where one could rent movies.

As I grew older I started watching a lot of the popular Amitabh Bachchan films, and films from the James Bond series. My parents also used to watch a lot of International content (primarily British comedies) and I was exposed to that as well.

I remember whenever I visited my grandparents for summer vacations, they had a VHS of the movie Qurbani (Feroze Khan and Vinod Khanna). I can’t remember the number of times I must have seen that film. So basically I was a film buff and always have been.

I used to be fascinated by the way actors could take on different characters. I share my birthday with Amitabh Bachchan and used to be mesmerized by the way in which he could take on different personas and characters in his films. It was this fascination for different characters that actors play that was one of the key reasons that I wanted to be an actor.

I knew from the age of 11 quite clearly that I want to be working in films. Hence I trained myself as an actor, and then life has thrown other opportunities my way as well and I picked up the art of film making. Today I work to strike a fine balance between being an actor and a film maker.

3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?

Well today with the advent of casting directors it is easier to make in roads as an actor. When I started out the concept of a casting director did not exist. Actors used to physically go to production houses and drop off their show-reels and pictures.

In those days, Famous Studios used to be the hub of the advertising world. Today all the action has moved to Aaram Nagar and other parts of Andheri West. All casting directors have a social media presence and regularly post updates for open introductions etc.

Actors should follow these pages, send in their details to all the casting directors and keep tabs on when casting directors announce new projects and share their details if the actor fits the bill. In addition acting is a craft that constantly requires polishing.

Actors should always be polishing their craft through working on themselves. Workshops, theatre, monologues at home, practicing their diction, reading good books all contribute to making one a better actor. Also most important is to stay patient and be able to fight all the odds that may come in your way.

4. If not this, what would you be doing?

As I said earlier, I am a film buff, and I am now balancing both acting and film making. So if not an actor , I would be producing and directing. I am thankful to be doing both currently. I would definitely always be doing something in this industry because films are my passion. To quote the song from Mera Naam Joker- “Jeena Yahaan Marna Yahaan, Iske Siva Jaana Kahaan”.

5. For a complete outsider without inroads, what advice would you like to give?

I would like to say that Mumbai is a difficult city so be sure that Acting is something that you really really want to do, and once you are clear dive into it with all guns blazing. Be prepared to keep learning and always hone your craft. Rejection is going to be part and parcel of the journey but never let that disappoint you or make you feel dejected.

Look at every audition as an opportunity to learn. Be thankful that you were considered for the audition. Keep your eyes and ears open and contact the casting teams if you are fit for something when casting directors announce any requirement.

If you feel you need to do a job to support yourself in Mumbai there is no harm in it. Just find a way by which you can draw a fine balance and not compromise on what you really want. For someone like me who has been in Mumbai for many years, I truly believe it is a beautiful city. If one door closes, another one opens. Just don’t ever lose sight of the bigger picture.

6. What is your mantra of success?

Quite Simply- Never forget why you started. Learn to go with the flow. My life is a true example of the idiom- “Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans”. So take each day as it comes and live in the present.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

Difficult to say which book is my favorite. I am a huge fan of Biographies and of books that are about the making of cult films. I also love reading motivational books, and books on the craft of Acting and Film making. I strongly recommend a book called “Acting For The Camera” by Tony Barr.