First and the main thing to be an actor is if you love the craft and process. Do not come for the wrong reasons like fame and popularity and money, those can be very temporary and misleading.
Tell us about your background, journey and upbringing.
Not many know this, actually, I belong to a very filmy background. My uncles were big Producers under the banner of Varma films and we had made blockbuster films like Patanga (the song mere piya gaye Rangoon) Badal with Prem Nath, Aurat with Prem Nath Budtameez with Shammi Kapoor and a lot more.
But due to differences in late 70 s they decided to part ways so actually my background is and always was connected to films and acting .
About my journey, well it’s nowhere connected to my background because I was not lucky enough to benefit from the Varma name since it got fizzled so I had to start fresh on my own.
My journey was great with a lot of learning. When I went for my 1st audition I realised no matter how much I love acting it’s not easy unless I polish myself as an actor and work on the craft so I started doing theatre with Kader khan sir for 3 years and learnt a lot from the great man, then I did an acting course for 6 months and then finally I started my acting journey with television.
It was a great journey and I believe that if you love what you do, it’s not hard work it’s joy and you grow each day.
Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?
Somewhere since childhood, I knew I have some inclination to acting but I wasn’t sure. I was also a great athlete and very good at cricket, in fact, I had taken coaching from Sir Ramakant Achrekar who is Sachin Tendulkar’s coach and I was very talented as a batsman and I was also a lefty which was rare then, but still, I knew that cricket is not it and there’s something else in me which will come out eventually and it did in the form of acting.
How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
First and the main thing to be an actor is if you love the craft and process. Do not come for the wrong reasons like fame and popularity and money, those can be very temporary and misleading.
If you are coming for the right reasons then work on the craft of acting first that’s what will actually take you where you want to go for a long long time. Robert de Niro is close to 80 and is still a leading man and acting, need I say more. Work on your craft and also on yourself with things like meditation and health. You grow as an actor mainly when you are not acting and what you do then matters a lot.
If not this, what would you be doing?
Nothing. I’ve tried plan B and I failed miserably and realised just do what you love and you will succeed in it, times and phases may happen and that’s okay.
For a complete outsider with inroads, what advice would you like to give?
Exactly the same advice as I gave in the third question where I answered work on yourself and your craft and only come if you love the job.
What is your mantra of success?
Being on the set every single day shooting for characters I love portraying
Which is your favourite book and why?
I used to read a lot earlier but now I am a follower of Sadhguru so I watch more videos than reading but books like Autobiography of a yogi, Obstacle is the way and Who will cry when you die have impacted me immensely when I read them.
Bio:
Born and brought up in Bombay in Mahim
Did my schooling at Don Bosco high school in Matunga
Fathers from Bombay and mother from Delhi
Went to Mithibai College in Vile Parle taking Arts
Happily married Jyoti Talreja who’s not an actor and in the Aviation industry.
Work Profile:
My first show - Khichdi (Star plus)
My first show as a leading man - Hotel Kingston (Star one)
Kittu sab janti hai as the leading man (Sahara one)
Anu ki ho Gayi wah bhai wah as the leading man ( Star)
Kismat connection film as the Antagonist opposite Vidya Balan
Baa baby baby season 2 as a leading man - (Star plus )
Teri meri love stories - A short film as the leading man (Star plus )
My first ad Airtel tvc was with Shah rukh khan followed by many more brands.
Interviewed by - Vanshika Jain
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