How tough was it to play the villain in ‘Aavhaan’ after playing the title role in ‘Bose’?
I had always wanted to prove that there can be good looking villains too (laughs). The biggest compliment that I received when I played the villain in Sanjay Sarkar’s Marathi film Aavhaan was from people who were shocked that I could play the villain because they used to laugh at me if I were to tell them that I can do a negative role after having played the romantic lead in most of Ravi Rai’s serials.

It is indeed a big              challenge as an actor to do a negative role especially        after essaying the role of ‘Subhash Chandra Bose’ in Shyam Babu’s Bose.

How did Sanjay have the guts to cast you as the rapist villain in his film?
Very few directors have the guts to take up risks. Sanjay Sarkar trusted me and cast me in a role which had negative shades, to such an extent that now I feel it will be a big challenge for me as an actor to get a positive role from Sanjay himself     after having played the     negative role in his film.

Do you feel that you are getting type cast in Hindi films and serials?
As an actor, what I get in Hindi films in spite of playing the title role in Shyam Babu’s Bose is a one scene role in a Guru or a typical father’s role in Himesh Reshammiya’s Aap Ka Suroor. I am actually satisfying my urge as an actor with Marathi films.

 It looks like you have been a part of hundreds of TV serials...
It was with Ravi Rai’s TV serial Imtihaan that I made my debut. Though people still feel that I have to my credit several serials as an actor, the fact is that I have till date acted in just six TV serials. They are Ravi Rai’s serials- Imtihaan, Sailaab, Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai and Teacher, Lekh Tandon’s serial Adhikar and Vikas Desai’s serial Jhoota Sach.

Why are you not keen on taking up offers from  makers of TV serials?
Television makes the actor tired and sucks him completely. In fact, I’d even go to the extent of stating that it finishes the actor. There is no surprise element left in an actor for people to buy tickets to watch the actor in films when he is seen constantly on television, because the actor is exposed to his undies.

Does it mean that TV has ceased to excite you as an actor?
It is a case of ‘been there, done that,’ as an actor. TV does not excite me any more though the money that I am offered does excite me a lot. The reason I do not want to take up any offer to act in any more TV serial is that I do not want to make money and kill my soul.

How did you react when Bose flopped?
As an actor, I have seen a debacle like Bose. Any other actor in my place would have died after a 25 crores-film like Bose failed to work wonders at the box office.

I am glad that I am back after doing a Bose and a one scene role as the father of Aishwarya Rai in Mani    Ratnam’s Guru which was        accepted widely and               applauded loudly. In fact, I was happy when Amitji spoke about the fact that length was not the       criterion for a good actor and    cited the example of my role in Guru as an            example in a show on NDTV.

Which are the Hindi films which you have up your sleeve now?
I play the father in Amol Palekar’s children’s film Dum Kata. I am glad that I got an opportunity to work with actors like Om Puri and Shehnaaz Patel in this fun film. I am also a part of Ajay Devgan’s directorial debut venture U, Me And Hum, in which I am playing the role of a doctor.

I am also there in Ketan Mehta’s latest bilingual film titled Rang Rasiya in Hindi and Colors of Passion in English. I play the role of ‘Diwan Madhav Rao’, a friend of Ravi Verma who helps him a lot by helping him to get out of his                depression by reviving his creative instincts.

Yet another film that I am proud of is Suhail Tatari’s Summer of 2007 which also has Sikander Kher
Have you stopped       taking up Marathi films?
I had made my debut in Marathi films with Vidhilikhit. I am shooting for Pramod Joshi’s Tuzya Mazyat with Mrinal Kulkarni and Sucheta Talwalkar. It is loosely based on Stepmom.
I am also acting in     Chandrakant Kulkarni’s Kadachit with Sadashiv   Amrapurkar, Ashwini and Tushar Dalvi. It is a              suspense thriller which       revolves around the                 intricate                relationship between a         father and daughter played by Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Ashwini Bhave, who is      producing the film.
Which according to you are your best films as an actor till date?
I have acted in around 15 films in Hindi including  Ziddi, Badshah, Tere Naam, Freaky Chakra, Jayate, Bose, Astitva and Aap Ka Suroor.
I feel that Hansal Mehta, Mahesh Manjrekar and Shyambabu, not necessarily in that order, have exploited me completely as an actor with their films Jayate, Astitva and Bose                          respectively. In fact I’d not even hesitate to call Jayate,      Astitva and Bose my trilogy as an   actor.
How satisfied are you as an actor when you look back at your career?
I have no complaints with my performances in films like Ziddi, Badshah or for that matter Tere Naam         because these films did give me an opportunity to work with stars like Sunny Deol, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. However, I consider       myself an actor waiting in the wings for a performance     after having been in this        commercial film industry ever since I had made my   debut with Ziddi almost ten years ago.