From characters painted in white to black with many shades of gray in between - Aftab Shivdasani has played them all. And maybe that is what explains his sustained innings after he evolved from a child artiste in Mr India (1987) to a hero with Mast (1999). From nerd (Darna Mana Hai) to nasty (Kasoor) with the hilarious (Awara Pagal Deewana) in between, Aftab’s canvas exhibits multi-coloured strokes. His latest is Speed in which he exhibits a satanic shade again.

Excerpts from an interview:

What makes Speed different from your other gray or negative turns?
This is the first time that I have ever played an out-and-out villain. I guess Vikram Bhatt brought out what I did not know existed within me! (Laughs).

But a negative role is always a high. I guess I tried to just be sadistic and have a body language to match. Another difference is that within the periphery of the character’s graph, I always try and formulate all my characters in my own imagination, but for this role I went extempore, without reference points.

You have done over ten films with Vikram Bhatt, though only Kasoor and Awara Pagal Deewana worked. What explains your equation?
Oh, I have a 20-year contract with him! (Laughs again). Seriously, a Vikram Bhatt film feels like home. Our relationship is about mutual respect and tremendous compatibility, beyond success and beyond even doing films together. Individually and together, we have both had setbacks, but we have never doubted each other’s talents.

Where do you see yourself today?
I have reached a point where I can be objective about my career. I have no regrets as my personal and professional growths have been because of my films, including my flops.

I have renewed vigour as compared to yesterday and I have thankfully had a great relationship with all my co-stars and filmmakers.

And since this phase is the fastest ever in terms of progression in cinema, I am very optimistic.

But you are not yet in the top echelons. Any theories on how you can get there?
Yeah, I am going to buy a ladder today to climb to the top! Look, there is no formula to reach there, otherwise everyone would have been there! I take my failures with a pinch of salt and do not get analytical about either them or my successes.

Ultimately it’s how much the audience wants you - no formula, no hits and no manipulations and strategies work.

But despite your variety, you have largely been associated with comedy. Why is that?
Somehow my comedies have worked better than the others, whether it is a Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Awara Paagal Deewana or a Masti as opposed to my intense turns in Ankahee or Red with Kasoor as probably the only exception. But I must stress that I have not been rejected in the serious roles. I have been liked in them, though success eluded these films.

Comedies seem to be the latest trend. Is this a phase or will it be a phase that those had by political thrillers and feel-good love stories?

Oh, entertainment will always last. I see their success not as that of comic movies but of great entertainers.

Did your stint as child artiste benefit you as actor?
For me it was basically a fun experience. As a kid there is no responsibility. As a leading man you can be held responsible for a film’s failure. The only good it did was that it helped me decide to become an actor. But that took its time.

And I was happy modelling till Ram Gopal Varma saw me in a Coke ad and offered me Mast. I almost fell off my chair.

What according to you is your biggest strong point?
I think that it is my self-belief. That’s what made me agree to do Kasoor and pull it off. I did a difficult role, shocked the audience after Mast and was back to humour in Love Ke Liye..

Are you a serious or fun person in real life?
Mostly I am a serious guy. But I can be really funny or silly if I have the right mood and company.

Which films you are doing now?
I am doing an episode in Dus Kahaaniyan, which is directed by a new lady director named Jasmeet, E Niwas’s De Taali and Ganesh Acharya’s new film Money Hai To Honey Hai in which I work for the first time with an actor I hugely admire— Govinda.