Sizzling chemistry comes back

Actor Farooq Sheikh is all set to make a comeback with Deepti Naval after 32 years.

Metrolife catches up with him when he was in the City recently to support an NGO. Farooq reveals, “I will be seen on-screen with Deepti Naval after 32 years in Listen Amaya. It is a film shot in Delhi and narrates the relationship between two people and one of them has a daughter named Amaya.”

When inquired about the role of the daughter in the relationship, Farooq says, “It is for the audience to decide whether the daughter helps or hinders the relationship.”

The veteran actor says that he had never planned to chase Bollywood dreams and that it happened by chance. He recalls, “I had finished studying law when I was offered Garam Hawa by MS Sathyu. It was an extraordinary film and that is how I was noticed by Satyajit Ray, who was making the remarkable and unfortunately the last film of his life, Shatranj ke Khiladi.”

About his family’s reaction on joining Bollywood, the actor shares, “Forty years ago, film industry was not considered respectable and my family was not happy with my choice of career. They wanted me to go back to law but by then, I was completely driven by cinema.”

Ask about his popular film Chashme Badoor and Farooq says, “I feel the film is remembered because of its different name. But when I read the script, I knew it was going to be an outstanding film.” The actor who has anchored popular show Jeena Isi ka Naam Hai and acted in sitcom Ji Mantriji, has been absent from small screen for long. He says, “I thoroughly enjoyed Jeena… but cannot handle the back-breaking work. It doesn’t mean that I have shut the door on TV. If something very interesting comes up I will think about it.”

So what about his co-actors? “I have enjoyed working with Shabana Azmi, who has been an old friend since college days, while Rekha ji and Deepti Naval are absolutely brilliant.”

And this intense actor is not just about lapping up attention under the arc lights. He also has a philanthropic side to him, which is hard to miss. He says, “I am not qualified to be called a social worker. If we don’t work now to make our society a better place then we would not enjoy living in such a society in future.”

While talking about the City, the actor feels, “There is so much of history in Delhi but it is ignored. In another country, Delhi’s monuments might have been treated like priceless crystal!” He adds, “I would have liked if Delhi was more considerate towards women.”