'I don't think I'd say no to any role'

Comic actor

Omi Vaidya, better known as Chatur Ramalingam of ‘3 Idiots’, is a surprise in person.

When he starts talking, one observes that his infamous accent is conspicuously missing. The role that he’s playing in his latest film, Jodi Breakers — that of a conniving casanova who takes advantage of unhappy women — couldn’t be further from his obnoxious act as ‘Silencer’ of ‘3 Idiots’ either. Both roles have one trait in common, though — they keep the audience laughing.

Omi knows that by repeatedly dabbling in comic roles, he’s running the risk of being a stereotype. But he also believes he should stick to his strength. “When you do something well, people tend to flock to you for that particular genre only. But it’s better to be great at one thing than average because I want to try out other genres. I’m open to doing serious roles, but it’ll take time and directors will have to take risks,” he says.

He worked with both Bipasha and Madhavan in this film, and feels that their pairing will be a hit with the audience. “It creates a certain intrigue, since they are a fresh jodi. I know both well, since I worked with Madhavan in ‘3 Idiots’ and Bipasha in ‘Players’. Neither is from a filmy background, but they are very driven and have made their careers out of nothing,” he observes.

Omi has previously worked with Aamir, who’s known to be a perfectionist, and admits that this was a learning experience. “Not just Aamir, but Raju and the whole set were so open to other people’s opinions. The attitude was that everyone was a genius. And that kind of sharing happened while shooting for Jodi Breakers as well. Madhavan had a lot of suggestions for Bipasha as well as me. It was a team effort, and this can create magic,” he explains.

Omi has a special connection to Bangalore — he shot for ‘3 Idiots’ here as well. “We were here for a couple of months, and I think that the people are nice — not filmy at all. It’s a very modern city, but the traffic is bad and it’s difficult to travel. I suppose things are better now that the Metro is there,” he says.

Being Goan, he feels that Kannadiga culture isn’t so different from his own. “We share borders, and some of the food is very similar. I haven’t watched any Kannada films, to be honest, but if something interesting comes my way, I’d love to take it up,” he says.

That said, is there any role he’d say a definite no to? “I don’t think I’d say no to any role,” he says, thoughtfully, adding, “In fact, the more different or wild, the better. I want to take chances. But I suppose if I’ve done a similar role before, I wouldn’t want to do it again.”