Making the right choices in Bollywood

MULTIFACETED

A ‘seasoned actor’ is the perfect adjective for Nasser, the man who has been entertaining movie buffs across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and the Hindi film industry. His work spans across these industries and yet he confesses that venturing into acting was “not an attraction” for him. “You have to choose a career when you are young and it was due to my father’s compulsion that I became an actor. Else, I would have continued in Indian Air Force,” confesses the veteran when in the City recently.

From his act of being the perfect dumb cook in Chachi 420 to portraying the serious character of chief of RAW in the recently released D-Day, the actor has received accolades in Hindi film industry. “Down south, we don’t have the privilege to pick and choose.

Luckily, I was there in all the good films,” he shares adding that he took up whatever came his way initially but now admits, “I have the choice to choose!”

To offers from Bollywood, Nasser “didn’t give them attention initially. I was even asked to play a character in Lagaan but they asked for some 100 days and I had already signed Southern films then. Now I have moved to Hindi films because I like the work culture here. It’s like a global film world with a lot more womenfolk in the crew.”

Coming across as a serious actor, one wonders how he plays comic roles with such ease? He laughs and replies, “Comedy or villainy or lead characters don’t matter to me. I don’t have a separate approach for a character but I would rather like to do comedy because  it makes me feel lighter. There is always a naughty child inside me and the comedy roles give it a chance to come out.”

As an actor, however, he likes to confine himself to his role and not barge into the director’s arena. “When I direct, I don’t want anyone to intrude into my area, then why would I do it? It is not ethical,” says the man who is also a director, producer, writer and singer. “Most of my reading and writing happens on the sets. In between shots, I get good time so I carry books which is a better habit than gossiping around,” he shares adding that acting is more dear to him but when a good script comes across, he takes it up for direction.

“I would like to make meaningful films but there is no space for it,” rues the director in him. “My first directorial venture didn’t do well at the box office so I had to try something popular,” says the filmmaker who is more comfortable creating parallel cinema, “Right now I am hibernating and waiting for an opportunity.”

As far as acting is concerned, Nasser doesn’t have any wishlist because, “This is not a career where you do what you want. Here somebody offers you and you perform. So I wait for surprises like when Prabhu Deva called me for Rowdy Rathore. I asked him ‘Why Prabhu? I have given up playing villain long time back’ but he told me to just enjoy whatever I was doing. Prabhu Deva sees me as an actor in a different way and Nikhil Advani sees me in a different way. That’s what keeps me going as an actor.”