INTERVIEW
between the upper
castes and the lower
castes. It will compel
the audience to
introspect. I did it for
the love of cinema
and as a social
responsibility. People
need to see this film
for their own good,
for the good of the
country.
How was it working with
Anubhav Sinha?
I’m glad that he’s
found his voice as
a director and as a
social commentator.
He shifted gears
with Mulk. He
understands the
social fabric and the
complexities of our
country. Till recently,
he was making these
big-budget films.
Now, he’s listening to
his self, following his
instinct. This career
high in his 50s is
amazing.
When you sign an avant
garde film like Article 15,
are you nervous about the
box-office outcome?
I always do consider
the box-office but
with this particular
film, the belief was
that this film had
to be made. It’s an
important and a
relevant film. Also,
it’s an investigative
social drama, which
is absorbing.
What were your concerns
when you did AndhaDhun?
I didn’t think about
box-office during
AndhaDhun as well.
I knew it was an out-
of- the-box film. It
was an experiment,
a genre-defining
Being part of a
100-crore film, first and
foremost you get respect
from the trade. You also
receive love from the
masses... People take
you seriously; you feel
empowered as an
artiste. Your opinion
begins to matterfilm. I wasn’t sure
how the audience
would receive it. The
film was dark but
humorous too in a
bizarre way. I’m glad
our audience was
receptive to such a
film. AndhaDhun
made 75 crores at the
box-office. This was
a huge victory.What would you say is your
USP as an actor?
My pre-exquisite
for signing a film
has always been
a fresh concept.
There should be no
reference to my past
characters. India
is a multi-cultural
country, which is full
of taboos and also
fun. There’s scope
to tackle so many of
these in films.The Black Lady seems to
be smitten by you. How
was it holding the Filmfare
Award for AndhaDhun?
It was a dream comeWith his
Filmfare trophy
for AndhaDhun