Why play on the most famous villain’s name in Bollywood history?
From what I have noticed in all my years of experience; for anything good to happen, we need the presence some kind of negative force………some kind of fear to be instilled, a villain for instance. If I ask you specifics about the crime rate here, I am sure you wouldn’t have much to say given that there are such low crime rates. Why do you think that is the case? Because of the strict regime…..because of danda raaj (rule of the iron rod)….you know what I mean. But there (in India) that’s not the case; you need to instil fear using an anti-hero like Gabbar, that’s why we came up with the idea…..ki naam villain ka, par kaam hero ka (a villain’s name, but a hero’s work), that’s how Gabbar came about.
Tell us something about your role in the movie and how it has challenged you as an actor?
I play a vigilante. You know what a vigilante is? If I see any kind of corruption, I seek out the corrupt guy and I kill him! Straight away….no questions asked! It’s like taking law in my own hands! Let me also tell you one more thing about the film, whatever small episodes you’re going to watch in the film, they actually happened……especially please do watch that hospital sequence, it actually happened somewhere in India. And it was shocking, that’s why we put it in the film. This is a very practical film on the whole. Corruption is everywhere, but in India it seems to have crossed all thresholds. I was very inspired to do this film as I too have to face corruption, in some way or the other. I won’t go into the details, but we actors often have to fight the same battles where corruption is concerned.
Getting down to more personal details, you have always steered clear of controversy. How do you manage to stay so grounded?
I have always been more interested in doing my work rather than discussing other people’s work. That is where controversy begins, wouldn’t you say? I have never taken any names, I go about my work, that’s how I like it. I am doing a film on corruption, but I haven’t mentioned who is corrupt. Everybody knows who is corrupt there and who is not, the newspapers carry it all. But I am not a newspaper; I am not the media. This realization is reason enough to keep me away from getting embroiled in any kind of meaningless talk! Plus I don’t socialise much, don’t like going to parties either, that’s where it all starts, where everything starts going wrong! (Chuckles!)I am not saying that going to parties is wrong, but fortunately I enjoy sleeping by 9pm. My father was in the army, so that whole thing about leading a disciplined life also keeps me grounded.
How has your wife influenced you in the kind of work that you do? What do you think of her blog?
We never interfere in each other’s work. She is wonderful and very funny. She has a very different way of looking at humour. And it’s right on spot. People have realized this only recently, but I have known her since the last 15 years and I know that she has always been funny. She writes funny, she talks funny but she cannot act funny! She is not a good actress. She says so herself. Acting was never her real talent. She comes from a film family, her father (Rajesh Khanna) was a big superstar, and so was her mother (Dimple Kapadia). But she herself says that she was in the wrong profession. She never enjoyed acting. Hats off to her, for attempting to rediscover herself every six-seven years, first as an interior designer and now as a blogger.
What has been your experience like of shooting in Ras Al Khaimah?
Oh, away from everyone, kuch nahin hain yahaan (there is nothing here). Lovely place! I was actually swimming yesterday; I went from here to that island. Can you see that island? We swam all the way there, my son and me. We went camping in the desert, we all slept in the tent, did the usual dune bashing. You must have seen all the sand outside the room. Woh sab jooto mein se nikla hoga (It must have come out from the shoes). I have enjoyed myself, I would love to come here once again because puri duniyadari se alag hai, matlab Dubai se bilkul alag hai (It is completely away from civilization).
