What made you play a hoax-caller in Mumbai Meri Jaan?
Honestly, I wasn’t too kicked to play the role of so miserable a person. I did it because director Nishikanth Kamat is a friend who has done excellent work before. His sincerity and talent made me disregard my reservations. But I interpreted him as more than a miserable person by avoiding indulging in self-pity.

From a Bengali professor in The Namesake to a Tamil tea vendor in Mumbai Meri Jaan—how do you manage the variety?
I didn’t have the time to do any research to play the vendor. The character was originally planned as a Hindi-speaking person. It was my idea to make him a south Indian so that I could layer my performance with something new in another “poor man” character. These nuances are always in your head if you are an observant person. You just have to access those recorded files and perform.

Which has been your most satisfying performance?
Special films are those that have something to cherish like The Warrior, Haasil, Maqbool, Charas, Metro, The Namesake and perhaps Mumbai Meri Jaan. These are films I would like to own and watch again and again. I like to explore and do new things. Even if I repeat a character profile, my audience should still expect something new out of it. For instance, my character in Life in a Metro wasn’t anyone new. But the way he unfolds from a blunt, uncouth person to someone you start liking is what makes him unique.

... contd.