Mel Gibson returns to the big screen after eight years with Edge Of Darkness Why did you decide to make a comeback with Edge Of Darkness,a film adaptation of the highly-acclaimed award-winning BBC miniseries of the same name?Well,I walked away from acting because I just felt I was stale and it wasnt ringing my bells. So I focused on directing,writing,producing and all that kind of stuff,and then it was time to come back. I got the acting bug back because I felt,all of a sudden,that after all these years I might have something to offer again. That coincided with a very good piece of material. If it wasnt Edge Of Darkness,then it would have been something else,but this was the best thing that I saw. How did it feel to be back on the sets after such a long time?I was nervous initially. I think it is natural to be nervous. Martin (Campbell,director) asked me to cool my nerves a bit. Not that I had forgotten all my acting skills. Acting has been my first love. And when you do something for 30 years,you dont forget it just because youve been off it for a bit. But the initial rush of thoughts was there. Once I got into the acting groove,creative juices flowed in full throttle! I hope I wasnt too hard on Martin on this production. I had made very clear to Martin that Look,I dont want to produce,I dont want to direct. Ill just come in and Im an actor. So make the most of me. Occasionally,I would walk up to Martin and say Dude,why dont we shoot the scene this way. And Martin would think over it and implement it if he found it to be worth. And this is something that even I have experienced as a director. If someone would come up with a good idea,I would say This is a very good idea. Can I steal it? Ha Ha. Coming back to your point,on the whole,it felt great to work with great people like Martin and Graham and get the acting bug back again. What about the story really made you come back to do a film?Edge Of Darkness has an intriguing story. A father loses his daughter and goes on a journey of discovery not only to find out who killed her and why,but also who she really was. Hes someone who loved his daughter,and thought he understood her,but what he discovers is that she was involved in a whole way of life that he knew nothing about. I think it is a very compelling story and will entertain the audience. Also,expressing the stillness of Thomas Cravens character on screen was a challenge for me. Stillness has always been a stranger to me,and hes very still. I tried to really rein myself in not pull too many faces or make too many movements- because hes an introvert. Whats your role in the film?I play the role of Thomas Craven who is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. His only daughter,24 yrs of age,gets murdered on the steps of his home. The normally tough guy loses it,seeing his daughter die in front of his eyes. But then,he regains his composure,goes on a quest to find the killer. He has nothing to lose now. So this character has different shades; the warmth and affection of a father,the discipline and strength of a police guy. Hes always played by the rules,but for the first time in his life he realises that the rules will not help him get justice; hell have to go after that himself. What are the other films you are working on currently?Ill be acting in How I Spent My Summer Vacation. I am also one of the screen writers for this movie. Apart from this,I am also acting in The Beaver,which is directed by Jodie Foster. We have heard that you will be directing a film soon.Yes. I am working with Graham King on the Viking movie. We heard you are going to be in India to promote the film.Its the producers call. I am available to them. Do you have any plans to collaborate with any Indian directors?It depends on the project and time (smiles). Have you watched any Bollywood film of late?My current projects have kept me too busy. But I would love to watch a Hindi movie some day.
