Mumbai, Sep 11
The youngest actor in India to be nominated
for Best Actor alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Darsheel Safary established
new levels of acting excellence for a child actor in "Taare
Zameen Par". After some significant roles as a juvenile,
he is now back to his chosen vocation.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. It's tough to believe you are now all grown up?
A: Ha ha. Yes. I am 19 now. Though I am still recognised
as the kid from "Taare Zameen Par" (TZP), the memory
has now blurred, thankfully.
Q. What have you been up to since TZP and the other
films you did as a child?
A: After my phase as a child actor, I wasn't sure whether
I wanted to continue as an actor. I wasn't sure of anything.
My Dad told me to take a clean break from acting. In Class
11 and 12, I just enjoyed my school and friends and studies.
Q: Then the acting bug bit you again?
A: Yup. Once an actor always an actor, In college I found
myself doing a lot of amateur theatre, also 30-35 street plays.
I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be nothing but an actor now.
Q: How did you get the chance to do the play that
you are going to be doing at the National Centre Of Performing
Arts?
A: When director Abhishek Pattnaik offered me a chance to
share theatre space with stalwarts like Dalip Tahil and Ananth
Mahadevan in a play called 'Can I Help You?', I didn't have
to think very hard before accepting the offer. This was just
the kind of challenge I was looking for to take me into mature
acting.
Q: Tell me about your role?
A: I play a character called Rikhab who is an aggressive
fast bowler. I know fast bowlers are aggressive any way. But
Rikhab's aggression goes beyond the cricket field. He is angry,
he is resentful, he is seething from inside...until something
happens to him. The character has fantastic growth during
the course of the play. I feel very lucky to have got this
role.
Q: Are you looking at a career in Bollywood?
A: Oh absolutely. But I am not in a hurry. I am only 19.
I won't sign a predictable teenybopper debut where I have
to dance and sing and romance a chick. I want a debut as a
leading man that would be a worthy follow-up to 'Taare Zameen
Par'. In the meanwhile I am committed to my play for two years.
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