I hope to make it to the A-list in future: Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput’s last release Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! may have been a dampener at the box office, but his performance was lauded across the board. Of course, he doesn’t control the numbers, but as far as grasping a character is concerned, Sushant has always been on top of his game. The actor, who is extremely choosy about his projects, is currently in Ranchi shooting for a biopic on Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In a chat over the phone, he talks about his experiences in films, why he keeps a low profile and the good, bad and ugly of being an outsider in Bollywood. Excerpts:

You seem to be on top of your game these days. And you have always been selective about the roles you take up. Is there someone you consult while making career decisions I am just warming up (smiles). I sure hope to up my game very soon. As far as career choices are concerned, choosing to become an actor came to me quite naturally. Once I completely immersed myself in performing arts, I realised it was for me and I gave up engineering. What I’m trying to say is that it’s an instinctive process, visceral and organic. So I usually go with my gut feel.

You came from the TV industry and yet, right from the start you got to work with some very big names in Bollywood. It’s not something we see happening too often My journey in acting has been 10 years of my life, from theatre to television to films. From an actor’s perspective, I feel the fundamental laws of connecting with the audience are the same. You need to convince yourself about the story and the character and then you need to pretend almost to an extent of believing in it. I have managed to sustain the level of curiosity for this art. I also feel that as an industry we really need to create an environment where filmmakers, who have an original voice, can thrive. Personally, I have always tried to do something new and I think that is one reason why I get to work with such amazing directors.

You opted for Paani and left Fitoor, which is being helmed by the director (Abhishek Kapoor) you worked with in your debut. Do you think that was a bad decision, considering Paani is not happening... No, I didn’t leave Fitoor for Paani. I signed Fitoor, gave them my dates and was extremely excited about it. But unfortunately, it got pushed by months and the dates eventually coincided with Paani. So I had to let go of Fitoor. As far as Paani is concerned, I still feel, with the kind of script it is and the kind of vision Shekhar (Kapur) has, it will and should be made.

Being an outsider, and not being part of any camp in the industry, how difficult (or easy) is it to bag roles As an outsider, it is extremely difficult to get the roles you want to do and I knew that right from the first day I signed up for this job. But then I got the roles I wanted, so I have no reason to complain. I feel outsiders are initially scrutinised a bit more and there is a certain amount of nepotism within the industry. But I also believe that if you are a really passionate and professional actor, these things will cease to matter after some time and people would want to work with you.

It was reported that Karan Johar asked Alia Bhatt not to take up Raabta, because he only wants her to work with A-listers. How did you take that I don’t know this for a fact, so I can’t comment on it. All I can say is that I am living my dream right now and I am very, very excited. I hope to make it to the A-list in future and get to work with more people.

You are shooting for Dhoni right now and there is another biopic being shot on Mohammad Azharuddin. Both films are slated to release next year. Does that increase the pressure a wee bit I don’t see a problem with two biopics being made on two cricketers. The stories are about different lives and I am sure they would be diametrically opposite. I have done my homework and Neeraj Pandey is a fabulous filmmaker, who knows exactly what he is doing. And as far as cricket is concerned, honestly, I have trained so hard with Kiran More sir in last year that I might as well think of cricket as an alternate profession now. (Smiles)

You have been a part of the industry for quite sometime now. But you are not really spotted hanging out too often with your Bollywood contemporaries Honestly, I really want to, and I make sure I attend all the social dos to which I get invited. But unfortunately, the number of invites that come my way are very few. So I cannot do anything about it but sulk.

You also do seem to hang out with Farah Khan and Sanjay Bhansali often I have a high regard for them. Whenever we meet, I ask them a lot of questions, which they very patiently answer. And just by hanging out with them, you feel good about yourself.