SSR

After his impressive debut in Kai Po Che, the industry seems to have sat up and taken notice of Sushant Singh Rajput, one of the latest entrants to the Bollywood young brigade. After a successful stint on television, where he was one of the most popular actors, Sushant seems to have made a smooth transition into films. Now with prestigious projects such as Shudh Desi Romance and Byomkesh Bakshi, both backed by Yash Raj Films, Sushant seems to have left his small screen days far behind.

He says, "I have done seven years of theatre before venturing into television. What's amazing is that even after all these years, I still feel like I am learning something new and adding more skills to my craft. There was a time I would visit the Yash Raj studios to rehearse as a background dancer. And now I am sitting in the same office and interacting with the media. So yes, life has definitely changed a lot."

With such success, one would expect his family to be ecstatic. Sushant laughs it off saying that's not exactly the case. "I started off as an engineer and my family considered it a respectable profession. But soon I realised I wasn't happy with my job. Then I started training in dance and also learned martial arts. No one in my family is connected to the entertainment industry in any way. So they weren't too happy when I joined it. I think it's only now that they are slowly getting used to watching me on the big screen," he says.

Ask him when was the first time he felt like a filmstar and he says, "While shooting for Kai Po Che I didn't feel anything. It was only when I was out to promote the film that I saw how ecstatic fans really were. That's when the feeling sank in. Now, that I am promoting Shudh Desi Romance, the feeling is back."

Sushant, who didn't have a leading lady in his last film, has been compensated with two in this one. "It's been great working with Parineeti Chopra and Vaani Kapoor. I share a good comfort level with both of them, so the intimate sequences weren't a problem. As far as leading ladies are concerned, I'm okay with even three or four. Keep them coming!" he says with a laugh.

Another big venture that Sushant is a part of is Raju Hirani's P.K. with Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma. There has already been some controversy surrounding it with Anushka saying some not so nice things about Sushant. He brushes it off however. "I think the media blew the matter out of proportion. It was fun shooting with Anushka and I would love to work with her again," he says. As far as Byomkesh Bakshi is concerned, Sushant doesn't reveal much except that he plans to add his own touch to the popular character.

While Ekta Kapoor gave him his first break on television with Pavitra Rishta, Sushant is yet to collaborate with her on the big screen. "If something good comes up, we'll definitely work together," he says.

On the personal front too Sushant seems no less sorted. He has been dating his Pavitra Rishta co-star Ankita Lokhande for four years now. Speaking about what keeps them going strong, Sushant says, "I think it's all about the connect. First you need to be sure if it's love or infatuation. Once you are sure that this is the person you want to be with, there is no looking back. And no matter how busy you are, you will always make time for each other."