'I had a major fight with Ranveer Singh in school'

Bilal Amrohi, 30, is the grandson of Kamal Amrohi, the great director who directed cult classics Pakeezah and Taj Mahal. Naughty and affectionate, he prides himself in being the favourite of his three mothers " his tayee Mrs Shandar Amrohi, his own mother Niloufer Amrohi and Alvira Agnihotri. Ahead of his debut film O Teri, he talks to Bombay Times about his hero Salman Khan, his mentor Atul Agnihotri and why he will marry Kumar Gaurav's daughter, Saachi. Excerpts:

Why did you choose to be an actor? I am born, bred and brought up in Mumbai and have all through been a Bandra boy. My grandfather Kamal Amrohi directed and produced movies and owned the Kamalistan Studio. He had two sons, the older Shandar (who died three years back) and my father Tajdar. I have three very protective mothers " one, my own mother Niloufer Amrohi, second my taya Shandar Amrohi's wife, who raised me, and the third, Baby Ma (Alvira Agnihotri). My taya didn't have children and so his wife took care of me. That is why I am a little more spoilt than usual. I went to Learners Academy, Bandra, but was very naughty in school and was horrible in studies. Ranveer Singh was a year junior to me and while now we are buddies, in school we had a major fight. He too was very naughty. I was initially a year senior to him, but failed in Class VIII when suddenly I found myself in his class. I was a little bit of a sweet kamina type. The tension had anyways always been building up between us as I was his senior, but being in the same class it got worse. So we had a proper mukka mukki and had a go at each other. Of course, we finally got tired of hitting each other and hugged each other finally. I dropped out of school after Class X and first assisted JP Dutta in LOC after which I started assisting Atul bhai (Atul Agnihotri) and have been with him ever since.


I look at Atul bhai's place as my playground and do whatever work is given to me. He is a father figure and guide to me and we have this great camaraderie and rapport, and I love him. I sometimes call him just Atul or even Papa. I always wanted to be an actor. My dad also directed a film Ek Number Ka Chor, where my older brother debuted as a child artiste. I remember going on the set and watching everyone giving so much attention to the actor that I had decided that I too wanted to be one.

How did O Teri happen? I partied so much that I would just be partying every night till I eventually got fed up of it and was totally done with it at 21. I have known Varun Dhawan and Ranveer since I was a kid and had seen everyone come into films. I was 25 when Atul bhai said, 'I want you to now look at acting', which is when I went to LA to study acting. When I came back, our families were holidaying together in Dubai when I told Atul bhai, 'I am ready' and he decided to make O Teri.

You are debuting at 30. Did you lose confidence? I remember the first day of acting school in LA. They switched on the camera and said, 'Speak anything you wish to for two minutes, you can even speak lies, but speak.' That was the first time I was standing in front of the camera. And all I managed to say was, 'I am Bilal Amrohi from India.' I thought to myself whether it was too late and whether my confidence had been broken, as just before going to LA I had already started feeling that it was too late and started questioning whether I could become an actor at all. I am still shy and like to be around people I trust.


Do you have a hero you look up to? Only Salman Khan. I got my navel pierced as he got his pierced during Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. I started working out because of him. I have grown up watching Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail and Atul bhai. My mom ties rakhi to Salman bhai. The person I love the most is Atul bhai. While I was assisting him, he would come and pick me up as if he was taking me to school. Atul bhai has always been very protective towards me. He is always very calm and composed. When he loves you, he spoils you and I love that.

Who do you love the most in the world? My mother. I have been very close to her. When I failed, everyone judged me except for my mom and my nani. My nani was not educated, but she would say, 'Chhodo chhodo bahut lambi zindagi hai.'

Despite your family disputes, you are so close to your father's older brother's wife.We lived in the same house till I was 21 and my amma (Shandar Amrohi's wife) raised me. Even when my dad and taya were in a legal battle, he was completely fine with me going to his brother's house and calling his wife amma. My taya too would love me. I meet her almost every single day even today and she is very loving. She is old-fashioned like my nani, who will feed me with her hands and will always say, 'Baba kamzor ho gaya hai.' My own mother is very secure. I have kind of segregated my mothers " Mrs Shandar Amrohi (my amma and tayee) is the one who brought me up and I become a baby in front of her. My mom is someone I am not afraid to make mistakes in front of, she loves me unconditionally and I know that she will not judge me. And with Baby Ma, she is as right as it comes. I listen to her. I am also very secure when Atul bhai is around me. I think I am a little bit of a baby and don't mind being that way.

Are you in a relationship currently? My first girlfriend was at 13. Past four years, I am in a relationship with Saachi Kumar (Kumar Gaurav's daughter). Saachi is into fashion designing and is very good at that. She is lovely and very supportive. She likes the fact that I am a bit of a brat. But she knows that I may seem a little brattish, but I am really not and I will marry her.

What are you like? I have so many moods. I have learnt to control my anger by doing kickboxing and yoga. But I know I will never lie to hurt somebody. Innocent lies is okay. I am stubborn and I want things very fast. I get very anxious and hyper. I am honest. My mother knows that I will not put on a garb of lies and everything is black-and-white about me. I think that is what all my women like about me. I want to make my family proud of me. But for now, I am just happy that the family I grew up with is where I am debuting as an actor.