Arshad's selfish motive in doing Bigg Boss
What attracted you to the show?
It's a great concept and a good show. It's like a film. I take up a film that I enjoy watching and this is a show that I'd like to watch. I've seen the international format and loved it. Besides being a good quality product, the time factor involved also suited me.
You've rejected a lot of television shows?
Not really! I wasn't offered too many shows and whatever was offered weren't good enough. But they were all in the discussion stage.
People said that you had become arrogant after the success of Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and started date problems!
(Laughs) I don't think I'm arrogant. I'm the last person who's arrogant. But the fact is I don't want to act on TV. I've films to act in, I don't want to kill that. I want to keep anchoring for TV and act in films.
What prompted you to take up TV when your film career is happening in a big way?
TV is huge now. I've decided to do TV at a time when things are working for me in films. I guess my level of insecurity is a little less as compared to other actors.
Did the fun element of hosting a show seem attractive?
I don't know about the fun bit but there's a selfish reason also in doing it. A lot of people know me as Circuit but they don't know me as a person. They think that's the real me. I haven't received any award for Circuit because they say that I wasn't acting. I was just being myself (laughs).
So what is the real Arshad Warsi like?
I'm a very regular, normal sort of guy with a good sense of humour.
People feel you were edited out in the second half of Lage Raho Munnabhai?
I wasn't there in the second half of Munnabhai M.B.B.S. also but people didn't notice it as I wasn't really doing films then. After that film, I think I invaded people's minds. That's why people are feeling that way. But I think I had a more defined role in Lage Raho...
Did you ever foresee what Munnabhai M.B.B.S. would do to your career?
Not at all! It's just that I did the film because I wasn't doing much then. It was a film in which I was a character doing comedy. But I knew that it was a good film and would do wonders for Sanju's career. In fact, I felt that it would harm my career even more as I would get only those kinds of offers. The industry is like that.
You've rejected a lot of film offers after Munnabhai!
I rejected all the offers where I was expected to do the same thing. I felt it wasn't right as Circuit was part of the Munnabhai property. It would have looked too cheesy and people wouldn't have liked me in Lage Raho... They'd say that they've already seen me doing this many times. I've also rejected a lot of ads where I was expected to sport the same look as Circuit. So I guess that's why I got the arrogant tag. You can't make everyone happy.
Did you really have a problem with Sanju and Vidhu Vinod Chopra?
No yaar! Why should I have a problem with them? Anyway, they are too big for me to have a problem with them or for them to have a problem with me.
Ramanathan signed you for Zamanat and refused to replace you with a saleable name during your low phase. How does it feel?
It's feels absolutely wonderful. I have so much respect for him. What makes me really happy is when he told me that what happened with me was exactly the same thing that had happened to Mr. Bachchan years back. He had signed Mr. Bachchan for Bombay To Goa, and all his distributors backed out. They even promised bigger money if he replaced Mr. Bachchan with a star. But he refused to budge like he did with me. He says that history repeated itself and today there are financiers coming forward to release his film. With so many years of experience, he knows who will last.
What equation do you share with the industry people today who ignored you during your low phase?
I'm a very practical guy and believe that there are people who will spend crores on you only if you get them returns. No one will do it for relationships or friends. Today I can get people their money back and they want to work with me. I'm fine with that. That's how the industry functions. I've signed some brilliant films and have Kabul Express, Zamanat and Dhamal releasing. I thank God that my bad time is over and just hope that my good time stays for long.
comment:
p_commentcount