What do you make of your success in Bollywood?
Whatever I have achieved today, I feel it’s a huge milestone for me. Films were never on my mind – I come from a theatrical background. They are completely different worlds. Whatever I have done so far is on my own merit.
There are two kinds of success stories – the overnight superstars and the people who take their time to reach the top. I’ll surely be going the latter route.
I’ve had a blast so far in our industry. The way things are going is amazing. Right from the beginning, I consciously chose to do films with big co-stars. Rocket Singh with Ranbir Kapoor was a great starting point that got me noticed. Then came Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji with Ajay Devgn and now Housefull 2 with Shreyas Talpade. In between I did two South Indian movies with big stars.
I have no qualms in saying I’ve worked damn hard. I also want to take time out to do theatre this year. It’s time.
What was it like working with Sajid Khan?
Everyone knows Sajid is a crazy director. His Housefull was a super hit. Here he’s gone 10 times madder. I’ve seen Housefull five times and I think it’s the funniest movie ever.
These are the kind of films I’ve always wanted to do. It can’t get more commercial than this.
Sajid knows his game. I am enjoying being in this mad set-up. There is crazy comedy and lots of mistaken identities and this film has me looking more like a Hindi film heroine.
Sajid cracks a joke a second. You can’t stand still on set. In a serious scene, you have to laugh first and then act.
Do you think audiences will take to Housefull 2?
To pull off a film with so many actors is not a joke. It’s like you’re paying to watch one movie and are getting double, triple, even more, in return by seeing a gamut of stars. From Akshay to John to Johnny Lever to Shreyas to Riteish to veterans like Mithunda, Rishiji, Randhirji, it’s a dream come true for any individual.
What was it like working with Shreyas?
Shreyas is king of comedy. That’s his genre. Having a good co-star is so important. The weaker your co-star, the weaker your performance. I am a struggler right now. But with experience and expertise of Shreyas, he got out the best out of me. He is one of India’s finest comic talents.
And your other on-set colleagues?
What I’ve learnt from Ranbir is quite rare. I barely had 10 days to shoot with him. I am addicted to his focus. He has tunnel vision, like a horse with blinkers. Ajay Devgn has been my favourite. He is so effortless. I just never felt that he acts. Ranbir is like that. Not many people know this, but Sajid Nadiadwala is a great actor. Someone should cast him in a comic role. One night we all played Charades and that’s when I realised that he’s a great actor. - BollywoodHungama.com