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I'm Lovin' It!
He made his debut with Tum Bin. The film was a hit at the box-office. What followed were films like Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hain and Dil Ka Rista that really didn't make him go places. Then Pinjar brought him critical acclaim. Now with Julie and Mumkin on the brink of release, Priyanshu Chatterjee hopes to get the much-needed break. Over to Priyanshu.
Keeping with the bold film phase you have Julie on your hands.
It's my first bold film. But the scenes are there because the script needed them, not because 'Murder was a hit so let's duplicate it.' 'Director Deepak Shivdasani has shot them beautifully. It's the life of a prostitute, an adult film and has a different structure to it. The director has played interestingly with flashback and flashforwords. Yash Tonk and Sanjay Kapoor make out with Neha Dhupia. I play the good guy and don't (laughs). But the good guy gets her in the end.
Filmstar is with a woman director. Was the experience any different?
It was phenomenal working with Tanuja Chandra. She is excellent. An actor's director! She believes in giving space to the actor, letting the character blossom. I'm a director's actor so if the director has the grasp of the concept then so do I. Tanuja never interfered in what I was doing and I knew what she needed. As far as her being a woman it made no difference for I hail from a family of working parents. Filmstar is about a drunken lawyer who is beyond redemption. Disbarred, he redeems himself both professionally and personally. With this film, Tanuja has broken her mould of making women oriented films. Filmstar is a film about the system. About ordinary people, and famous people, people with a star status and privileges and people who have no status and have to fight for everything. Mahima was total fun, made everybody crack up on the sets all the time. It was fun working with her too.
Mahima refused to Kiss you...
Yes, because of her boyfriends, Leander Paes! Too much has been said about it. Mahima didn't feel right about the whole thing. She wasn't convinced but after she saw the film for the first time her first remark was, "Priyanshu I should have Kissed you. It would have added to the scene," But it was too late.
In Mumkin your role is being chopped to give John Abraham's prominence...
Rubbish! I always work with people with bound scripts because it means that those people are ready and committed. Mumkin is a psychological thriller. The girl played by Bipasha is traumatized and I bring her back to normalcy. I play an ad filmmaker, a perfectionist, emotional kind of guy who'll do anything to get back the love of his life. John is head of an anti-terrorist agency and it's a love triangle.
Did not having a hit after Tum Bin brother you?
"Hunger for success"-is my motto in life. I want to be successful in what I do but you're obviously referring to commercial success. For me, success is my achievement within a film. If a film has helped me learn eight out of ten things, I'd call it a major achievement. I think I am a successful actor for flops do not matter to me. I'm still getting offers and the industry has more faith in actors than in stars. But I admit that a hit is a benchmark for everyone and does bring in money and a dash of credibility.
What do you think went wrong with Aap Ko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai, Pinjar...?
Pinjar was with first times and one should always support them because they bring a certain newness to the industry. The detailing that went to the film delayed it but look at the end product irrespective of the box-office! It's a film I'm proud of. I don't know what went wrong with Aap Ko Pehle....I guess the script was not as powerful as expected. I didn't realize anything during the making but only during the end. I haven't seen the film because I can't put myself through the agony.
Are you okay with second leads in films like in Dil Ka Rishta, Pinjar?
I'm the hero of Julie. I save her from a life of disillusionment. I'm an actor . I don't mind the star status. As long as I have a good character graph I don't have a problem at all. Dil Ka Rishta was not a second lead. During Pinjar when I was narrated the script it seemed more like a brother-sister story, so to me I was the hero. That's how I did my job. My first priority is the role, even if I don't get top billing
Would it have helped your career if you had cashed in on the success of Tum Bin?
May be yes, May be no!. Back then, acting was a job for me. I didn't know that you were supposed to cash in on one's success. I was getting offers but didn't want to take them, not knowing that they wouldn't be there when I returned. I took time off, for the film was an emotional draining experience. I was just a model who had done a 'job' of acting in a film and had hit big time, so I went and signed up for acting workshops. I came back and of the twenty there were just three films were offered to me. Today, acting is fun and I'm loving it.
Have you made friends here?
Actor's lives are such that friendships change from project to projrct. You do a film, you meet new people, some become your friends, others move on. Few people connect on a different level beyond the film level and stay friends forever. So 'friendship' meams a different thing to many people out here. Of my Tum Bin cast, Himanshu Malik and Sandali Sinha are both good friends. When they call I'm there for them, when I call they're there for me.
Are you sour about your marriage not working out?
No, I'm happy that it didn't I'm thankful to my stars and to God. It was not meant to br and it ended amicably. It didn't hurt either of us and we moved on in life. It was great that both of us understood that this relationship was a bad deal. Either we could stay put, hurt each other forever and turn into very ugly people or end it and be normal.
Is it really possible to be friends with one's ex?
I don't think so. We can be cordial and say "Hi" or "Bye" but beyond that it's not possible.
Anything brewing in your personal life?
Nothing I live a boring life. I've been busy with work and haven't had the inclination or the time. There are many lovely girls around me but that's work and I like to keep work and my personal life separate.
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