‘I don’t fear failure’, says Himesh Reshammiya

He has tried several times in the past and failed miserably, but Himesh Reshammiya does not want to give up on his dream of becoming a movie star. Not yet. His film The Xpose is set to hit the theatres this week and Himesh is optimistic. He says, “There can never be another Kishore Kumar. I agree that my films have flopped and I have been slammed for my nasal voice, my look and my dialogue delivery. But every time I got a negative feedback, I went out of my way to work on it. I’m unapologetic about multi-tasking.” Himesh adds, “From being a television producer to a musician, an actor and a film producer, I would like to believe there has been growth in my career.”

He had maintained a low profile for quite sometime before returning with The Xpose. “Taking a sabbatical from acting and music was a conscious decision. A lot of people were already copying my style and my music. The two years, when I was on a break, I composed 500 songs. I was not sitting idle and worrying about not getting work. I have always believed in reinventing myself and taking risks. I don’t fear failure. Every aspect of my life has taught me a lesson,” Himesh says.

This is also the first time that Himesh has collaborated with rapper sensation Yo Yo Honey Singh. The film marks Honey’s acting debut as well. Speaking of their rapport, Himesh says, “Honey and I work in perfect tandem. As musicians we don’t try to overshadow each other. The man is hugely popular and I knew from the start that he would be an asset to the film.” Reacting to talks of the songs of The Xpose being inspired from some other films, he says, “No, the songs of this film aren’t inspired from any other film. I’d like to clarify that this has always been my style of music. You can check the work I have done in the past.”

His look in the film has become the talk of the town. Himesh says, “I have worked really hard for the film and I had to lose a lot of weight. I used to do face exercise, among other workouts. I would ensure my dinner would be done by 9 and my diet was strictly controlled.”

Himesh would love to work with big stars but he says that his films don’t require the presence of big names. “The films I do don’t require top actresses. My films are made on a modest budget. But if I do get a chance and a good script, I’d definitely want to work with Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif,” says Himesh, who doesn’t believe in camps. “Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan are my friends. We have done some good work together. The actor I work with has to inspire me. I don’t believe in camps. I believe in equations,” he adds.

Himesh is not blind to the mistakes he has made in the past. “I failed because of my mistakes. Earlier I was not dedicated as an actor and that reflected in all my films. But Khiladi 786 changed my view. I got a lot of applause for being the comic element in the film,” he says. Himesh continues, “This whole game of hits and flops will always be there. As a musician and as an actor, I have survived because of my faith in my abilities. The degree of success may vary from film to film. As music director, all my songs have worked and as an actor, out of the four films I have done, only one worked.”

However, he remains unfazed by the negative feedback. “I don’t care about the allegations. I have seen success. Controversies and criticism only affect you when there is no success in your life. As long as a hit comes along, one shouldn’t care about what people say. With each film I have to better myself. Others’ opinions don’t matter to me at all. I am a multi-talented person and I try to work hard with a lot of dedication. I am a singer, actor and a music composer. So there are a lot of expectations,” he says.