Pavan Malhotra says there's nothing offensive about nepotism but lauds Kangana

Mumbai: National award-winning actor Pavan Malhotra, who was typecast as a serious actor, proved it wrong with his phenomenal performance in Anees Bazmee’s commercial comedy flick ‘Mubarakan’. With an aggressive desire of acting in various genres, he has 8-10 films lined up in his list, with ‘Judwaa 2’ topping it. Thirty years in the industry and the method actor has happily survived the choppy waters of Bollywood. Being an outsider, the actor put forth his views on nepotism and expressed his fondness for the fierce Kangana Ranaut.

Excerpts from the interview:

Mubarakan is doing exceptionally well at the Box Office, how does it feel?

I’m feeling very good about it. The audience does not connect me with comedy genre, though I always wanted to be a part of all kind of cinema. When people question me saying that you aren’t doing a commercial potboiler, I just wait for a good dose. ‘Mubarakan’ is a commercial and a family film, which at the end is doing well at the Box-Office.

Your next film is David Dhawan’s ‘Judwaa 2,’ please elaborate about your character in this film?

I’m playing the character of a UK cop, and the role is drastically different from what I essayed in ‘Mubarakan.’ David Dhawan’s style of work is different. When you’re working with him, he likes it being more animated.

What attracts you towards a script?

There are combinations of few things. Firstly, my role is very important, whom I’m working with, and secondly what kind of a story I’m going to be a part of.

How do you react when people recognize you by the name of your film characters than your actual name?

A director friend of mine once told me, “You should feel good about it that they remember you by your character.” I don’t have any fixed mannerism. Of course, it’s every actor’s dream to be known by ones name. The fact that people still talk about my character of Tiger Menon from ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,’ it feels satisfactory. At times, on roads people still don’t recognise me, but when they realise that I’m an actor, I’m Pavan Malhotra, the feeling is inexpressible.

Are you happy with the way your journey has shaped up in Bollywood?

My journey has been extremely good. I’m really thankful to Almighty and destiny. The directors, who I didn’t know, showed immense faith in me and approached me solely after seeing my work. I’m trying to do different characters, which come to me through scripts; I do not get something from home. I always feel that what if I haven’t made my place in the centre of the film industry’s collage, I’ve made one in the corner and that corner is entirely mine. I would want to continue working. I might even make mistakes at times, but that’s how one improves. I do feel that I could have done lot of work; there was a long gap in between. I’ve been very choosy with my films because I believe that you don’t have to do anything and everything. Sometimes you just have to patiently wait.

Does that indicate that you don’t go out fetching work, it comes across to you directly?

Yes. I’ve realised that I’ll only get the things that’s written in my destiny. I do not like to socialise and ask work for myself, I’m bad at it. All that I’ve received has come into my lap. Whenever I tried running behind things, the faster I ran, the further my destination went. Therefore, I’ve realised, if work has to come to you, it will eventually come. You don’t have to chase it.

Did you always aspire on being an actor?

When I started doing theatre in Delhi, I never thought that I would go to Mumbai and be an actor there. It just happened in the process. I’m very lucky that something that started as a hobby has now become my profession. It’s been a good and enjoyable journey, though it could have been better.

Since you had no contacts in Bollywood, and being an outsider then, did you ever feel the existence of nepotism in the industry, which is an ongoing debate?

I really like the way Kangana Ranaut speaks. (She triggered the debate on nepotism) Although I haven’t seen that interview (where she accused Karan Johar for being the “flag-bearer of nepotism”) Till date, I haven’t met her, but as an artist and actor, what she’s doing is commendable. I have read/seen most of her interviews and she speaks extremely well. As far as nepotism is concerned, it’s not a serious conversation. It simply can’t be termed as black-and-white, there’s also a shade of grey to it. I’m sure nepotism exists in every profession. At the same time, people like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar have conquered the industry; even they were outsiders when they joined. On the other side, people like me have survived for 30 years in this industry, which is a huge thing. I feel that she has the right to speak her mind. There’s nothing to feel offensive about it. Now, even Karan Johar apologised for it on national television and asked to finish this debate, Saif Ali Khan wrote an open letter, after their remarks at an award function on Kangana.