Summary 40-year-old actor feels nostalgic about Jabalpur, his hometown in Madhya Pradesh.
MUMBAI (Web Desk) - The 40-year-old actor, who was born in the state s marble-rock city of Jabalpur, was in a nostalgic mood when he visited Indore recently for promoting his upcoming film.
"I was born in MP, so I never miss a chance to come back here for one reason or the other. And I always go back to Mumbai a lot more happy," says Arjun Rampal.
Reminiscing about his days while shooting for Raajneeti, Chakravyuh and Satyagraha, the actor continues, "We have shot some very difficult films in MP, and it became possible only because of the cooperative janta here.
You don t have to worry about unscrupulous elements disrupting your shoot. I m also fond of Bhopali paans and Indori food. Every time I visit these cities I try to get my hands on the local delicacies. In short, I m proud to be MP-born."
"I ve been lucky to get some path-breaking films"
From a ramp model to winning the National Award for Rock On!, Arjun has come a long way. He opens up about breaking the notion that models can t act, and taking criticism in his stride.
He says, "Perceptions are meant to change and I have always believed that actions speak louder than words. Nobody thought I would ever win a National Award.
But with the kind of films I did and am still doing, today people know that if they have to come and watch my movie, they won t be expected to leave their brains at home.
“Yes, when I was trying to establish a foothold in films, our industry was going through its worst period. Whether it was the content or the songs or lyrics - everything was in bad shape.”
“Had we continued that way, it would have been nothing but a trip downhill. I suffered from lack of motivation and that reflected on my acting. But I ve been lucky to get some path-breaking films, which proved to be the turning point in my career. ”
The Last Lear or Raajneeti, directors started working in a different way. Filmmakers like Ritu da ( Rituparno Ghosh) and Prakash sir ( Prakash Jha) have taught me different methods of approaching a character. Also, today the entire schedule of a movie is finished off early and does not stretch for months."
And is he happy with the kind of scripts that are coming his way? "To a point, yes. But I like my films to have a certain amount of realism - something that s thought provoking and intelligently written.
More than the amount on the pay cheque, I look for a level of respectability as an actor. If you are patient enough to wait for the right script, it isn t very tough to survive here," he answers.
