Mohit Madaan “I’d opt for content over the director”

Mohit Madaan who has played a pivotal role in Aksar 2 (a sequel to the 2006 film Aksar) is a Delhi born Business Professional degree holder whose parents migrated to New Zealand, where he did his schooling and college. JAYVEE talks to the guy who completed his degree in Business in Information Management and pursued Chartered Accountancy, before he made his debut as an actor with Love Exchange.

What drew you towards acting?
It was while in New Zealand that I developed keen interest watching Hindi films. Being a crazy fan of SRK and Akshay Kumar, I must have watched practically every Hindi film screened there. While working there as an external auditor, I attended New York Film Academy for film making and acting courses. Though getting degrees and paper certificates are just a theory for your foundation in the profession, whatever you learn practically in the field on the job creates more weightage for you as an individual.

Why did you not try for acting offers in Hollywood?
Having no filmy connection at all, I am in Bombay since 3-4 years yearning to make it big in Bollywood though I have had offers for roles in Hollywood films, and hence opted for Bollywood. When my parents moved back to India, I decided to try it out in Bollywood itself as I am deeply rooted in the Indian culture. I began my acting career in Hindi films with my debut film Love Exchange, a family-romantic drama in which I played a middle class Marathi ‘mulga’.

What was your role in the film Aksar 2?
I play Bachchan Singh who is a good character who is eventually trapped in the mind games and appears to change shades somewhere or the other due to changes in the circumstances all because of the universal evil within an individual – attraction for big money.

What was Aksar 2 which was released recently all about?
It is a suspense thriller about intense mind games going on between three pivotal characters with an eye on usurping money which is the root of all evil. Aksar 2 is a fast paced film which will keep the audience guessing till the end with a lot of twists and turns all throughout. The pivotal characters are unknowingly and unwittingly get trapped as they individually see an opportunity to get easy money which eventually comes with consequences. Because of the circumstances all the characters get tied to each other.

You did a grey character in the film!
All of us have a bit of grey in us because somewhere or the other at some moments one is a little bit selfish – that is what you are doing – you look out for yourself.

Doesn’t working for television excite you?
Every time something came up, it would always clash with his film shooting schedules, though I am keen to do television too. Television today requires you as an actor to be committed for a longer time on a daily basis, and hence I could not take up anything on that front being an ethical person himself aiming to do anything seriously when committed.

How did you land up with doing Aksar 2?
There were a few films coming my way but didn’t want to rush into anything I am not confident about. All of a sudden the opportunity for Aksar 2 when I happened to meet Narendra Bajaj who called me for a casual meet where director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan too was present. We conversed for a while and they called me the next day and had 3 to 4 auditions, till I was overjoyed when finally they offered me the character of Bachchan Singh’s in Aksar 2.

How was it working with Zarine Khan, Gautam Rode and Abhinav Shukla?
Though I thought that she would come with her own baggage as she had earlier acted with stars like Salman Khan, Zareen Khan is so sweet that she made me feel that I am working with friends, Gautam Rodey is a very disciplined actor and Abhinav Shukla is an established TV actor. But the entire credit ought to go to director Ananth Mahadevan who is an actor himself who made sure that each and every one of us worked together as a team.

What are your upcoming films after Aksar 2?
After Aksar 2 my next upcoming film is ‘Ishq Tera’ which is in post production now and it stars Hrishtaa Bhatt, as the leading lady. The film is directed by Jojo D’Souza and produced by Deepak Bandekar. It is a love story about commitment to love about a couple and is a family drama. Another film which is in the initial stages – a thriller romance-comedy directed by Awni Agrawal which will be going on floors the next month.

Who are the directors who are in your wish list?
Though I’d opt for content any day over the director, I’d also say that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani and Imtiaz Ali are in my wish list of directors with whom I’d love to work with in Bollywood.

Where do you see yourself in Bollywood a few years down the line?
For me as an actor – my journey should be moving ahead and should not bring me a step back because in our industry, the script is the king. If you choose a wrong film even after using your best judgment, you lose almost a year of your career. I take time to select films as I deeply think about the character I would be playing in the film and whether I would be able to relate to it and fully justify the role or not. Say five years hence, I would like to be much ahead of what I am today and be known as a good actor, a director’s actor and an actor who is widely appreciated by the audience.

Does it mean that you do not want to be a star?
I’d like to grow in life and not go back or look at my life back and be a star after proving
myself as an actor first. I’d say that you are in a wrong profession, if you come here just to be a star. first.