A known name in the theatre circuit, Jim Sarbh caught our attention in Ram Madhvani's Neerja. While he revels in his new-found fame, he's fiercely guarded about his life beyond the silver screen. Among his next releases is Dinesh Vijan's Raabta, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon. BT caught up with the Parsi boy over a cuppa coffee...

From studying psychology to doing theatre and now acting in commercial cinema, how challenging was it for you to adapt?
I never look at it as Bollywood versus Indie versus theatre. You just learn the rules of each medium. Even theatre productions have different rules. You can be completely bombastic in Atul Kumar's Noises Off. Rehaan Engineer's plays require you to be a bit real. Likewise, each film is different. The acting that Sanjay Leela Bhansali wants is different from what Rajkumar Hirani expects (He will be seen in SLB's Padmavati and Hirani's Sanjay Dutt biopic).

Any myths about movies that were broken once you got into them?
You think there's a lot more magic in it than there actually is. At the end of the day, it's just a job. Once you get into it, you realise how some things are just practised to manipulate the camera. When you work in a film, you wonder 'Oh, they are putting glycerine in their eyes. This person is not feeling anything!' When you watch it, you go, 'It worked so well. How did that happen?'

What drew you to Raabta?
The fight in Raabta is about what will be versus what you want to make it. I liked how if things had gone slightly different, my character would have been the hero of his own little story. In life, we only meet grey characters. There are some who veer towards the white and some towards the black end of the spectrum. While we are still stuck doing films about such (unrealistic) characters, what struck me about Raabta is that, if Zak (his character) can only let go of his desire to control destiny, he could be a perfectly happy human being.

Isn't it a tad cynical to believe that everyone has a grey streak in them?
Everyone has the potential to be all kinds of things. No one is one thing or the other. Do you know of anyone who sweeps you off your feet and is always good to you all the time? No way. People are shi*** most of the time. Nobody has the patience and energy to be always good to you. Miss and Mr Right don't exist. We are fed this fairy tale from the beginning and we suddenly wake up at 24 or 25 and realise that everyone cheats, everyone lies and no one lives in this fantasy of monogamy. No person is going to come and save you. We are constantly fighting our desire to be those people. We keep telling ourselves, 'this is wrong', 'that is bad', 'it doesn't happen'. Not only does it happen all the time, but it need not necessarily be wrong or bad. That's just the way things are. The more we understand and accept that, the more we can decide how we want to live.

Neerja earned you some massive female fan following. How does it feel to be liked and hounded for pictures?
It feels very nice. I like to be appreciated but I don't completely understand this selfie thing. What happens afterwards? Do you frame it or show it to other people? When I see somebody who I have admired or when I see somebody in a film or otherwise, there's an excitement to let him/her know how much I appreciate their work. I can tell my friends later that I met so and so and they will believe me. Why do I need photographic documentation? Also, I am not a photo guy anyway. I never say, 'Guys, let's take a picture of this moment'. I'd rather be in the moment.

There is a tendency in the film industry to stereo type actors based on their popular roles.
I don't believe in these binaries. A good actor will always get his due. I hope I can play all kinds of diverse roles.

You are quite outspoken. If you don't agree with the sensibility of a director, do you give your inputs?
I feel everyone should be given an opportunity to say what's on their mind. I try, but in the end, it's the director's medium. I do my thing within the realms of what he wants. That or you just have to wait till a point where you can call the shots. I am not at that point yet. I also feel that people let you try your thing if they know you can act or have successful films to your credit.

On a lighter note, you shifted from South Mumbai to Versova a year back. How has the change been?
It was an easy transition. I felt like I slipped into my real home in Mumbai. Also, I recently realised that I don't have any friends in South Mumbai anymore; everyone is in the suburb. I just miss my Parsi food though, as you don't get that a lot around this area.

How do you unwind? Going offline is the new luxury, isn't it?
I like to do movie marathons. Since I am travelling too much, I like to just alone, sit in my house whenever I can. Stay watch films. If I manage to get a few days off, then I like to go to Goa or Kamshet, where I don't have the desire to look at my phone. I keep it in the room and go for a swim.

You are fiercely private about your personal life...
I don't understand why my love life is of anybody's concern. I don't know why anyone even cares about it. Read on any other subject in the world other than who I am dating. Who gives a damn?