Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; June 11, 2018)

Saqib Saleem is unaffected by the trappings of show business. Even though he has been an actor in the industry for close to seven years, he is still a huge Bollywood fanboy at heart. In a freewheeling chat with BT, the actor, who wants Race 3 to change the course of his career, talks about sharing screen space with Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan and Bobby Deol and why he will never let success go to his head. Excerpts...

Race 3 is the third instalment of a popular franchise starring some of the biggest names in Bollywood. Will being a part of a film like this change the course of your career?
Well, I would want Race 3 to change the course of my career, but whether that will happen is something which we will know only when the film releases. Main second gear mein gaadi chalaake thak gaya hoon. Jab tak aap gaadi ko chauthe ya paanchve gear mein nahi dalte, toh baat nahi banti. So, I am hoping Race 3 changes the gears in my career. Things happen overnight for some people, not everyone. The goal in my life is to grow and become better than before. I hope the way people perceive me changes after this film. I want the whole country to love me and I have no qualms in admitting it.

While the aspiration for stardom is something that you have developed recently, was cinema a childhood passion?
I am a kid who grew up watching mainstream Hindi films like Sholay, Satte Pe Satta and Mr India. I wouldn’t eat my food till I didn’t see ‘The End’ flashing on screen. I am a huge film buff. In those days, growing up in Delhi, we would get our information about the film industry from film magazines and I had a huge collection of that. But at no point did I think that I would be an actor. I was an admirer of Hindi cinema. I watched a lot of Hollywood and world cinema, but I would like to believe that I am an encyclopedia of Hindi films. Hum desi log hain, aur bachpan mein kisi ne Iranian picture nahi dikhayi. A lot of people ask me, if I aspire to do films in Hollywood. If I get a chance, I would love to. But I feel that I owe it to my upbringing and the cinema I grew up on, to achieve something first in our film industry, and then venture out. We have the best example in Priyanka Chopra. She is a legit star who has crossed over seamlessly. Aisa nahi hona chahiye ki Hollywood ki bus nikal rahi hai aur sab baith jao. That doesn’t make sense.

One of the films that you grew up on was Mr India and in Race 3,you are sharing screen space with Anil Kapoor. Life throws up a lot of surprises, doesn’t it?
I wasn’t intimidated or nervous about working with anybody in this film because I had met everyone earlier. In Race 3, the only person I was scared of working with was Anil Kapoor. I was on my toes trying to figure out how I can make him feel that I am a good actor. I wanted to impress him and I can say that unabashedly. I had already shot for about eight days before I shot with him. All I could think of was, how am I going to face the camera along with Mr India? I prepped a lot even though it was a simple scene. He was on the set before me, so I ran inside thinking that I can’t make a senior actor like him wait. As soon as he saw me, he gave me a hug and complimented me about how good I was looking. That put me at ease immediately and also calmed me down. There is a scene in the film's climax where there is Mr India (Anil Kapoor) to my left, Prem (Salman Khan) to my right and Soldier (Bobby Deol) in front of me. All I could think then was, how did I get here (laughs!)? It was surreal. In my head, I am still a middle-class Delhi boy and I can’t get over the fact that I am an actor.

Despite growing up on a dose of commercial Hindi cinema, you didn’t shy away from experimenting with your choice of roles. In your third film, Bombay Talkies (anthology of short films), you played a gay character. Were you apprehensive about its reception, when you chose to play that role?
When I was offered that role, I did say ‘No’ to it. I wasn’t sure I was that evolved. I come from an orthodox Muslim family. I was wondering mummy-papa kya bolenge if I kiss a guy on screen. From day one, there was a kiss in the film. I thought my parents would be uncomfortable; I thought I will hold back and won’t do the role with conviction. But then I met Karan (Johar, director) for the first time in my life and he gave me a narration. He was so convinced and clear about what he was making that I realised that I would be a fool if I didn't do the film. I was getting the chance to be in a film directed by one of the biggest directors in the country, share screen space with one of the biggest stars, Rani Mukerji, act opposite a superb actor like Randeep Hooda and also be in a film that was celebrating 100 years of cinema — what was there not to say yes. If I choose roles based on the sexuality of my characters, I am not a true actor. I cannot be stereotyped. I want to do all kinds of films and roles. I am discovering myself by being part of varied films. In fact, this film was instrumental in making me realise that I really loved being in front of the camera.

Given the fact that you come from a non-film background, did showbiz demand a change in your mindset and way of life?
My parents and my friends help in keeping me grounded. My parents are unaffected by what my sister Huma (Qureshi) and I do in our professional lives. The conversation between them and me is not about how much a film has made at the box office. But, I do have that kind of conversations with Huma. So, I lead a balanced life. I have had too many people telling me that success is difficult to handle. I tell them that they should ask someone who has experienced failure about the importance of success. I have had a few flops and that’s why I understand what success means. Hence, I know that I will not let success go to my head.

On another note, are you in a relationship with anyone?
I am single till I get married and marriage is not happening any time soon.