Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 25, 2018)

Bollywood's brightest often state that they turn to personal experiences for inspiration, to breathe life into their characters. For Prateik Babbar, recounting memories from his troubled past — that admittedly involved an addiction to drugs — helped him play the antagonist in Mulk.

“I hung around with the wrong people and did all the wrong things that I could possibly do. I took inspiration from that phase of my life to play this character,” the actor tells mid-day of his role of a terrorist in the Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu starrer.

Having explored a grey character in Baaghi 2 earlier, the actor says essaying the part of a fanatic was on his wish list for the challenges it entails. “I was always interested in exploring the character of a terrorist. I researched on [American terrorist] David Headley by watching videos made on him, and also read the book The Mind of A Terrorist: The Strange Case of David Headley. I also watched a lot of movies and shows, including including the British drama, The State.”

Following a low-key engagement to filmmaker Sanya Sagar in January, the actor intends to tie the knot next year. “Right now, we are busy with our respective careers. We might settle down next year. She has brought a lot of stability in my life and I am thankful for that.”