Badshah on rejecting two promising offers before role of singer-rapper in Sonakshi Sinha-starrer came his way
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 9, 2019)

For an artiste who had often discussed his desire to venture into acting, revered rapper Badshah turned down way too many promising projects, including Vicky Kaushal's role in Lust Stories (2018), and that of Diljit Dosanjh in Good News.

"I rejected them because I wasn't confident enough," says the singer, who found common ground with his on-screen avatar in débutante director Shilpi Dasgupta's currently untitled forthcoming film. "I play a Punjabi singer-rapper in my debut movie, which is [like] playing myself. My character is only more flamboyant than I am, and that was easy to nab. The premise seemed comfortable, and I was intrigued with the character."

Never one to shy away from facing the camera in his own songs, Badshah says doing so for a feature film is a different ball game. "That I am camera-friendly helped, but, it's really tough to act. There are various emotions which need to be portrayed."

Leading lady and good friend Sonakshi Sinha has been sharing her insights with the musician. "She made my job easy, and me, comfortable. Apart from that, Shilpi and Mrighdeep Lamba [producer] made the environment welcoming too. I am relishing this phase of my career."

On the work front, the rapper recently collaborated for a track with Sony YAY! for their show, KickO & Super Speedo. He created a special children's track titled #GoKicko. "I am a kid, who refuses to grow up. Since childhood, I have been fascinated by superheroes and animated characters. The song gave me an opportunity to revisit my childhood."