Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; December 28, 2019)

When Bombay Times met Kushal Punjabi a few months ago, he seemed very optimistic and positive about life. He opened up about his career choices, being a stay-at-home dad and also, how he was at peace with himself. Excerpts from the conversation…

HIS PASSION FOR LIFE, TRAVEL AND BIKES
Life should be more than just work. It’s tough in Mumbai, but I have managed to sail through. Sometimes, when I look back, I feel agar sirf kaam par dhyan diya hota toh I would have been far more successful as an actor, but I also feel that maybe then, I wouldn’t have lived my life the way I want to. So, I travel and I love riding bikes.

THE STAY-AT-HOME DAD PHASE
I cut down on work to be with my son. I realised that if it’s just work that we are living for, you won’t do anything else. I agree that the money is good, but your youth will never come back. I loved the stay-at-home dad phase when my son was born. But now my three-year-old son is with my wife Audrey Dolhen (in Shanghai), and I am in Mumbai, alone, with all the time to just focus on my work.

REJECTIONS AND ACCEPTANCE
I always took breaks in between my projects. I travelled and pursued different courses. At some point, I even did a bartending course in the US. My mindset was very different. I wanted to dance, perform, be on stage and act in TV shows, films and web series. It was never about ki mujhe hero banna hai ya superstar banna hai. I just wanted to perform. My potential is still untapped. However, I have no regrets. Every step of the way, I have seen rejections and acceptance.

Sometimes, I got a show that didn’t eventually work out, and at times, I declined an offer because I wanted to go on a bikers’ trip. So, meri bhi stupidity hai, because I am also not someone who would only think of my acting career. Work is a very small aspect of my life, and my career may not have taken off like others’, but there are many people who haven’t reached where I am today. I always try to strike a balance between my personal life, passions and professional life. When I am working, I was totally engrossed in that. I never did a saas-bahu show that went on for years. I love the fact that I could do a variety of roles.

FINDING A NEW SPACE IN SHOWBIZ
I don’t know if it’s to do with the mistakes that I made when it came to selecting certain projects, or if it is simply destiny. I think it was the wait for the right time, which is now, and I can feel it. My mind was occupied with a lot of other things and it’s far more focused now. I did hard-core theatre workshops recently; I have worked on myself and a lot of things internally. With the new-age content, I have suddenly found a space where I can fit into. Maybe, my career didn’t pan out the way I had expected, because it wasn’t meant to be that way. At the same time, I have travelled a lot and have had the best time, I have a loving family and wonderful friends, and that’s an achievement for me. So, in the larger scheme of things, I have made no mistakes, because career is just a part of my life. Overall, I feel that I am far more successful than a lot of people who are more known than me. I am far more at peace. On one hand, we can say that I haven’t reached where I should have, but on the other, I can claim that I am exactly where I should be. There are two perspectives and I chose to focus on the positive one. This is the right time for me. There is work for everybody, today. Now, I am starting another chapter, I am feeling younger and fitter. Age is immaterial, as I just started young. I have written a film and directed a short film and I am at a stage, where I am super positive about what’s going to happen next.


Earlier this month, Kushal Punjabi had completed an obstacle race in Mumbai. He had then told BT, “I prepared for the race without a trainer. I learnt about it only two months before the scheduled date. A workout in a gym is done in a controlled environment, so you don’t realise the strength you need for an outdoor activity. Doing weights at a gym is purely for aesthetics and self-confidence, but outdoor activities tests your agility and grit.”