It’s been 25 years since actor Arshad Warsi stepped into B-Town, but the feeling of amusement has not left him. After working as a choreographer in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993), Warsi made his acting debut with Tere Mere Sapne, which released on this day, in 1996.

“I’m surprised as well as happy about completing 25 years in Bollywood. Mujhe laga nahin tha ki main 25 saal tak tik paunga. It’d be frightening to see all my peers disappear one after another. I used to think, ‘Ab agla number mera hai’,” Warsi tells us.

Looking back, the 53-year-old shares, “I was petrified to make my debut, because I’d never acted before. I tried my best to get out of a film, because I was so scared of failure. From going through a bad phase to working non-stop, I’ve seen it all. I’m grateful to all the people who had faith in me. I feel there is another long journey ahead of me. So, (the truth is), I’ve completed 25 years in the industry, and I’m still looking for a job, because that is how the industry is.”

For a long time, he assumed it is sheer luck that he is getting work. “I was like, ‘Arey, people think I’m an actor, wow.’ It’s been a surprise for the longest time”. Over the years, he has impressed the audience with his performance in projects like Sehar (2005), the Munna Bhai series, Ishqiya (2010), the Golmaal franchise, Jolly LLB (2013), and Asur. And, he has a lot of projects lined up. “I feel grateful for every day that passes. If you face reality, you can say, ‘I’m getting old’, and work can go slow. But it doesn’t look like it. I am too busy, all of a sudden,” he says.

Warsi says he’s now shed the fear of failure and he enjoys experimenting with various roles. “I don’t take failure or success too seriously. Also, I don’t give up easily. These things have worked for me subconsciously,” he says.