Veteran actor Virendra Saxena shares his secret mantra of getting all his performances right. The actor feels that his life experiences and small-town upbringing mirrors in the characters played by him in a career spanning 37 years.

“I was raised amidst many hardships which taught me the actual life lessons. And probably, that’s what reflects in my performances. With your experiences, emotions, observations of life, your surroundings and small-town environment which you don’t get in big cities and metros you get to go deep in understanding the roles you play,” says the Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018) actor.

The 64-year-old, who was busy shooting for filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed in Lucknow, adds that to keep himself relevant, he makes conscious efforts and stays fit so he can easily play roles younger to his age.

The actor is happy with the kind of work he being offered and says, “Now, the wish is to play my last innings well.”

Saxena says that he does not believe in doing a lot of work. “For actors of my age, as it is there is less work, so I know that those who offer me roles are the ones who really want me in their projects. I am sound enough on monetary front, thankfully, so no stress! I only work when the role is really good or the pay-cheque is high. I try to balance both but at times you can’t refuse your friends so you have to work in projects even if it pays less. Kyonki Mathura, UP, ka banda hoon isliye emotional ho jata hoon.”

Talking about his personal life, Saxena, who is married to actor-writer Samta Sagar, says, “Her play got made into TV serial Gudiya Hamari Sab Pe Bhari. Samta’s other play Jana Tha Raushanpura is being made into a film while rights for Mini Humesha Mere Saath Rahegi have been bought too. As there are just the two of us, so we don’t care much about money.”

On working with Mulk (2018) director, he says, “I have good relations with Anubhav (Sinha, director). His first play was with me in Aligarh and even stayed with me when he came to Mumbai. I’m happy with his current films. He is like a younger brother and the way he treated me during this project was a very emotional experience for me.”