Actor Darsheel Safary, who won the hearts of many through his portrayal of Ishaan Awasthi in Taare Zameen Par (2007), is set to return to films after a decade-long hiatus. “I mentioned to my dad that I want to enjoy college, because my school life breezed through. I have been shooting since the fourth standard. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy shooting, but I was greedy about college. I wanted to experience college life,” the 25-year-old explains the reason for his break, adding, “I was missing shooting every single day.”

Safary’s last big stint was a dance reality show and he was also seen in Midnight’s Children (2012). He will be next seen in a whodunit, Tibba. He will be seen sharing the screen with actors Adah Sharma and Sonali Kulkarni. He has also shot for another movie, Mukt, where he plays a guy with mental health issues.

While he started his career with actor Aamir Khan and could have approached him for a film, Safary didn’t feel like taking the “shortcut”.

He adds, “I would feel shy to ask him for work. I feel those are like shortcuts. I always feel you should earn what you are working for. It’s not that I want to take a long cut, but a learning cut.”

Interestingly, his first film also dealt with mental health issues and one of his next projects is around the same subject. “I want to do stuff that is in line with Taare Zameen Par, showcasing important aspects and emotions. I don’t want to break any image. This is what I have done and I am proud of it. (Now) Let it stay for however long it wants. The idea is to try new things,” the actor concludes.