Manjot Singh, who debuted with Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! in 2008, calls his 15-year journey in the film industry “a roller-coaster ride”. While films like Fukrey made him a household name, the actor feels he hasn’t been able to prove his versatility as an artiste.

“Mujhe laga tha aur zyaada aur achcha kaam aayega (after Fukrey), par jo main chahta tha wo nahin aaya. So I had to convince my family that I had to move to Mumbai. Yahan aa kar dekha ki jo kaam aap karna chahte hain wo humesha kismat se nahin milega. You have to ask for it,” recalls Singh.

Eventually, he started telling people about the kind of work he really wanted to do. “But mostly the response was ‘Abhi hum kisi comedy film ke liye cast nahin kar rahe.’ This would hurt me because deep down I knew that I am capable of playing versatile roles,” he shares, adding, “It was only later that I started taking a stand and explaining to people ki zaroori nahin ki sardaar hai toh aap use comedy films mein hi dekho.”

While Singh accepts that the industry is changing slowly, he urges filmmakers and writers to see beyond the obvious. “They play very safe. I wish they start understanding that if an actor is capable of doing comedy, he might and can do an action role as well. It’s our job to mould ourselves as per the requirement of the script. And as makers, one should not only experiment with the script and characters, but also the actors they cast in those roles,” he says.

While 15 years might look like a long time, Singh believes he’s yet to get his due. “I don’t think the industry has failed me at any point because that would mean my journey here is over. But I have a long way to go as an actor. Iss industry me kisi ko jaldi mil jaata hai unka due aur kisi ko waqt lagta hai. But my time will come sooner or later,” he ends.