Sikandar Kher, who has been in the business for nearly two decades, has done some significant roles, yet recognition has strangely evaded him.

In a candid chat with Bombay Times, the actor who recently received the Governor’s Award of Excellence from the state of West Bengal for his contribution to cinema, said, “It’s been 17 years that I’ve been working here as an actor, and it’s been great. I’ve experienced love, hate and even indifference in my career and that’s what makes this art truly addictive. I look at my journey and feel that I’ve kept learning, and sometimes the lessons have been painful. But that’s what’s shaping me and somewhere making me complete as a person.”

Sikandar won praise for his performance in Vasan Bala’s web film Monica O My Darling and had a pivotal role in the web show Aarya, headlined by Sushmita Sen. More recently, he was seen in Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man (which couldn’t release in India theatrically).

“I’ve had the privilege of working with some really terrific filmmakers that have contributed to my journey so far. I’m truly grateful for the mere fact that I get to continuously do what I love doing every day. Being busy as an actor is a blessing,” he shared.

The actor, who will soon be working with Sriram Raghavan in his forthcoming film Ikkis, says, “Sriram and I have been trying to work together for a while now and I’m glad it’s finally happening. I’ve always loved his language of cinema and been gripped and surprised while watching his films, he’s a maverick. Moreover he’s just a pleasure on set and that sets the energy for the entire crew.”

Set against the backdrop of the 1971 war, the film also stars Agastya Nanda.. Ask Sikandar whether the young actor reminds him of Amitabh Bachchan or Abhishek Bachchan, and he replies, “Agastya is respectful to everyone and has the right attitude towards his work. I can’t draw any comparisons to Mr. Bachchan nor Abhishek because he’s completely different. His energy, screen presence and aura are unique to him.”