In De De Pyaar De 2, Meezaan Jafri’s character arrives with swag, as he balances a split across two cars. But off screen, the actor — senior actor Jaaved Jaaferi’s son — doesn’t believe in stunts to grab eyeballs. “I’m here for the next 20–30 years. Slow and steady is my path,” says Meezaan, pleased that his latest release, led by Ajay Devgn, is having a strong run.

Slow is an unconventional choice in today’s age of instant gratification. But the actor believes he has made unconventional choices right from the start, when  he skipped acting school in favour of filmmaking school. It was Ranbir Kapoor who advised him to do so.

“Ranbir was shooting Besharam [2013] with my father at the time. He told me, ‘Don’t apply to the usual places. Go to SVA [School of Visual Arts] in New York. It’s only filmmaking, no unnecessary subjects.’” Meezaan says that the piece of advice was a game-changer for him. “That school shaped how I look at films.”

The Malaal (2019) actor may not have had a breakout film yet, but he is not in a hurry. “Overnight success is scary. If you get a massive hit too early, you set a benchmark. I’d rather build slowly,” he reasons.

A film like De De Pyaar De 2, which sees him share screen space with his father, makes this ride joyful. And sometimes scary, says Meezaan, referring to their dance sequence. “I was terrified. I was dealing with Jaaved Jaaferi in his strongest zone!”