In an industry where perception often overshadows performance, actor Saurabh Shukla insists that a good life is not a mark of an actor. He feels fine acting chops is what an actor should be known for and not a flamboyant lifestyle.

“If you start believing that these things define you as an actor or a person, then there is a problem. They are just personal choices, nothing more,” says Shukla.

“I love driving, I enjoy cars. I have a taste for expensive cars. But I prefer not showing all that. I prefer to be known for my work, my talent. Whether I drive a certain car or not, whether I show it or don’t show it, that is not going to decide how good an actor I am. These are completely separate things,” says the 63-year-old.

In the same vein, the actor, who recently directed Jab Khuli Kitaab, says that while “PR campaigns are important for your work to reach people, it shouldn’t overshadow your body of work by highlighting your lifestyle. Nothing can replace the work you do.”