Actor Arshad Warsi, during his recent visit to the city, expressed his deep affection for the people of Lucknow and its culture, recalling warm exchanges with locals on set and praising the city’s renowned hospitality and courteous etiquette. In an exclusive interview with us, the Dedh Ishqiya actor spoke about his three decades in the industry and what keeps him relevant, his kids’ desire to be actors, and the secret behind his ever‑cheerful vibe. Excerpts…

I love Lucknow. Every time I come here, I feel the city is getting better. The people are warm, polite and full of tehzeeb. I have been coming here for the past 30-years and there is a huge difference in Lucknow then and now! The city is cleaner, more organized, and the spirit is still the same.

Also, I love both Lucknow’s chicken and chikan (kurtas). I remember, we were shooting Dedh Ishqiya in the courtyard of a house in old Lucknow and I casually mentioned to Naseer saab (Naseeruddin Shah) that ‘hamein ek hafta ho gaya Lucknow mein aur humne yahan kebabs nahi khaye hain abhi tak’. People around us heard that and in no time a few of them got kebabs from their homes for us! We had so many kebabs that the entire unit could feast on them that day. That’s the kind of affection you get here in Lucknow — instant, sweet and real. Here, even the smallest conversation has respect in it. Mumbaikars are casual in their tone, but Lucknowites’ speech has grace and sweetness.

Honestly, you can’t manufacture these things. You can put up an act and fake for fifteen minutes, but the truth ultimately shows. I think I’m just lucky and have a cheerful nature — maybe school and upbringing shaped that. I stay happy, and that reflects. I believe what you give is what you get. I’ve been nice to people, and they’ve been the same back to me. That’s the real secret. Everybody in the industry has been nice to me and so have I been to them. You get what you give. I teach and tell my kids the same thing.

Yes, both my son and daughter want to act. My son is currently assisting Siddharth Anand and has assisted Rajkumari Hirani. Of course, I’m scared — it is a tough job today. Acting is not an easy profession anymore as the success rate is so low. Out of 150 crore, a handful become actors.

Nobody can help anybody here — you have to make your own way. I can’t make a call to a director and ask them to invest hundreds of crores on my kids. Koi mere bete pe satta kyun lagayega? Even a casual call to a filmmaker to meet my kids means to expect them take them in their project, which I will not do. Why would anybody do that? Why would filmmakers bet on my kids if I ask them to do so? Why should I recommend my kids to anyone?

Oh yes, definitely! I am going to direct someday, I don’t know when but I know it will happen for sure. If you ask me what’s delaying my direction dream, it’s the continuous flow of acting offers. I do not make much noise about myself but I am pretty busy. I really need to get off my acting work to direct.

Not really. Aryan (Khan), the director of the series, is a very special kid. He is one of those directors who has a movie playing in his head. I did a small part in the series because I like him and Shah Rukh (Khan). But the outcome was huge. And working with him I realized that he is one of those directors whom you listen to when he speaks and act on it. While doing the series, I was 100 per cent sure the youngsters will love it. But I wasn’t sure about the grownups. And nothing what you saw in my character was impromptu, it was all scripted and envisioned by Aryan. The success of the song and my character Ghafoor is due to Aryan.

Actor Arshad Warsi is busy working on his next big project, and it’s more of a personal affair. He is working on his fitness to set an example for his son.

“This is the first time, when I was like, ‘Chalo yaar, let’s get fit, aur ab age bhi ho rahi hai.’ But more than age, it (the decision to focus on fitness) is because of my 17-year-old son, Zeke. He looks up to me. Kids do exactly what they see, not what you tell them to do. Now, I am thinking that if my boy sees that his father is being unfit, he will also be unfit all his life,” shares the 53-year-old.

He is working hard on getting in shape, and confesses that he is not relying on any supplements to do the job for him. “You know, vanity is not my virtue. I am just not bothered about it. I don’t consider myself good looking. So I never cared about that aspect. Earlier, I used to only get fit when it was required,” he says.

Warsi further adds, “Like, when my director told me to shed five to 10 kilos for a film, I would do that; or when a director asked me to gain weight, I would be like ‘Okay I will do it’.” In September last year, the actor took to Instagram to share his before and after pictures, earning lots of compliments.

Ask him how the journey has been, and he says it will take him time to reach his goals. “When you are like me who doesn’t believe in any foreign substance going inside you and leans on getting fit naturally, it takes a lot of time, effort and hard work; and age doesn’t help you at all,” says the Durgamati: The Myth (2020) actor.

Warsi calls it a long journey, but one which he is taking at his own pace. “I’m not the kind of person who will starve to get fit. Agar paise kama ke accha khaa nahin sakte, toh koi fayda nahin hai zindagi ka. So, I am taking it slow and steady. I am in no hurry. My body is changing and it takes time,” he concludes on a positive note.