Despite his modelling background, the handsome Freddy Daruwala often gets roped in to play the villain rather than the quintessential hero in Bollywood films. The actor, who’s been appreciated for his villainous acts in films like Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014) starring Akshay Kumar and Race 3 (2018) that featured Salman Khan, is looking at exploring much more, but he’s consciously not thinking too much about it. “The thing is that everyone in Bollywood is ambitious and everyone is working hard to do their best. There are days when I look at other actors and feel ki, ‘Arrey, iska toh yeh project ho raha hai, mera kyun nahi?’ All this leads to anxiety. There have been times in my life when I’ve been depressed because of work. However, with time I’ve begun to understand the business better.”

Freddy adds, “I have realised that as an actor, I might work for just 100 days and be free for the rest of the year. The industry is teaching me that you have to eventually be happy and accepting in order to lead a healthy life.”

The Commando 2 actor also believes that luck plays an important part in the success of an artiste in showbiz. He explains, “Unlike most other professions, luck plays a major role when you have a career in showbiz. We all know that Ranbir Kapoor was the original choice for Band Baaja Baaraat (2010). He turned it down and Ranveer Singh was roped in. Look at Ranveer now! Ek pal mein sab kuch badal sakta hai idhar.”

Looking back at his personal experiences, Freddy reveals, “When I was offered Race 3, I was told that it would be a small role and so it didn’t interest me. I didn’t even pay attention to the narration and turned it down. It was then that the casting director Mukesh Chhabra informed me that I would be pitted opposite Salman in the film. I was also told by the film’s producer Ramesh Taurani that since I am the main villain I’ll also get a poster. So you see, this film was meant to be mine. Even after turning it down, it came to me. Likewise, I auditioned for Commando: A One Man Army (2013). I didn’t get the part, but seeing that audition the same team approached me for Holiday.”

The actor admits to being heartbroken at losing out on roles. He shares, “I was angling for the role of the main villain in Force 2 (2016), but at the time the makers were keen on having Imran Khan as the baddie. He turned down the part at the last minute. When the team tried to reach out to me for the role, I had already taken off to the US, assuming that the role had gone to someone else. I felt devastated for losing out on that role.”

Shikha Shah (BOMBAY TIMES; May 14, 2020)

Freddy Daruwala’s father, aged 67, has been tested positive for Coronavirus and is in home isolation. We talk to the actor about the struggles of being a caring son as well as a responsible father to a 15-month-old. Excerpts:

‘DEALING WITH A COVID-19 POSITIVE FAMILY MEMBER STRESSFUL’
We have been under a lot of stress, especially when we were waiting for the test results. I felt emotionally drained. Not knowing what had happened to my father left me worried. When the reports were revealed, the BMC was prompt in taking action and asked us if my father had any preconditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc. Fortunately, he doesn’t. He didn’t have any major symptoms. Moreover, we have enough room for him to stay in isolation while being comfortable. Hence, we were asked to have him under home isolation and we were happy to do that. This way, someone more needy could occupy the bed in the hospital.

‘I’M PLAYING A RESPONSIBLE SON AND FATHER’
Since my father has tested COVID-19 positive, I am playing the middle man between my family and my dad. I have to make sure my dad gets everything he needs and at the same time, keep myself sanitised and sane. I can’t afford to be the carrier of the virus. I am taking utmost care of my 15-month-old son, Evaan. He is confined to one room with his mom and spends most of the time there. I am playing a responsible son and father, making sure all my loved ones are safe.

‘WE ARE TAKING AMPLE PRECAUTIONS’
Since the time my father started showing symptoms of fever and body ache, he started keeping himself at a distance from us. Now, we’re making sure that he is isolated and using only one room and one dedicated toilet. His clothes, bedsheets etc are sanitised with utmost care. The rest of the family is keeping a safe distance from him but at the same time, we’re making sure he doesn’t feel lonely. His recovery is our primary concern, so we’re making sure he takes enough fluids and rest. We are doing everything we can so that his energy levels are replenished. As family members of a COVID-19 positive person, we need not test ourselves since the protocols have changed now. One has to go for a test only if they show any kind of symptoms. For now, we are keeping an eye on our health.

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 11, 2020)

“My dad had symptoms of seasonal flu like fever and body ache. Hence, we took it lightly. On the third or fourth day, I thought that we should get him tested considering the current scenario. The reports that came a couple of days back showed positive for Covid-19,” says Freddy Daruwala. His 67-year-old father, who is on his way to recovery, is currently under home isolation. The actor adds, “The BMC suggested we keep him in a place with many rooms and washrooms. So, we kept him at home because we thought that the hospitals may be used by someone who really needs it.”

He says that though his father is not prone to danger for not having any pre-conditions, what worries him is the health of his 15-month-old son. “We’re all under home isolation. I’m more worried about my son, Evaan. There’s an over-consumption of information related to Coronavirus. So we keep worrying about what if something happens to him. We’re trying our best to keep our son away from any infection. I’m also making sure that I don’t make my father feel ostracized. I’m taking care of my wife and sexagenarian mum, too,” shares Daruwala.

The actor says that the authorities were prompt to seal his bungalow and sanitise it. “The BMC put up a notice outside our bungalow, sealed it, and sanitised our house. Since we’ve many rooms, isolation at home has become easier,” he says.

He urges everyone to be kind and empathetic towards Covid-19 patients around them. He says, “There no need to panic. At least 80% of the cases are asymptomatic. It’s important to be responsible to your loved ones.” Being aware is important, he asserts, as he says, “Anyone with a pre-condition should be more careful because the virus may prove to be lethal for bodies with a weak immune system.”

Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; July 1, 2018)

He may be as fit as a fiddle, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t gorge on good food. Freddy Daruwala, who’s half Parsi and half Gujarati, lives in the suburbs, but doesn’t mind travelling the length and breadth of Mumbai to have his fill of his favourite dishes. He says, “Like all Parsi and Gujju people, I’m very fond of food. Over the years, I’ve hunted down a few places in the city that serve my kind of grub. The best part about Mumbai is that it offers a great variety of food and cuisines. You can go to all the fancy restaurants and delis, but you can also get great food on the streets, khau gallis and beaches.”

For his Parsi food cravings, Freddy frequents a restaurant in BEST Colony Road, Oshiwara. He adds, “They have the most authentic and awesome Parsi dishes like dhansak with brown onion pilaf and akuri with toast.” His choices in food aren’t just limited to the obvious. He really likes shawarmas. He explains, “I know it’s not a part of Indian cuisine, nor a speciality of Mumbai, but shawarma is one of the most popular offerings from Lebanese cuisine. I love mutton in my shawarma and there’s a quaint little place right opposite Versova Metro Station that serves it just right. I also don’t mind travelling all the way to Colaba to get my hands on a nice meaty shawarma.”

Freddy lives a stone’s throw away from Juhu beach and it’s one of his regular haunts in the city. He feels the ocean views and the gentle breeze at the beach make it a fantastic gastronomic experience. “I really enjoy the distinct flavour of this tourist hotspot. It gives Mumbai a unique characteristic and taste. Stuff that you eat at Juhu beach will not taste the same anywhere else in the world, not even at other places in Mumbai,” he gushes and adds, “Another reason that makes eating out here a great experience is the fact that you’re surrounded by tourists, Mumbaikars, and just about everyone, who’s there to have a good time. Juhu beach offers a nice break from the kind of food I get at five stars and restaurants. I come here to eat ice gola, sev puri and pani puri. The signature dish of the city, pav bhaji, tastes the best here. If you haven’t eaten at Juhu beach, you’ve not lived in Mumbai.”

Like all Parsis, he enjoys a hot cup of tea. “We don’t call it tea, we call it chai. I can have a cup or a cutting chai at any point in the day. A sight unique to Mumbai are the chaiwallas carrying a tumbler of tea on the streets. For a nominal price, you can get refreshing, hot cutting of chai that can drive away all the fatigue of the busy city life,” says Freddy.

He’s one of the fittest actors around, who swears by his quinoa salad, but he also believes that Mumbai’s street food has some healthy alternatives, too. He says, “The street side bhutta is so unique to this city. You get this version of corn everywhere in India, but to have the freshly roasted bhutta on coal is the perfect way to experience Mumbai’s monsoon. It’s also one of the healthiest things you can eat.”

Mumbai is a city of various cultures and those fusions have rubbed off most on the food that’s served here. Freddy says, “Mumbai may be a busy city with cutthroat competition, but there are certain aspects of the life here that are mesmerising. Iss sheher ke kucch aise rang hain, jo lag jayein toh kabhi mitaye nahi jaate. I love Mumbai and it is one of the most vivid and colourful cities in the world. And its food is a combination of many cultures and influences. It’s simply out of the world.”

Freddy Daruwala on his five-film deal with the filmmaker and working with Salman Khan
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 11, 2018)

Freddy Daruwala, who had made his Bollywood debut with A. R. Murugadoss’s 2014 action thriller Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty featuring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha, was in his hometown Surat when he had got a call from Mukesh Chhabra. The casting director informed the actor that the makers of Race 3 wanted to cast him for a character named Rana. “I was sold when I learnt about the cast and crew involved in its making. You want to work with people with great experience, leverage and who can make the project look bigger. So, I met (producer) Ramesh Taurani sir when I returned to Mumbai and really liked my character of a villain, though in Race you never know when the negative turns positive and vice versa. I immediately came on board,” informs Freddy, adding that his Rana is classy, is always with bodyguards, travels in expensive cars but is also very nosy.

The actor is all praise for Salman Khan, who plays Sikander in the action-thriller. “It feels really nice when a team looks after you, keeps you happy and allows you creative freedom. Race 3 set was just like that and Salman bhai is responsible for creating that environment. There are seven main characters in the film, but nobody has been insecure about their screen time. In fact, there hasn’t been one day on the set when all of us didn’t have lunch together. He is aware of the pressures a newcomer faces but has advised me to remain focused on my goal. It was a great experience to work with him,” he says.

Freddy has signed a five-film deal with Vipul Shah and has already featured in two of them — the John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Force 2 and Commando 2 with Vidyut Jammwal as lead. What is it with him and sequels, you wonder, and he says, “I arrive late on the scene and all I get is sequels,” he laughs, adding that he has found a mentor in Vipul. “I have become in-house talent for Vipul sir. We’re working on something else now, but I can’t divulge details yet,” he says.

After essaying negative roles in Holiday and in the 2018 Telugu action comedy Touch Chesi Chudu with Ravi Teja in the lead, Freddy says he’d love to play a hero now. “I can act, dance and do action like a quintessential hero, though having said that I don’t have any qualms about playing negative roles as it is my strong suite and a major reason for filmmakers to cast me. But I feel I am ready to be a hero, too,” he signs off.