Deepak Tijori’s return to Gujarati cinema after nearly 25 years was meant to be a homecoming of sorts. His latest film Get Set Go, an action-adventure opened on more than 700 screens in Gujarat — a significant release for a Gujarati film. It was well received, earned positive reviews and, Tijori, who is the lead actor of the film, says, audiences were responding warmly. But in its second week, the film’s screen count fell to just 24.

For the actor, the problem is bigger than one film losing shows. He believes the incident highlights how vulnerable regional cinema remains when it comes to theatrical exhibition.

“We had more than 700 screens in the first week, which few films in Gujarat get. It was a big release and well received. Suddenly, in the second week, when you wake up, from 700 screens, we were just 24 screens. I didn’t know what was going on,” he says.

According to Tijori, the producers had invested considerably more than the usual budget for a Gujarati film. He explains, “It was expensive in comparison to other Gujarati films because it was in the action genre. The actors Bhaumik Sampat and Jhinal Belani are also the producers of the film, so they have taken every step possible to make a wonderful film and people have appreciated it.”

Tijori further adds that he was told that screens had to be given to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947, which resulted in Get Set Go being pushed out of theatres. “I was devastated by what happened. It’s a regional film. The least that you can offer is some kind of security. It’s not just about subsidy because that doesn’t really help the film make it to the screen. You make a film to show it to people.”

Tijori, who is half Gujarati and half Parsi-Irani, says he had been waiting to return to Gujarati cinema. “I wanted to do a Gujarati film for a long time because I did one almost 25 years ago. I wanted to come back with the new wave of cinema. It is shocking that a good film is treated this way. How will a producer who backs regional cinema recover his money? What is the fate of regional cinema? How do you expect regional cinema producers to even survive? To make good cinema, you need money and more screens. I hope the government does something to support Gujarati cinema,” he says.

He brings up the Marathi film industry, where filmmakers have more confidence to back bigger budget films. “Marathi cinema has greater theatrical priority, which gives filmmakers confidence. Don’t give us 10 shows, at least give us two shows. At least let us be there and let the audience be aware of our film.”

Deepak Tijori, who was in Ahmedabad recently for the muhurat of Get Set Go, is excited about doing a Gujarati film after a long time. The Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar actor shares, “I did a Gujarati film (Hun Tu Ne Ramtudi) more than two decades ago. I have been watching Gujarati films and fortunately, things have changed for the better and interesting concepts are being explored. I was offered a couple of other films prior to Get Set Go, but I felt I should explore this one. Ahmedabad has changed a lot over the years, but I have always enjoyed coming here. The city has a rich culture, with the right blend of modernity, and I love the people. Whenever I am here, I never miss eating dal dhokli, which is among my favourite dishes.”

Talking about how he was stereotyped as an actor, he says, “I always wanted to do contemporary films which were out of the box, but I was typecast as a commercial actor during my prime. I grew up watching actors like Naseer sahab (Naseeruddin Shah) and Om Puri sahab, and I had a theatre background. Once, I met Govind Nihalani and asked if I could work in his films. He told me that I could never work with him as I was recognised as a highly commercial actor. This had such a big impact on me that I never approached any makers of art films, as I didn’t know how to change this perception.”

He adds, “Now, after almost 20 years, I am reinventing myself with a new look in Veena Bakshi’s Ittarr. I always wanted to do such films, the kind that Irrfan did. Once, I even met Irrfan to discuss a film on these lines, but unfortunately, it was too late. Now, I am getting opportunities to experiment. I want to do roles which suit my age and have depth. I would love to do a sequel of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar with Aamir (Khan). It should be a continuation of the story. May be, we can play headmasters of rival schools.”

Recently, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the Independent Short Awards, Los Angeles, for his short film Echoes of Us. He shares, “I wrote and acted in it as I wanted to explore something beyond stereotypical roles like playing a father or other supporting roles. I wrote this movie in English as I did not want to limit it to regional languages, as it then gets considered in the foreign language category at international film festivals, thus limiting the scope. This movie received laurels at film festivals, and I was excited to be nominated for the Best Actor award.”

While he has also directed and produced films, he says, “My passion has always been acting. But I took a step back intentionally as I was swayed into the wrong kinds of roles. I put myself in a bracket where producers did not bank on me. Once, when Bhatt sahab (Mahesh Bhatt) tried to offer me a lead role, producers said that I can’t be a hero. I idolized Sanjeev Kumar and dreamt of the kind of roles he played in films like Trishul and Sholay. After the slump, I’m now ready with interesting films. I hope directors offer me more character roles suitable for my age. I don’t want to play just a father.”

Asked about his thoughts on the OTT boom, he shares, “OTT is a haven for hidden talents and artistes who never got recognition. There are many stories that can’t be told on the big screen due to time limits, and OTT doesn’t have this constraint. It has its pros and cons. Audiences now know that even if they don’t watch a film in theatres, they can watch it on OTT after a month.”

Recently, Deepak had supported Deepika Padukone’s decision to opt out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s next film due to a disagreement over working hours. He says, “I fully support her demand for an eight-hour workday because she wanted to spend time with her child. She has worked in 12-hour shifts in the past. It (working hours) should be one’s individual decision and she shouldn’t suffer because she is a mother. While there are factors like budget, time, and availability constraints, I feel these things can be managed. Earlier, actresses had to give up acting after marriage or having kids, but the industry has evolved, and we need to be more progressive.”