Opportunities of acting never comes easy. Who knows this better than the experienced actor Soni Razdan who has had projects like Buniyaad, Saahil, Gaatha, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Saaransh, Daddy, Raazi and War to boast of. Despite the mixed reviews for her latest outing, Call My Agent: Bollywood, the actor has received appreciation for her portrayal of Teresa. But Razdan has no time to wait around. She has already dived deep into her next project.

While she continues scouting for better projects as an actor, Razdan is exploring ideas to direct again. Her last film Love Affair (2016) starring Ali Fazal and Kalki Koechlin remains unreleased, but that hasn’t deterred her. “I am working on a project for digital platforms. It’s an important story to tell and has a strong female character at the helm of everything,” says Razdan of the coming-of-age love story.

Having experienced a low-key response to her earlier directorial films—Nazar (2005) and Adnan Khan (2009)—Razdan hopes that the advent of digital entertainment will garner more eyeballs for her projects without the pressure of box office numbers.

“When you are making a movie for a theatrical release, you need to get the audience excited before they enter the theatres and keep them [hooked] for at least two hours. It has limitations. Most movies need some kind of razzle-dazzle—a star, action, or comedy—[to engage audiences]. But on the OTT medium, roles are written for characters of different ages. You also get adequate time to develop real characters with backstories and quirks,” explains the actor, who prefers directing for the web than theatres.

Apart from pushing the envelope with every role he takes up, Ali Fazal also experiments with his looks. Be it his bearded avatar in 3 Idiots or the clean-shaven look in Fukrey, the actor, more often than not, opts for a different look in his movies. He is currently sporting a new look for his new project. Riding high on the success wave of the seventh installment of the international franchise Fast And Furious, the actor talks about his Bollywood journey that has just begun.

How was it working with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel?
It was fun. They didn't know about my accent in the film. So, my shot required six-seven retakes as Vin and Paul wouldn't stop laughing. Also, it was Paul's birthday on the first day of the shoot. I had a long conversation with him about films and action. He asked me to keep it real. He was a fine actor and martial arts expert. Vin and I chatted about Bollywood and potential locations in India for the next part of the franchise if there is one. I personally feel that it's a great franchise and the legacy should continue.

Like Vin, you shot a tribute video for Paul here.
It's interesting. Being the face of India in a franchise like that was quite nice and unexpected. Also, the response to the movie has been amazing and people have liked me. Suddenly, I am feeling a sense of responsibility.

Has the industry's perception of you changed post your Hollywood debut?
It's still too early to say as the film released just over two weeks ago. The industry's opinion of me changed after Khamoshiyan. I am getting approached for unconventional projects. Producers think they can bank on me.

How important is it for you to experiment with your look for every movie. Where does that come from?
It's the result of a lot of inputs from my end. I don't think I go by looks alone. Working on a particular look doesn't make you a serious actor. I am not into method acting. I interpret my character in a certain way and decide on it. I am very impulsive when it comes to experimenting with my looks and love playing with ideas by involving people from all walks of life.

You did some intimate scenes in Khamoshiyan. How much is too much for you?
When you see an Indian man's b**t, that's too much. That will make you feel awkward. Women are still beautiful. There were a lot of suggestive scenes and I don't want to do them for no reason. But a lot of it fit the movie well and I thought that it was shot beautifully.

So, you won't flaunt your butt?
That's for Dostana. That's one franchise I will stay away from.

What are you looking forward to now?
My next is Love Affair, a movie set in the '50s and is based on a true story. I play a dual-shade character. With every project, I have to grow. I am also looking forward to doing some action films. That should be fun.

Actor-producer Pooja Bhatt called up Ali Fazal four days ago and told him that she has both good news and bad news: “The bad news is that you have no time to prepare, the good news is the script is Love Affair,“ Pooja told the 28-year-old actor. He has replaced Arjun Rampal in the film being directed by Soni Razdan after the latter demanded a really big pay cheque.

When Mirror contacted Fazal, he quipped, “I'm charging a pretty good price myself. So, Arjun must have quoted an exorbitant amount for it to be unacceptable to the makers. He's a great actor and he accepted the film because he knew it is an amazing project, he should have been more open. Actors should not be so egotistical about their fees.“

Acknowledging that the dispute with Arjun had been over money issues, producer Pooja Bhatt said, “Yes, it is true. One of my strengths is making films in an efficient budget and I was unable to absorb Arjun's expectations with regard to his remunerations.“

When asked if the film will be less viable now since Arjun is a bigger star than Ali Fazal, Pooja retorted, “No actor sells a film in this day and age. In fact, with the market being what it is, all stars will have to reexamine their assumption of what they consider a fare remuneration.“

Love Affair is a fictionalised account inspired by the Nanavati murder case of 1959. Scheduled to go on floors in the second week of March, it features Kalki Koechlin and Gulshan Devaiah as a married couple with Ali Fazal playing the wife's lover who is shot dead after being caught red-handed by the husband.

Waiting for Arjun Rampal can be more frustrating than Waiting for Godot. Its 72 hours before the actor finally comes on the phone and instantly starts talking about his upcoming thriller. But isn't Roy being projected as a Ranbir Kapoor film because he plays the title role, despite the fact that RK himself doesn't seem keen on promoting it as his film? “You don't need to believe everything that is written. Roy is being promoted as a three-character film and I have no problems with the way it is being marketed. Ranbir has a guest appearance, all speculations will be laid to rest once the film releases,“ Arjun snaps. “Despite its title, the film does not revolve around Roy, a mysterious thief, but around two directors ­ Kabir and Ayesha ­ who make films of contradicting genres but meet during the making of one specific film and end up falling in love.“

Buzz is, his character and Jacqueline Fernandez's Ayesha are loosely based on Hollywood directors Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola's affair. Arjun points out that while director Vikramjit Singh was scripting his film, news of the Tarantino-Coppola affair was doing the rounds. “Vicky thought incorporating this angle would make for a great narrative but he only wove in imaginary instances from what their life together might have been like,“ Arjun explains.

However, he admits that Kabir is the character he feels closest to. “He loves vintage, so do I,“ the actor points out, having driven a 1960 Maserati among other vintage vehicles in the film. “He is particular about how he takes his drinks ­ always with three cubes of ice. And only smokes cigarettes picked out of a black box.“

He adds that he even shopped for Kabir while holidaying in the Big Apple before the film rolled. “I bought him a hat from New York and a pair of shades from Mumbai.“

If RK has a cameo in Roy, then Arjun has one in Soni Razdan's Love Affair, a fictional retelling of the infamous Nanavati murder case of 1959. He plays the man who is fatally shot. “It's not a cameo, I play the lead,“ he retorts, but won't say more.

So, we move on to the Rock On!! sequel which rolls in April. Part 1 fetched him a National Award for his 'supporting' role as Joe Mascarenhas. “Playing a rock star is passé,“ he laughs. “I'm more excited about playing Arun Gawli.“

To flesh out his role of the gangster-turned-politician, Arjun has been watching Gawli's campaign videos and has even met his daughter, Geeta. “The story will be told from her point of view. Daddy is my toughest role so far,“ he asserts.

Now that he's much more at ease, we bring up a controversial subject. But as soon as we say, “Mehr and Sussanne are...“ the line goes dead. He calls back and apologises, “The network in my house is terrible.“

Somewhere during the 'terrible network' Arjun has adroitly switched subjects. We talk about his now-defunct production house, Chasing Ganesha Films which was launched in 2006 with I See You but hasn't rolled out another film in the last decade. “I'm waiting for the right script to re-launch my banner. Maybe with the Gawli film, I will. But, I'm still waiting for the final script before I take a call...“ he trails off.

What about another film with Shah Rukh Khan after Ra.One? “There's no collaboration between SRK and me coming up, anytime soon,“ he says abruptly.

He was in the middle of a controversy when his proximity with Sussanne was being seen as one of the reasons for the Hrithik-Sussanne separation. Ask him what his equation with the actor is post the divorce and he snaps, “I am not here to talk about my personal life.“ The line goes dead, again. This time he doesn't call back.

Soni Razdan had earlier admitted to Mirror (August 4) that she had consulted lawyer Ram Jethmalani for inputs on her upcoming film Love Affair which is reportedly inspired by the Nanavati Case. Jethmalani was the Special Public Prosecutor in the murder case and is the muse for a character in the film. Soni confirmed the news, saying: “Yes, there is an important character in the film inspired by Ram Jethmalani. He will be played by Chandan Roy Sanyal."

Recounting her meeting with the senior lawyer, she added: “He turned out to be a great source of informa tion. His mind is razor sharp and he regaled us with many anecdotes."

Explaining their choice of actor, Pooja Bhatt, who is producing the film, said: “I was the one who suggested Chandan's name to Soni. He is a remarkable actor and perfect for the role. He will be called Ram Jaisinghani in the film."

When contacted, Jethmalani admitted that he is aware of the goings-on: “But I will not interfere with the film. I never trespass into areas of creativity." When asked if Chandan will do justice to the role and match his persona and style, Jethmalani quipped, “What if I say 'No'? Still, I shall not object to his portrayal."

Jethmalani shot to fame with the 1959 case of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra. The story of Naval commander K M Nanavati who in a crime of passion brutally murdered his wife's lover, became the subject of extensive press coverage and caught the fancy of many filmmakers at the time. The 1963 Sunil Dutt-Leela Naidu starrer, Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, fictionalised the controversial judgement on screen.

Pooja however vehemently refuted the buzz that their film is also based on the infamous case, and said: “We are not making a film on the Nanavati Case per se. We are just taking portions from a real life incident that riveted the nation in the late 50s."

Soni Razdan on parenting daughter Alia and her second directorial venture
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 4, 2014)

Mirror was the first one to tell you that Arjun Rampal will play a character inspired by the slain Prem Ahuja in Soni Razdan’s Love Affair-a fictionalised account of the infamous Nanavati Murder Case of 1959.
Now, we've learnt that Gulshan Devaiah, who was last seen in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela, has been finalised to play the naval officer modelled on Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, who in a crime of passion, shot his wife's lover Prem Ahuja, and became the fodder for multiple films and books over the decades.

Revealed a source close to the production, “Gulshan has a great working relationship with Pooja Bhatt. He is committed to another film with her called Cabaret. She felt the actor, who has an intense, brooding persona, is ideal for the role of the naval commander. Even Soni was keen to have him on board."

Confirming the same, producer Pooja Bhatt told Mirror, “Our film is a love triangle revolving around a wife, her lover and the husband. Gulshan has been locked to play the husband who is the naval officer husband. We're still in casting for the film while simultaneously researching the subject. We need a large ensemble cast and we are close to finalising the actors including the wife."