Your first film chooses you: Saqib Saleem

However, following the age old adage that destiny has its own plans for us all, his life landed him auditions with Yashraj Films. Three films later, as he gears up for his fourth release as a skating coach in Amol Gupte’s Hawaa Hawaai, he describes himself to us as a very lucky middle class Delhi boy. “I had zero contacts, didn’t know anyone and just feel very blessed that whoever called me for an audition liked what I did. I’m sure it works differently for different people but this is how it worked for me. I was audition-hopping for seven to eight months and had come across people who had been around doing the same for much longer. And it wasn’t as if they weren’t talented or good looking either. I was just very fortunate, that’s how I like to see it,” he says.

Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Mere Dad Ki Maruti, both young films by fresh filmmakers and Bombay Talkies under Karan Johar’s directorial guidance, where he played a young homosexual… Ask him if his role choices are based on any specific criteria and the actor responds simply, “I’ve grown up watching all kinds of films, from Sholay and Satte Pe Satta to Mr. India, and because I love all kinds I want to be a part of all kinds too. I’m very instinctive in my choices, really. You know that moment when you hear a script and just know that you want to be a part of it? That’s happened with me for all my films so far except my first, because your first film always chooses you and I’ve been lucky that even there I had a great director who put me on the map for other filmmakers,” he says.

Elaborating on the kinds of roles he is looking to do in future, he goes on, “I want to create a mixture of all the different things I can do. Even as an actor I feel that it can be a kind of high if you’re able to do something completely commercial and follow it up with something a little off the beaten track.”

Hawaa Hawaai seems off the beaten track in its own distinct way, revolving around Partho Gupte and Saqib who plays his skating coach.

“I was so moved by the script that I had to do it. It is the story of every dreamer, a story about emotions that urges people to dream big with their eyes wide open. I play a mentor to Partho in the film and Amole sir plays a mentor to me in real life. He’s one of those people who teach you a lot without being preachy about it and I’ve learnt a lot from him. His is a style of filmmaking that is very intimate and personal. He likes to believe in moments and to infuse realism into performances, which I found very interesting. Also, I was so used to being on a lavish set, having a vanity van and make-up that coming to a set where the director doesn’t believe in the concept of vanity vans or make-up at all, was quite a learning curve in itself. Amole sir has this way of luring his actors into his world, which is a thing of magic. I’ve seen him create it in front of me, and it is just inspiring,” he signs off.