Just Being in Front of the Camera Fills Me Up

QHow do you rate your performance in Last Man In Tower?

I have cultivated the habit of performing as well as I can without thinking about how people are going to receive it and how it's going to do in theatres. I’ve kept completely myself away from this monster called box office, which is so anti-creative. Performing is what I like to do, it's my love and my passion. It keeps me alive. Just being in front of the camera fills me up. I eat, live, breathe acting. I'm only thinking about that and nothing else. So rating my performance is something that I don’t see the need for.

QDon’t you crave a blockbuster?

I have just been working and trying to do justice to all the characters that I am getting. Just a month back, Governor was on OTT and I’ve been getting such generous words from people I know, and also those I don’t, on social media and WhatsApp. Suddenly, when I hear such generous words for my new film Last Man In Tower, it is enough to make me work really hard for my next one.

QHow do you find playing Gandhi?

I have been working with my director Sudhir Mishra, reading and researching with his assistant directors. I have been controlling my diet too for the last two-three months.

When Rana Duggubati, the producer of Last Man In Tower, called me and said that he feels this is the right time to release the film, I went with it. I find the development very reassuring, coming as it does before I leave for the shooting of the film on Gandhiji. It tells me I’m going in the right direction.

QHow do you manage to give so many outstanding performances?

I don’t plan to give any outstanding performances. Whether it is my Gandhian character in Last Man In Tower or Gandhiji in Sudhir Mishra’s film, I try to be honest about my role.