Spirituality, sometimes, is found inside a bottle!: Farhan Akhtar

Actor-director Farhan Akhtar was in the house, Wednesday and attempted to decode some of history’s mysteries for us — bad boys, karma, and why bungee jumping isn’t as much of a thrill as sky diving

Everyone’s been talking about SRK and Farah (Khan)…
Yes, I read that too…

So when things like this happen, do you feel the pressure to belong to a camp?
When I see this picture, all I see is that one is a really close friend of mine and the other, my cousin. It’s just strange. I don’t want to have an opinion on this. It’s just really sad.  They are both adults. And they know what they are doing. I have my personal equations with all these people, so it’s not cool for me to say that somebody is right and somebody is wrong.
 
Do you think your sister (Zoya Akhtar) is one of those directors who can bring out the best in you because she knows
you so well?
Abhishek Kapoor and Vijay Lalwani will be very upset with this (laughs). I had a great time working on Rock On. But Zoya,
I think, has the advantage of knowing me really well, so she’ll know if I am uncomfortable with a particular scene. I don’t need to tell her. So if she’s writing a scene and she knows that it goes into a zone I wouldn’t agree to do that…so there’s a certain aesthetic line that she knows I am not comfortable crossing.

Does she also bully you?
All my life! You know fortunately I have gone from being a valet to a co-worker. Seriously I drive her around, I used to drive her friends around. Drive to her friends’ house to pick up clothes.

You did all this as a brother?
Yes, because nobody told me that brothers are not supposed to do this. I thought it to be a part and parcel of growing up as a younger brother till I met some other younger brothers, who were quite independent and out of the clutches of their older sisters.

You have had mixed reactions from people for your singing. Do you think you’re a good singer?
No, I think I’m a very average singer.

You have had mixed reactions from people for your singing...
I think I am a very average singer. But I think it kind of worked interestingly in the film (Rock On!), it made the whole band experience a lot more real and believable, when suddenly Sonu Nigam’s voice didn’t come out of my mouth. I mean I say that only for the lack of another name. So it worked only for that. I don’t see myself becoming a playback singer at all. Even with Senorita, Zoya (Akhtar) wanted the three actors to sing, so we did. But it’s not something that I’m hoping will happen more and more often. I feel it worked for Rock On for what it was. But if I am suddenly asked to do a very harkat bhara kind of song, there is no way I’m going to do it. I’m not trained to do it. So
I won’t.

What role is more satisfying – that of an actor or a director?
I think as a director, when a film is successful and you have directed it,  you feel a little more special about that. Cause the work involved in making a film is much more than just performing for it. You are also involved with the project for much longer. A lot more time is invested. So possibly that means a little bit more, but not to say that the other does not matter. I think the benefits of a film doing good are far more better as an actor than as a director. But as a director, it feels a lot more special.

People seldom have the opportunity to express themselves. You are multi faceted, recognised as a director, an actor, a singer. Do you feel grateful, what are your views on spirituality?
I somehow haven’t yet figured out the definition of spirituality. I mean for me spirituality sometimes is found inside a bottle (laughs) that’s as spiritual as I get.

Do you believe in karma?
I do. I do feel that what goes around comes around. If you’re good, good things will happen to you. If you do bad things, that’s bound to happen to you.

You are considered to be a thinking man’s actor...
(Strikes a pose like Rodin’s The Thinker) That’s the perfect pose for that question (laughs).

Do you take that as a compliment?
Actually I do not take that as a compliment. I take it as a part of the job. I think it’s a part of the profession you have to be a thinking person, in life. It’s pointless to do anything without thinking about it.

Have you considered TV production?
You know TV production is a very different kind of ball game from film. And personally I don’t think I am equipped to do it as you have to strategise differently and think differently. I’ll probably have to set up a whole new department and right now, I don’t want to do that. My primary focus is films.

You read After Hrs?
Yes I do. I think you wake up in the morning and it gives you info on what everyone’s been up to.

It’s award season. What are your views on awards?
You know it’s nice. It feels good to be recognised by your fraternity. Abroad, whether it’s an Oscar or a Golden Globe, it makes a difference to your career. Your pay scale changes completely. But our awards don’t have that affect.

National awards?
I don’t think any award here does that. It’s not like the scripts that come to you are filtered thrice or the directors you work with change. Nothing like that happens. But also we don’t have that degree of professionalism in place in the film world. Probably the debut actor and actresses make the most out of it.
 
Are you a gadget person?
Yes absolutely. See my arm comes out and does this wonderful trick (laughs). No really I love gadgets. You know when I travel there are only three stores I visit, no okay now two as most of the onground DVD stores have shut down, so that was a pilgrimage. Apart from that is the apple store which is very very important as you get some amazing stores to go to. And the third store would be like some interesting gizmo shop.