I lost out on 12 films last year, says Sushant Singh Rajput

Major delays forced Sushant Singh Rajput — the first choice to play Noor in Abhishek ‘Gattu’ Kapoor’s Fitoor — to opt out of the film. Soon after, Aditya Roy Kapur was roped in. Similarly, he was also in talks with Ekta Kapoor and Mohit Suri for The Half Girlfriend film adaptation. That, too, didn’t work out. He chose to do Dinesh Vijan’s next film instead. Has it soured things with both his mentors Ekta and Gattu? SSR says it like it is...

Dinesh’s film was the reason why you had to opt out of Half Girlfriend. Comment.
See, I was doing many films and they are all releasing now. (Laughs) I don’t want to name them. What happens is, when I give my word to someone and  he’s delaying (not because he wants to, but because of a particular reason) and I get to understand it, I won’t ditch. So be it the biggest film with the biggest studio or the smallest film, I won’t leave another film. So unfortunately, because of the two films that I was doing and that didn’t happen, I lost out on 12 films in the last one year. One film didn’t happen and the other was put off by a few months. And these films are the films that we generally talk about these days. Let’s not get into all that. 

Any regrets?
No. I don’t have any regrets. This is something I will follow for the rest of my life, the rest of my days that I am working in this industry. If I like the script and give you my word, I won’t ditch you just because I find some other film more exciting and bigger than the film I said yes to. 

There is a public perception that you walked out of Half Girlfriend...
I said yes to Dinesh Vijan long before Half Girlfriend was even offered to me. And because of a big confusion (again, because of someone else), we were told that we could shoot both films simultaneously. But it wasn’t the case because both directors wanted a particular month. So since I had said yes to Dinesh first, I had to opt out of Mohit’s film. This is the true story. But coming to the people’s perceptions, I give a damn. People think that I walked out of my mentor Abhishek Kapoor’s film Fitoor. But I didn’t. I was told that the film would start in October, so I kept myself free. And Fitoor was the first film in my career that I said yes to, without reading a script. Just because it was Gattu’s film and I love him as a director.  I find him to be very passionate with his work. So I prepped in September. October came, November passed by, but it didn’t start. On December 15, I decided that I would do Paani and maybe, Fitoor. But I didn’t walk out. I sat for so many months. 

Did you talk to Gattu about this that time?
Of course, we were talking to each other. It was not his fault. Things were just not falling in place. It wasn’t my fault as well. When there’s a film, there are a lot other things than just a director and actor agreeing on a project. I sat for 90 days when I could have finished the film and then I chose to step out and then it didn’t happen. So, it was a series of unfortunate events, but what can I do? I always stick by my words. It’s again back to atoms, spaces and opinions.
 
Has the Fitoor and Half Girlfriend issue created a rift between you and Ekta or Gattu?
No, not at all. Abhishek and I are supposed to meet again this week, for dinner. And Ekta called when she got to know what’s happening. She said what had happened was unfortunate and that she wasn’t aware that this was an issue created by a third person. We might not work on this project, but she has promised to work with me in the immediate future. My relationships with them are as normal as they were. 

Has she already offered you another film?
Not yet, but I am expecting something soon.