I’m not high on romance: Nikhil Dwivedi

Actor Nikhil Dwivedi may only be a few films old, but his go-getter attitude speaks volumes of the confidence he has in himself. “It comes from the simple fact that I have a realistic approach to my work,” he says.

Explaining further, he adds, “I am not averse to experimenting or even playing the second lead, as long as I trust the film-maker. Today, films are not about the ‘hero’ or ‘heroine’. It’s all about characters and the only hero today is the story. So, I’d rather look at interesting roles with good directors rather than wait for that one film that promises to have me as the solo lead.”

Incidentally, Nikhil himself made his debut with a solo lead film, that despite coming from a non-film background. And though the film failed to set the cash registers ringing at the box-office, his performance got him noticed.

“Yes, it’s disappointing to know that in spite of good performances, your film fails to click. But films are not about working in isolation. They have to work in totality too.”

Is he referring to Raavan here? “That film too. The film may not have been a hit, but it has benefitted every actor associated with it,” he reveals. A firm believer in destiny, Nikhil adds that destiny plays an  important role. “We are all like the spokes of a wheel. We may put in our best, but destiny is that last spoke, if that’s missing, well, it just won’t work.”

He reveals an interesting mix of films in hand including Matric Pass, Shor, Basra and the remake of Arjun, in which he’s playing the central character, among others. “I am not for romantic roles. Intense and gritty films are what I want to do. They are more challenging,” he says, explaining the absence of romantic roles in his list. Coming from a simple non-filmi background, does he feel that star kids have it easy?

“Opportunity-wise, yes. But it all boils down to whether you deliver on screen. When I made my debut there were about 22 other newbies. Of them only a handful were from non-film backgrounds. But today, than a handful are still working and being offered good roles,” he ends.