Like every actor, you get notorious for maybe one role and then get offered a lot of similar roles.
In Bollywood, you have to do one film at a time, and there are no mixed schedules. And doing four films at a time is out of the question. Telugu film industry works very differently. But the kind of films I'm getting here are better than what I've been offered in Bollywood.
If you look at my acting career, I never played a role that was similar to anything my brother played. I was always cast as the bad guy or a gangster, because my brother didn't do those kind of roles.
The muscularly developed actor is not seen as a serious actor although he should be seen as a serious actor because he has been preparing for these muscular roles his entire life. If you can dedicate years of your life to hitting the gym and dieting and eating right you can definitely take a movie role seriously.
In Bollywood, the film's stakes are as high as the actor. In Hollywood, they are way above, and the day we realise this in our industry, we will start appreciating actors.
It's so funny because the roles that I've been offered in the indie film world have been similar to each other, and the roles that I've been offered in the TV world have been similar to each other, but the TV roles and the indie film roles have been completely different.
I play the role of a gangster's wife in a web series, a cop's wife in Hindi film 'Vodka Diaries,' a cop in 'Adangathey' and a gangster in 'Saaho.' So yeah, I have got all the roles covered.
I keep getting advice on the social media that I should be selective in accepting roles. But, as an actor, I get attracted to every role I'm offered.
All of us play different roles in our chosen career. I play the role of an actor. But I realised I am also an actor apart from various roles I play in my personal life.
Although the need or demand for a lead actor and actress will never fade in the Bollywood film industry, character roles have also become popular and more importantly they are very integral for the script.
I've played some gangster roles, but that's obviously not me. When you're an Italian-American New York actor, it's just an easy way to get cast.
'Sanam Teri Kasam' wasn't the first Bollywood project offered to me. I was offered other projects with more established actors, but I always knew that I could easily be seen as just eye-candy.
In an industry where actors are known to steal scenes and roles from under your nose Sohail bhai has been going out of his way to be good to me. It's true he got me Subhash Ghai's 'Paying Guest.' The role was offered to Sohail bhai. When he couldn't do it, he recommended me.
Bollywood is there; the film industry is thriving, and it's huge, and it's everywhere. Anytime I travel abroad and I say I'm an actor from India, they're like, 'Oh, Bollywood!' And I say, 'Umm, not yet!'
I have consciously not taken the role of a gangster, which has been offered to me far too many times.
Most of my popular movies have seen me cast in serious roles. But then I am mostly offered such roles.