I joined films in 1971 with Saat Hindustani, which was directed by K.A. Abbas. Only I know how much I had to struggle to get my maiden assignment. My voice, which is now considered my asset, was at that time rejected outright by many top directors.

Humiliation? Yes, I did undergo a lot of it. I was first noticed as an actor of some calibre in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand, though the film centred around Rajesh Khanna who was the ruling icon then. I owe a lot to Sunil Dutt for giving me a break in Reshma aur Shera. He was the only director whose imagination could visualise me as a dumb human being. The film, though very well made, did not succeed at the box office.

Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer in 1973 was the turning point of my life. The film gave me ample scope to exhibit my acting prowess and it hit the bull’s eye at the box office. This was followed by a string of successful films like Abhimaan, Namak Haram, Mili and Chupke Chupke.

I also agree with my admirers who label Deewar, Sholay and Trishul to be important turning points in my career. These films brought me fame, success and adulation. I was labelled ‘The Angry Young Man’ though I don’t believe in these labels. My idol Dilip Kumar was called the ‘Tragedy King’, though he was equally at ease when doing comedy in films like Azad and Ram aur Shyam. My recent films like Khaki, Sarkar, Dev, Chini Kam and Black were also important.

I’ve also done and I am attempting all sorts of characters to prove my versatility. My latest film, The Last Lear, is another important milestone in my career. It is my first English film, and the director Rituparno Ghosh has been able to bring the best out of me. At the moment I am busy with projects like Aladdin, Teen Patti and Zamanaat.

(As told to Promita Mukherjee)