Alot of fun” is how musician and reality show judge Shekhar Ravjiani describes his foray into acting. The looker has just made his debut in Neerja where he plays Jaideep, Sonam Kapoor’s love interest. A t2 chat.

Does this feel absolutely new?

(Laughs) Nah! I am quite used to make-up. But everything else about Neerja has been been a lot of fun. I am exploring something new. I am quite excited because I like to explore a world beyond music. Music is my love but I have been doing it for 17 years. Now I have a production house that makes ads. I have a publication company that will launch in about three months. Also, in the last two-three years I have been singing in languages that I don’t know, like Telugu and ‘proper’ Marathi. 

What made you want to get out of your comfort zone and try different things? 

After 17 years of doing music, I had got into a phase where I could only make music for a certain situation, to suit what the director wanted. I wasn’t making music for the sake of making music. I couldn’t even remember when I had just written a song for myself... I didn’t even know if I could do it. So I started just recording whatever came to my mind and that’s how my first Marathi single (Saazni) was made. 

Where did the idea to act originate from?

I had been approached multiple times in the past but for some reason they didn’t seem like the right films for me. 

So what made Neerja the ‘right’ film?

I don’t know. There was just something about Neerja’s story and Ram’s (Madhvani, the director) passion that pushed me. It all started with a meeting with Atul Kasbekar, who is the producer of the film. Atul told me that he is producing this film and that Ram was directing it. Ram and I go back many years. We’ve done a lot of advertising work together. It was Atul who told Ram to call me for the role of Neerja’s love interest, Jaideep. Ram told me that it’s an extended cameo. The screen-time of the role didn’t matter to me. There was something about this film that made me want to be a part of it. We did a screen test just so we knew I could act! (Laughs) 
Did you then undergo any sort of training?
Not at all. We just workshopped a lot. Apart from that, I am not a trained actor. 

Do you remember your first day of shoot?

Yes, I do. I had to drive this really old Gypsy that was in a bad shape. I had to drive for a bit, stop at a particular point where the streetlight falls on my face and then say my line. And there were tons of cameras all over. I am very used to cameras, but remembering multiple instructions and my dialogue was quite an experience. I enjoyed that process. 
I had never worked on a film set before. There were a lot of cameras and ADs (assistant directors). We were shooting in the middle of the street and people would stop to look. It was a new experience. I only knew Sonam socially, so there was a certain comfort when we had to shoot. Those six days were a lot of fun. 
Would you want to do more films?
(Pauses) To be honest, I am just exploring acting. I took it up because offers have been coming my way. I just wanted to see how it’s all done. If something interesting comes my way, I’d love to explore this more. 

Indian musicians haven’t always been able to make a seamless transition to the front of the camera. Does that worry you? 

Not really because I don’t want to make acting my profession. I don’t want to be an actor-star. It’s just an art form that I want to explore. Kishore Kumar was a great singer, actor and director. But he wouldn’t have known if he could do any of these things if he hadn’t tried, right? Sure there have been singers who have failed and those who haven’t, but I always give a lot of credit for trying. Maybe I won’t be offered another film after this, but I am okay with that. 

What was your music partner Vishal Dadlani’s reaction when you took up Neerja?

He was very happy. Vishal has always known of all the acting offers that came my way in the past. He would always ask why I didn’t say ‘yes’ to them.

KU