The first thing that strikes you about Shiney Ahuja is that he speaks softly. The second? He is a man of few words. From a promising actor to a social outcast convicted of raping his maid two years ago, Shiney is now awaiting the release of his comeback film Ghost. t2 caught up with Shiney on his second innings in Bollywood and why he doesn’t want to put his past behind him.

P.S.: Shiney couldn’t be quizzed about his criminal charge since it is “sub-judice”.

A film release after three years. How are you feeling?

I am very excited… I am very happy to start work again. Obviously, there is quite a bit of nervousness considering that I am coming back with a film after so long… even more nervous because of all that has happened in between…. But yes, I am anxious for my film to release.

Is Ghost the ideal film to make a comeback with?

That is something that time will tell… when the audience gives its verdict. The reason why I chose Ghost was its story. I really liked the fact that though it is essentially a horror film, at the core it is a love story. It’s a beautiful story about how love and the support of your loved ones can help you tide over any problem in life. It’s a story that I identify with.

What was it like on the first day of shoot?

To be honest, I was very scared. So much has happened in these two years…. But when I reached the set, not one person among the cast and crew made me feel unwelcome. The day we began shooting happened to be my birthday. I cut a cake on set and my family… my wife (Anupam) and parents were there with me. My dad (S.P. Ahuja) gave the clap to start the film. It was the happiest day of my life.

It must have been a very emotional experience for you…

It was a very emotional moment… much more for my dad who has seen me go through hell these two years. He was really, really happy for me. We felt as if the entire trauma… the suffering… of all these years had evaporated in that one moment.

What was going on in your mind when you gave the first shot?

Pretty much what I felt when I gave the first shot for my first film (Sins). There was some nervousness… some excitement. But the moment I faced the camera I felt completely at ease. I felt like I had never left.

What is your role in Ghost all about?

I play a private detective whose name is Vijay Singh. There is a murder in a hospital and he is called to investigate it. As the story progresses, the murder count rises and my character realises that his life is also very closely connected to each of these murders.

How was it being directed by a woman and debutante (Puja Jatinder Bedi)?

Well, it wasn’t the first time I was working with a woman director. I have been directed by Tanuja Chandra in Zindaggi Rocks (co-starring Sushmita Sen). It’s always enriching to work with a woman director because of the emotional touch that they bring to their storytelling. This is Puja’s first film but the way she has handled the script will make you feel that she has been in the business for decades.

Have your personal setbacks helped you in any way as an actor?

I have always felt that life is the best acting school. Whatever I have been through… all the horror and humiliation that I have been subjected to, I would like to keep it somewhere with me because I feel that it will help me in front of the camera in every film that I do now. I don’t want to put my past behind me.

When you were in jail, did you think you would ever face the camera again?

Every single moment I spent there, I prayed for it to happen. But I wasn’t sure when it would happen, if at all. After a while, I just left everything to God. I kept praying and I kept hoping.

How does it feel when you see that people you have worked with like Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Basu and Vinod Pande come forward to sign you for their films?

Very humbled… very emotional. It brings tears to my eyes to know that so many people in the industry still believe in me… in the fact that I did not do anything wrong… that I was the victim of unfortunate circumstances. Many of them like Sudhir Mishra (who directed Shiney in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Khoya Khoya Chand) have supported me from Day One. It just makes me feel that I must have done something right to have such good people in my life.

What are the projects that you have signed?

Talks are on in the final stages for Hitman (directed by Sudhir Mishra). I am on the verge of signing two other films. I also have Har Pall (with Preity Zinta) and Accident (with Soha Ali Khan) that should release in the next few months.

What happened to Silver Cord, the Hollywood film that you had signed with Val Kilmer in 2009?

I was supposed to start shooting in July of that year and the incident happened in June. The producers have naturally gone ahead with the project without me. But that’s okay… I am thankful for what I have today.

Do you have a career strategy in mind now?

Honestly, I haven’t planned anything. I am just taking life as it comes. I have stopped planning anything in life. Life has given me a second chance and I am extremely grateful for that.

What happens next?

I believe that there is something that one can take back from every experience… good or bad. I have also taken back a lot from that experience in terms of realising how precious life is and what family support is all about. I am now waiting for justice.