Actor Arshad Warsi says he has never believed in chasing roles and rather relies on instinct while taking up new projects, be it a mutli-starrer comedy like "Dhamal" or an intense drama like "Asur".
Known for his versatility across genres, from comedy franchises to intense films and shows such as “Sehar” and “Ishqiya”, Arshad said his choices are guided purely by what excites him as a viewer. He has now reunited with his "Munna Bhai" director Rajkumar Hirani for OTT project "Pritam Aur Pedro".
"I go with what I like but by gut feeling. I hear a script and if I like it and if that story is a film that I’ll like to see, then I’ll like to do it. When I work with Raju (Hirani), he has a different sensibility and if I work with Aryan (Khan), it’s a different sensibility. As an actor, you need to transform the way Raju or Aryan want me to, and that’s my job as an actor," Warsi, who played the quirky underworld don, Ghafoor bhai, in Aryan's debut series, "Ba***ds of Bollywood", told PTI in an interview.
"I've worked with Tigmanshu Dhulia and the way he works is different. So, all these guys have their own way of working. As an actor, I need to change and I love doing that. I love jumping from a 'Dhamaal' to a 'Asur', there’s absolutely contrast between these two," he added.
Asked whether he ever asked Hirani why the director did not cast him following the massive success of the two Munnabhai roles and the love that his role of Circuit garnered, Warsi said casting does not work like that.
"I believe that if you fit the role, you will get the part. If you don't fit the role, you will not get the part. You cannot force (things)," Warsi told PTI in an interview.
The actor said in "Jolly LLB 2", he told director Subhash Kapoor to go with Akshay Kumar even though he had worked on the original, "Jolly LLB".
“I actually told Subhash (Kapoor, director) to take Akshay (Kumar) saying, ‘Please take him, it's better that way’. So, for me it's that way, if you don't fit (the role), there's no point doing it, shoving yourself inside, it's not the right thing to do. If I were a director, and my best friend was there, if he doesn't fit the role, I can't take him, it doesn't work like that,” he added.
Hirani said they were earlier scheduled to work on "PK" but Warsi could not do the role as there were major date issues.
"Pritam and Pedro” marks the first OTT venture for Hirani, who serves as the showrunner and co-writer. The cyber security-based series is directed by Avinash Arun, known for the acclaimed series “Pataal Lok” and the film "Three of Us".
Warsi said the way Hirani writes his roles, they are often layered and character-driven.
"I don't want to say too much about my role but the fact is there is so much of pain in his life in reality, but still, he is not boring you. He is still funny and he is not being funny, it's just the personality of that person that you enjoy watching.
"And that comes from how you write a character... I like that about him, I like that there's depth, there is this pain, but he is still happy," the actor, who portrays the role of a cop in the series, said.
"Pritam and Pedro" revolves around two people: a seasoned cop (Warsi) who prefers old-school methods and a tech-savvy guy (Vir Hirani, son of Rajkumar Hirani) who relies on modern technology for investigations, as they navigate their partnership in solving crimes.
On working with, Vir Hirani, who played Short Circuit, Circuit's son, in “Munnabhai MBBS”, Warsi said he was impressed by the newcomer’s preparation.
"He had one issue, which just bothered me, which he fixed immediately. Like, he was (initially) too focused on his dialogues and not listening to me." Backed by Hirani, "Pritam and Pedro" will premiere on JioHotstar on July 3. It also stars Vikrant Massey and Mona Singh in the lead.
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