Is it true that you never even asked for the script and said yes to Welcome To Sajjanpur because it was Shyam Benegal?

It was Shyambabu all the way. Honestly, Shyam Benegal is revered in my community. He belongs to the same community as me and we speak the same language. We are from south of Karnataka. I have grown up hearing so much about him. Not just him, about Girish Karnad, Guru Dutt, Anant Nag... they are all from my community. I became a fan of Shyambabu’s films only when I watched Zubeidaa. I wanted to work with him and so it was just a matter of one call from Mr Benegal. Yes, he is the only director whom I didn’t even ask what the story was or what my role was. It was just YES, I am working with you. Just the respect and regard I have for him.

Did you regret your decision when you found out what the story was?

No, not at all. Welcome to Sajjanpur is hilarious and is exactly as much fun as the promos are showing. “Ek se ek vichitra human being hain Sajjanpur mein...” It is actually like that. A small village filled with peculiar characters. When you watch the film, you will fall in love with all of them. You are laughing throughout the film because the circumstances and characters are so funny. In retrospect, of course, you will realise that all those things you laughed about are actually some of the grave issues our country is combating.

Did you find out what prompted him to sign you?

I think he saw Vivah and he thought that I could fit into the role in his film very well.

What’s your role?

I play a potter in the film, which goes well with the very rustic background. Kamla is a girl from Sajjanpur. It’s the role of a total villager.... illiterate villager who doesn’t know how to read and write. She is very naive and completely dependent on Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade) who is the only literate guy in the village. He is the go-to guy; no one can do without him. That is how she comes in touch with Mahadev.... Shyamji wanted these peculiarities in the film, things that would give realism to the film.

Did you learn pottery for the film?

Of course I did. Shyamji wanted to see me in the act of pottery. He had kept a special trainer, a local from the village, to come and teach me. Whenever I got a day off from the shoot, I would go and sit on the wheel. I had to make a pot in one of the scenes, so I had to make it happen. And honestly, it was a very good experience for me. The costume, the get-up helped a lot. Because Kamla has a typical look in the film. The sari she is wearing, the low make-up..., Shyambabu is so detailed in his approach, even making my skin tone just right. Everything was taken care of.

What was the feeling of being directed by the institution called Shyam Benegal?

He doesn’t believe in wasting time on the sets. He is very fast. He is not into taking unnecessary retakes. It was sync-sound, so everything needed to be perfect. Also, Shyambabu is all for improvising on the sets. That suited Shreyas well, because he is constantly improvising. Also Ilaji (Arun), she doesn’t stick to dialogues at all and adds so much value on her own. That can only happen if the director gives you complete liberty. And Shyam Benegal is like that. He is a wholesome film-maker as opposed to an art film-maker. I seriously don’t think you can call his films art cinema.

Twenty years ago he was ahead of his time. He went against the type and experimented with different subjects. Today, we see young film-makers doing the same thing. Now people are waking up and wanting to envision films differently. So working with Shyam Benegal in 2008 was like working with any commercial director of today’s time. He is still so passionate about cinema, so young at heart.... He is a huge foodie, always talking about food. Thanks to Shyam Benegal, shooting for Welcome to Sajjanpur was like a picnic!

In your last release My Name is Anthony Gonsalves you went for a sexy glam look. Now you are playing a de-glam villager. You are not trying to sport any definite image...

I just want to do good cinema. I have always wanted to do that. And apart from me wanting, good films and good roles walked up to me. Those kind of directors came my way. That too at such an early stage in my career. The Tum miley song in Anthony Gonsalves had a nice look for me — modern and contemporary. It was not consciously done... there was an opportunity to showcase a new look. I would love to do something my age... contemporary, modern...within my comfort level.

What’s next?

Anil Kapoor’s Short Cut. Akshaye Khanna is opposite me. And there’s Victory co-starring Harman Baweja.