Are you into Shakespeare? Did you read Othello before signing Omkara?

I did read the play quite some years ago when I was in school and then again in college. I did go back to Othello when Vishalbhai (Bhardwaj) offered me the role. But I was unhappy doing Cassio?s role. With all due respect to Shakespeare, I found Cassio very unidimensional compared to Othello or Iago.

So why did you agree to do the film?

Because Vishalbhai?s script presented Cassio in a different light altogether. First of all, I fell in love with the name Kesu Firangi. Then I discovered the colourful shades of his character. He has all the characteristics to be the bahubali ? the successor to the throne of Omkara. He is very intense yet he is very vulnerable. As an audience your heart goes out to Omkara but you also feel for Kesu.

Isn?t he also the charmer of the region?

Absolutely. He is flirtatious, gentle and caring. He is the only one in the gang who?s ever been to university. He is very articulate when he speaks English and so he is called Firangi. The man is always serenading women and the girls too are totally crazy about him. He is also very musical and plays the guitar.

And you learnt to play the guitar for the movie?

I always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. And I consider myself a dedicated actor. So even though the scene was brief, Vishalbhai wanted me to learn the guitar for the authentic feel. And now I am hooked to it. I totally enjoy playing the instrument.

Most of your scenes are with Bipasha Basu in the film. What was she like to work with?

She is beautiful and sensuous. She is not only a sex symbol but also an intense actress. Bipasha is also a very nice person and I really look forward to working again with a strong individual like her.

Didn?t you fear getting lost in the crowd of such talented actors as Ajay Devgan and Saif Ali Khan?

Each character has a function in the story. So, as an actor your responsibility is to fulfil that function honestly. And the idea is to stand out in that crowd. I am just glad to be part of a powerful and intense film like Omkara. I have got some fantastic feedback for the film.

Was the competition among the actors healthy on the sets?

All of us got along famously. It was a fabulous experience. Ajay has always been there with me right from my Company days. We have done five films in the past four years and four of them have been big hits. I hope that we continue the run with Omkara.

What other films are on your platter?

The teasers of Naksha are on air and people have liked what they have seen. It?s an action-adventure film with Sunny Deol and Sameera Reddy. I had to do some daredevil stunts for the movie. For one particular scene, I had to dive through fire and it was quite scary.

Finally, your personal life keeps getting tonked around in the media. How do you take that in your stride?

An actor has to be true to his work, if not score hit movies at the box-office. I want to be known for my work and not for anything else.