You had disappeared from the public eye after being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2008. Om Sai Ram, which hit the theatres on Friday, is your first film since your recovery. Did you ever think that you would be able to make a comeback?

I had faith that God would save me from the jaws of death. The blessings of Lord Jagannath and Sai Baba (of Shirdi) and love of the people have given me strength. I had promised people that if I got well, I would devote myself to their entertainment. Om Sai Ram is the first step towards achieving that goal.

lWere you always spiritual? Or did your illness turn you into a god-fearing person?

I have always been a firm believer in God. He controls our destiny. Like Rajesh Khanna’s dialogue in Anand goes: “Hum sab toh rangmanch ki kathputliyaan hain, jinki dor uparwale ki ungliyon main bandhi hai” (We are all puppets in the hands of the supreme force, who holds the strings of our lives).

Any major realisations that you had while battling cancer?

Yes, I realised how popular and loved I am. Before that, I always assumed everyone hated Hara Patnaik, the villain. But during my sickness, the tears and prayers of people in Odisha, and even abroad, humbled me. Their love was a great emotional support during my tough days.

You were a trendsetter villain of the yesteryears. But villains now don’t find their sacred space opposite the heroes anymore and films have no clear black and white demarcations.

Without a villain, every story remains incomplete. The Ramayan or the Mahabharat are the best examples. During my time, I did my best to epitomise evil and it touched people’s hearts. I popularised words such as maa raan, phul bobbal and jhakaas in Odia films. Today’s villains are okay, but they can do much better.

How difficult was it to strike a balance between your on-screen and off-screen image?

I might play evil on-screen but in real life, I am a completely different person. I am a friendly person and share good relation with everybody. It was proved when people from various sections came together to pray for my recovery. Many good actors and assistant directors of today are my products. They all love me.

Odia film industry is thriving mostly on remakes of Hindi or south Indian films. What happened to originality and creativity?

People have rejected our original stories. Films based on stories by Odia novelists such as Kanhu Charan Mohanty or Bibhuti Patnaik were made, but they bombed at the box office. So, we have to depend on stories from Bollywood or a regional film industry to attract audience, which is not wrong. Borrowing ideas is okay; copying it completely isn’t, as it won’t have any relevance in the Odia context.

Our films are increasingly getting commercialised. Has the era of parallel cinema come to an end?

You cannot survive in the industry without commercial films. You need at least Rs 1 crore to make a film these days. People making parallel cinema neither have that kind of money nor get any encouragement from the government.

When your daughters were younger, how did they react to you getting typecast as a bad man?

They were always smart enough to distinguish between reel and real. But, the other kids in school used to tease them about my roles. So, my two daughters often got into arguments with their friends.

Did you ever intervene in their arguments?

Once, one of their friends, who was the daughter of a policeman, scared them by saying, “Your father is a villain. We will get him arrested.” The very next day, I went to their school, met their friends and sorted out the misunderstandings. Once their perception changed, they started coming to our house.

Many actors have been promoting their sons and daughters in the film industry. Do you have similar plans?

Both of them have worked as child artistes, but they are more interested to stay behind the cameras. The elder one, Arjya, is working as the executive producer of two popular television soaps. Ananya, the younger one, is doing her MBA in Bangalore and wishes to get into film direction. She has the talent to make it big.

Coming to your latest project, Om Sai Ram is a big budget film, involving six actors and actresses. Do you think it can strike a chord with the audience?

I am sure of it. After I made I Love You in 2004, dozens of romantic films by different directors followed. I think there has been an overdose of lovey-dovey films and the audience is bored. Om Sai Ram will be a welcome respite. It is about three brothers — Om, Sai and Ram — who are separated due to circumstances but eventually united.

It sounds very similar to the 70’s movie, Amar Akbar Anthony. Is Om Sai Ram a remake of it?

I can guarantee that it isn’t. You have to watch my film to know the difference.