On the choice of name and story, Ishaqzaade ?
What I find is that in recent times, the visual and storytelling concept of love in India, has been through Western eyes. And I am not being judgmental . We have taken for granted that here in India, people will fall in love and their love will be accepted very easily. The reality is that it is not always the case. Also I did not want to show borrowed complications of a Western origin, for an Indian love story.  It is just that I wanted to present the concept of a story about barriers to love in a free society, from an Indian perspective. Why is that in India it is still not OK for two people  who are in love, to not be able to spend time with each other in an open manner, such that they are found more in places like Bandstand in Mumbai or the Qutab Minar in Delhi and then too be bothered by cops. I find that very strange, it is almost like saying to be in love,  is a bad thing. Hence the characters in my film are the Nawaab’s of Ishq,  love. There is no word as such called Ishaqzaade, but you do have words such as Shehzaade or a Nawaabzaade, so it is in the same vein. A small town love story of two people who fight for their most fundamental right, the right to fall in love.

You have this unique ability, as you did in Do Dooni Chaar, Band Baaja, etc, to transport us into that world, right to the minutest details, where does that come from?
I don’t think I am the only one who does that. Filmmakers such as Anurag Kashyap, Shimit Amin, in Kahaani, Sujoy, takes you into Kolkatta in all its details, Dibanker takes you into Delhi too. Abhinav Kashyap too did that in Dabang, yes larger than life, but he did convince us that Salmaan Khan is Chulbul Pandey.

But what about the attention to the minutest details?
These are great times to be in. Most of us directors, writers, editors, are trying to be honest to the script and the space of the script. Earlier it was like, we lived in two realities. The film reality which we took as a fact and the actual reality, of which we are in denial. For the longest time, be it our towns, villages, we would look at  a film to show how it should be depicted. In the last 4-5 years, directors have started going to the actual places and observing real people and real instances. How people speak, what they do, it may sound mundane, but therein lies the flavor of the script. Also if the Director initiates it then the Production Designer and the DOP will follow suit. Most of the directors are telling a story with an experiential quality in them. Within that realm of real space we find enough entertaining stuff. We find enough entertainment in the guy saying “Bread Pakode ki Kasam.” For entertainment it does not have to be cinemascope all the time. Scale would be cinemascope but real people can inhabit those screens. Then if you are setting out to do that, you are anal. I remember during Do Dhooni Chaar, I was very particular about the kind of scooter Rishi Kapoor’s character would be on. Bajaj at one time started with a new range called Chetak, which had sharper edges. I did not want a sharper edge scooter since it took away from the character’s rotundity that “Gol Matol” scooter. I wanted a model called Priya. I was very anal about that and I had my poor Production Designer scan the length and breadth of Delhi to find a Priya and three of them were needed, since all were in a very bad shape.  Similarly in Ishaqzaade, I did not want Arjun Kapoor’s character to drive a Bullet, cause that is the perception of a small town bike. It just had to be a Yezdi, again based on my experience of small towns like Lucknow. When these things excite you then it becomes a part of your production design and the way you write. To create that world where the audience suspends their disbelief and enters my world, excites me as a director. That is also a cinematic challenge, otherwise you can just write a novel.

How much has your NDTV Camera person background contributed to this?
Immensely. It has given me the opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the country, to witness people, emotions, events unfold, from a visual perspective. That opportunity has been invaluable. You really get to see India. Be it in a place like Kaargil or anywhere else, you don’t get to witness these events if you are not a camera person of a news channel. To visually capture the humans, is something else. A story unfolds right in front of your eyes and you have to get the essence of it.  The wanting to recreate the places, is a direct result of my NDTV experience. Those 5 years were an immense learning experience not only about image making and editing, but also about the country, its people and its politics.

On your days in South Illinois University in the US and how that contributed to where you are?
All of my Universities, whether it is my Eng Literature Hons degree from Delhi University or my MFA, have contributed to my learning. I remember getting admitted to Southern Illinois University, where I was getting a decent assistance ship and thinking that after a semester I would transfer to Chicago or NYU, because these were bigger schools. But that first semester in this small Mid West college convinced me that, this was the place where I would learn the most and also because, it was so grounded, as were the people.  It was about exposing me to different people and experiences. I had fellow students not only from the US, but also from Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, etc. Also I was exposed to so much of cinema that it all gives me a sense, now of where I am in 2012 with Ishaqzaade, in relation to all the great stuff that has happened in world cinema. Sub consciously all of that is resurfacing in the person that you become. One interesting thing that happened was there was this instructor, Mike was his name, he was a farmer in the evening and a lecturer during the day. One of the most grounded people who encouraged us to cut our own film and this was such an eye opener to me. My whole perception of the US was changing to become something much more valuable than what I had imagined. He was an expert in Russian cinema and this guy would drive the tractor every evening to till the land. That whole approach he brought to the classroom, a very cottage industry approach to the process of film making. He would encourage us to process our own film. All this so that the process becomes completely demystified for us.

End of the road for Television?
Not at all. Television is still very exciting for me. There are a lot of stories that are very television centric and can actually be better told in television. There are some issues and subjects that when handled on Television create a wider debate. There are still a lot of issues in that there are stories, perhaps less cinematic but bigger in their ideas, they get played out very well on Television.

You have now won over the middle class, real story telling. Now as Habib becomes bigger in Bollywood are you going to lose that to the big and larger than life cinema?
Actually it has just so happened that my last few films are in these spaces, but I want to make all kinds of films and not meaning those that insult the intelligence of the audience, but those that if they need a bigger scale, I can go for it. It would be the story that would determine the expanse and I want to tell all kinds of stories. I hope that people don’t pigeon hole me. I believe that I am several different holes and I hope the audience is accepting of my moving from one hole to another.  To be pigeonholed would be the death of any writer, cinematographer, even they would suffocate. Imagine the Coen brothers making the same kind of film, time after time.

Lets begin  with your journey?
I come from a regular middle class family from a relatively small town of Allahabad. The expectation of my family was that I do Engineering or some technical stuff. But in class 8th,  I decided that Fashion Designing is my calling. I am from an orthodox family, my father was totally against this. On 18th April 1996, I ran away from home, with Rs 25000 and landed up in Mumbai, to pursue my designing dreams. Those were hard days. Luckily I was supported, financially by my aunt in Dubai, who paid the fees for my Fashion Designing course. I am a big believer in God and that we have one life to live. My father was also against my declaration of my sexuality and who I was and what I felt. This was also one of the reasons for me taking the drastic step of running away from home. Because of my unique personality, I started getting a lot of publicity. This helped me immensely. I started work as a Fashion Choreographer but deep inside I wanted to own a Label. Shortly thereafter I launched my range of KAMASUTRA designs, which became a sensation. What followed was work in Bollywood, opening of flagship stores and also the launch of my own label, HARE’. I now stand amongst the foremost designers in India. Looking back I do  feel a sense of accomplishment.

Your designs have two hallmarks, they are a curious mix of India’s tradition and contemporary. They are also for the common person, something that is not unique with most other designers?
I have kept it that way. Lord Krishna has been a huge influence on my patterns and designs. Also growing up in a smaller town and in a middle class family, I aspired to wear designer labels, but at times found them out of reach. So keeping that in mind, my stores carry designs from $150 to $10,000. I feel proud having taken fashion to the common person.

On your experience in Television?
Big Boss was a life changing experience. It is all your raw emotions visible to all of India. I managed to last more than a few weeks. Everything changed post that. I could no longer walk on the streets without being recognized. It made me a celebrity. I discovered parts of me that I did not know existed. The good, the bitchiness, the drama, people loved it all. I also did other reality show, Zor Ka Jhatka, which was filmed in Argentina. Currently I am hosting Style Strip, on Zoom. I love being Fashion Police to Bollywood Celebrities.

Rohhit at house and outside?
Two different people. At home I am about a simple and basic existence, probably lounging in my kurta. Once I step outside, the stylish and more glam Rohit takes over. I like who I am on both sides. To the people who have known me for long, I have always been the same straightforward person.

What are the upcoming shows?
There is a show in Kuwait, for which I leave tomorrow and there is Rajasthan Fashion Week coming up shortly. Still in talks with Paris and then all of this will build up to a big one in Dubai, in October.

Stylish celebrities?
Globally, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez. Closer home, Aishwariya and Mr Bachchan, he can carry almost all the stylish clothes, even at this age.

Your take on same sex marriage and on being open Gay?
The emotion of Love has no gender. Also every human in this planet is entitled to love. Once that emotion is obtained, it does not matter whether that is between Heterosexual, Gay, Lesbian, Bi Sexual, etc. I will leave it at that.

What is Film India Worldwide all about? How often is it published?
In my frequent travel to film festivals over decades, I have always been told how difficult it is to get information on new films, trends and happenings in the world of cinema in India.  In addition, what is interesting here and even more difficult to access is India’s inroads into international film making.  It is to fill the lacunae in getting the latest information about new Indian cinema and its ramifications on the international film scene that I started “Film India Worldwide” around ten years ago, as a quarterly journal. First as a very modest offering. Now it has developed into a comprehensive and detailed source of information on new Indian cinema divided into key sections. In particular, it researches how India connects with the international film scene, in terms of films, talent, skills and technology.

The magazine lists new films in different categories – the latest in line in debut films, films in regional languages, films that would appeal to festivals, films made by Indians living outside of India, Indian films made in English, and of course, the blockbuster film.

The magazine also features films from India or films connected with India that have been selected in leading international festivals of the past quarter. This gives an idea of the scale of international selection when it comes to films from India.  There is also a brief listing of recent honours won by filmmakers and their films.

The magazine is timed to be brought out  during a major festival, highlighting Indian participation in that festival:  Berlin (February), Cannes (May), Toronto (September) and Kerala (December).

On the re emerging Independent Indian Film Industry and how is Film India Worldwide playing a part in it?
I think that Film India Worldwide by covering the very latest that is emerging or happening in Indian cinema does convey the changing trends in Indian cinema and how it is making inroads on the world scene.  Take the latest Cannes Special issue that is just out. This edition tells you how Indian film professionals are making a huge impact in the Cannes Market. They get invited to participate in the Producers Market and Workshops and there are many others who pay their way to get there. The India Pavilion is a hub of activity with producers, buyers and sellers thronging to it.

This year, Cannes has selected three Indian films by independent filmmakers that will       each feature in a different prestigious section. Two are debut works. Two are produced by Anurag Kashyap. Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely has already been bought by the leading distribution company Fortissimo.

Just stating facts such as these  indicate the way a new-wave Indian cinema is leaving its formula-driven domestic  imprint and is incorporating international nuances in its creativity and technical inputs.  The west and east is coming to India now to make films.  All this is evident as you leaf through the magazine’s pages.

As an adjunct and arm of the magazine,  I also programme a section related to the concept of Film India Worldwide at Mumbai’s MAMI film festival. I select around half a dozen new films that have an important and viable international connection or base.

A little about your journey to becoming one of the most respected festival programmers, globally, for Indian films?
I think it comes from that word passion – having an obsessive leaning towards film and the film society movement.   It has been a preemptive force from my college days,  through my years as an advertising copywriter, my brief spell with the Directorate of Film Festivals, and all consumingly when I made it my one single work area.  Learning at firsthand about film, gaining knowledge on the medium, getting to know filmmakers well over the years, has led to my storing data and knowledge on film. The privilege of travelling to film festivals in many countries has been another major asset. Getting an international angle to one’s perceptions is not easy. These are the prerequisites for a programmer. Let’s say that I had a head start

The list of global festivals, that you program for currently and also those where you are associated with, on an advisory capacity?
I have worked officially as the India programming representative for the Toronto Film Festival (since 1994) and now with many Indian film festivals that are mushrooming in many countries. I am the Founder-Advisor to the following festivals: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), Bollywood and Beyond Stuttgart Indian Film Festival; River to River, Florence Indian Film. Festival; London Indian Film Festival;  the Houston Indian Film Festival and most recently the Hague Indian Film festival.  I have had the privilege of working officially with the Locarno, Dubai, Abu Dhabi festivals and with the New York Indian Film Festival. In an informal capacity, I help Cannes, Pusan. London and Locarno. In India I work officially with Kerala and Mumbai (MAMI) film festivals and recently have been associated with the Chennai film festival.  One of the film events I feel, most important to participate in is the Film Bazaar in Goa managed by NFDC.
Everyone looks back, we ask for you, to look forward, and give your perspective on where Indian cinema is heading, as far as global outreach and of course within India too?
Indian cinema in recent years has been going through a disappointing spell – lacking direction and inspiration and a clear identity.  This is why until very recently Indian films did not feature in leading festivals abroad. Nor has there been one film that has clearly gripped world attention. A towering figure such as Satyajit Ray has been irreplaceable.

But with 2012, the jinx seems to have been broken. There is an emerging number of young filmmakers who are well versed in international filmmaking and who have a strong story-telling acumen and mind set.  Anurag Kashyap is the front leader of this movement but it has been simmering with Marathi filmmakers and with outbursts from Kolkata, Kerala and Chennai. So, a new-age Indian identity in cinema appears to finding itself and presenting its concerns with confidence and originality. This year’s Cannes  heralds India’s new voice in world cinema.

When the credits roll at the beginning of a film and your name appears, there is an air of surprise for the audience as to which kind of role you will be enacting in the film…the complete actor?
Yes I would like to take credit for that. One thing I was very sure of when I came to this industry was, I refused to be given a fixed tag. They do that to actors all the time here and I have fought hard to keep myself out of any pigeon hole or image. So what happens with a set image is that you get an actor with a set image, example a villain, so you spend no time in establishing him in the story, which I think takes away from the actor and the audience experience.  Also in that case a certain fixed number of emotions and expressions are expected from him and which you will deliver and go. So the director is actually banking on the actor in such scenarios, as opposed to it being the other way around. Hence the kind of roles I chose, it was very conscious that I did not want to keep repeating myself. Post JUNGLE, I kept away for a while from playing the traditional negative or any role that might have even a slight resemblance to something I may have done in the past. That patience of not repeating myself despite being around 13-14 years in the industry, is now paying off and as you said there is an air of surprise when my name rolls in the credits.

So how come in films and in acting, in the first place?
I can look back and say it was destined, but that is more a “looking back” which we all do. The honest answer is, I don’t know at which point in time, but growing up in UP, we used to have this Ramlila playing every year and in between the Ramlila, they used to have skits and presenters. During one such Ramlila I was pushed on the stage by my cousins, i was 4 years old. Why was I pushed, I don’t know, maybe they saw something in me. But I did quite well once I was on stage. Nobody in my immediate family is from a film background. Why and where I inherited these creative genes and talent, I don’t know but along the way I kept meeting people who recognized this talent in me and encouraged me else I wouldn’t have known that I had the talent for acting. Then in college, in Delhi, I met my acting guru, Ebrahim Alkazi. Till then I was not sure, whether I want to be an actor. It was something I enjoyed but I was more of a writer and a painter. I approached Mr Alkazi, after I had been with him for 2 years, he was giving me lead roles in plays, honing me as an actor. I told him that I wanted to show him my poems and my paintings and wanted his opinion. He asked me to bring my work, which I did, but he did not look at it. All he asked me, “what is it you want to be?” I responded that I would like to continue doing theater, but that theater does not pay the bills. He responded that he did not think that I could become an actor, he did not see the fire in me. That was the only instigation I needed. That was the day I decided that the only thing I would pursue is acting. That was in the middle of 1994. So here I am!

Your view on whether the landscape for movies, this whole independent movement, is it really changing things in Mumbai?
From the time I came, yes, there is a change, no doubt about that. It is still dependent on the star system, which I think is true for cinema world over, irrespective of whether the star can act or not. Yes, what is changing is that now despite the star, they are also looking at a solid story. Even the big corporates appear convinced that merely a star, does not mean much, when the story is not present.  It is in transition for actors such as myself. I would not say it has drastically opened up.  Age of formula films is over. Now, compared to ten years back, there is much more scope for new talent, for films without stars and I would give it another 4-5 years for a real difference to emerge.

Theater, films or television, your preference purely as an actor?
Theater and films on an equal footing then television.
We have not seen you in many international projects,  given your desire to be a complete actor and your command of the English and

Hindi language, you would be a perfect choice?
I have not received any substantial offers, but the day the right one comes along, I would definitely go for it.

You are more than just an actor, do we see a potential director here?
The foundation is being laid, but am still a few years away from stepping into those shoes. Right now it is purely acting.

Last year, Habib Faisal sprung on the Bollywood scene with the refreshing joie-di-vivre of ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ and ‘Band, Bajaa, Baaraat’. It explored the lesser-explored middle-class with an intuitive honesty, charm and a lot of heart. He brings the same honesty and connectedness with the lesser explored small-town India in Ishaqzaade, but the heart? If in a story of die-hard lovers we are questioning its heart, something somewhere must be off.

The film sets itself in a fictitious small town Almoda, but so rooted and real is the town that it easily becomes a prototype of any of India’s towns. It is a love story set against the backdrop of two warring political rivals Chauhan and Qureshi. Chauhan has a fly-off-the-handle, ruffian-like grandson (Parma) Arjun Kapoor and Qureshi a spunky and headstrong daughter Zoya (Parineeti Chopra). Their destinies meet amidst the parental battles of supremacy and sparks fly. But all is not as it seems and their different religion isn’t the only problem. There is betrayal and bloodshed to go through before both can unite, and the betrayal comes from none other than Parma himself, turning the film on its head, despite its premise and title.

However, whatever the heart-aches, lovers need to re-unite but it’s a bullet-ridden path ahead of them. In true Ek Duje ke Liye style, both families turn blood-thirsty and the lovers are left with no choice but to run. And run they do, through the zillion twining, by lanes of Almoda that seems to reflect the ever-twisting nature of story itself.

The film explores some pretty dark themes, blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist many times. But it does this with shifting intensity and a mere focus on plot than its characters. Emotions and reactions never seem in sync with their surroundings and neither does the flow fall in place then. It is a mis-match that never allows us to understand how seriously are we meant to take the happenings unfolding before us. The ‘love’ among all of this is almost but lost, which is unfortunate because the lead pair debutante Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra perform with such a refreshing gusto that you regret they didn’t have a stronger emotional world to centre themselves in. This world is further diluted with a faceless cast that under the director’s tutelage performs well but isn’t able to create a lasting romantic world for Parma and Zoya’s love to flourish. Gauhar Khan is makes the most of her supporting role as the prostitute-with-the-heart of gold, at once charming and convincing.

The film has so many little things to offer, ambiance, body language, language, cultural nuances and more. Amit Trivedi’s score has the small-town, slightly brazen energy and so does the action.

As suspense thrillers go, The Forest is as simple as it can get. There’s a man-eating leopard on the prowl and caught in the situation are Pritam, Radha, Abhishek, Arjun and Bhola Ram. But for them, it really isn’t as simple as it seems. Pritam (Ankur Vikal) and Radha (Nandana Sen), an estranged couple have come to the Kumaon Forest Reserve seeking solace only to find Radha’s ex-lover Abhishek (Javed Jaffrey) is the cop at the reserve where he lives with his young son Arjun. Looming large on the horizon is not only the threat of the leopard but of old love re-igniting. Even as the three battle their human instincts, they find it difficult to combat the predatory ones; both within themselves and of nature.

As a premise this dual threat is simple yet has enough meat to exploit and director Ashvin Kumar (Oscar nominee for Live Action Short Film category, 2004) explores it with an intuitive understanding of human and animal nature. He uses suspense and largeness of the death threat to perfect balance, building the tempo gradually yet constantly notching it up. The film begins with a suggestion of threat with kids at the fore-front, a smart device to juxtapose the vulnerability of humans to the all-powerful nature. This also sets the tone of the dark and dramatic atmosphere of the film. We know it is not going to be an easy watch and it isn’t.

It is this pervading uneasiness that the film captures with instinctive reserve and judgement. Shot in natural day-light and mood lighting at nights, the film sets a resonating ambient supplement to the gradually building tension. On the sly, it also gradually builds the complexities of the relationships. However, half-way through, once the terror strikes, there is no room left (or explored either) to test these tenuous relationships further. It is all about bloody drama that the leopard represents. Bloody it is, and equally dramatic, what with the escape routes cut-off and death at the door. The horror slowly explodes through sound and editing keeps the experience as uneven as it may appear to the characters.

Probably, the most enchanting part of the film is its wild-life photography that is candid and technically un-re-touched. It is stunning to watch animals shot at close distance in hazy daylight and muted colours without the technical gimmickry of post-production.

The film despite its tightness remains limited in scope. The Pandora’s box of relationships that it opens is left unattended to and it seems almost unnecessary to have gone there at all. Stilted English dialogues and delivery forces one out of the well-built drama constantly. Add to that stilted performances by Nandana Sen and Ankur Vikal and it is only Javed Jaffrey who shines in his understated performance of the fearless, bitter man with dubious intentions.

The film ends on a note of educating us about tiger extinction but even without the good intentions it’s a film that’s commendable for more things it gets right than wrong.

The intrigue of past life phenomena has enough power to catch popular attention and Brian Weiss’ widely-read ‘Many Lives Many Masters’ proved it beyond doubt some years ago. Past life phenomena became a household concept in India via TV (Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka) and now Vikram Bhatt invests it with silver screen drama complete with 3D and Karishma Kapoor.

Essentially a love story, Dangerous Ishq pans out as a thriller, spanning a timeline of five centuries in 24 hours, following supermodel Sanjana’s (Karishma Kapoor) intuition in saving her lover, business tycoon Rohan’s (Rajneesh Duggal) life. Eternal lovers, apparently they have taken several births to unite as lovers but in every lifetime a curse has followed them. There is someone who seeks to keep them apart and Sanjana is determined to find out who this is. Thus begins her travel through time.

Even as the pain of loss and separation runs strong through the film, director Vikram Bhatt invests more in the suspense element and resolution of the lover’s destiny. Bit by bit, the film unveils episodes of Sanjana’s past that are relevant to her today, giving her clues to her destination. It’s a long winded path indeed and at times illogical and over-simplified. In a bid to keep pace and romanticise past life phenomena, the film typically chooses to twist it around to its convenience. Soul lessons become mere clues to solve a mystery and the regression process is replaced by magical intuition. So much does the film concentrate on delivering suspense that it forgets the extent of dumbing down it does to its otherwise spiritual subject. But who knows, maybe, in this form it may appeal to non-believers more.

There is colour galore and a certain authenticity of sets and costumes that make it visually appealing enough for its dramatised subject. Yet, the language and limited world-view turns the seeming authenticity into superficiality never allowing us to connect with the surroundings of reality of Sanjana’s life. We care for Sanjana’s dilemmas but the credit for that largely goes to the actress who keeps her performance on an even keel. She looks gorgeous, even though heavily pan-caked and wears her screen presence with ease. Rajneesh Duggal, Jimmy Shergill and Divya Dutta fill in their parts with similar superficiality, having little to perform for. In his small role, Ravi Kisshen shows his trademark conviction despite the chipped and unfinished character written out for him.

Like all Vikram Bhatta films, Dangerous Ishq depends on thrills and chills and focuses little on characterisation, mood or even dialogues. Fortunately, it uses Himesh Rehsammiya’s forgettable music as background scores and keeps the pace tight. Unnecessary and tacky 3D does little to our experience, as we travel through Sanjana’s many traumatic lifetimes. It almost leaves us wistfully wishing if only this once-A-lister actor had used a better film as a comeback vehicle it might have worked better for her. And for us.

A little about your journey?
Acting was not something I had thought of. My father was an IAS officer, so the expectation was to pursue Civil Services and academically too I was very good. My father passed away when I was in 3rd grade. Then in the 8th grade I was involved in a very serious accident, I was bed ridden for almost two years. I lost my mother when i was in 12th grade. Net result was that academically my entire career went for a toss, since I could barely attend school thereafter. However, while in school I used to participate in debates and the feedback I got was that my voice was well suited for the media. Thereafter, my brother, who had become like a guardian to me, reasoned that, given my loss of academic career options, acting was probably worth a shot, purely from a building of career perspective. So that is what got me to Mumbai.

On your early struggle days in Mumbai?
Quite honestly, it was not a financial struggle. Coping with my parents loss was a bigger internal struggle. My brother and the remainder of my family, looked after my financial as well as emotional needs during my early days in Mumbai. They really are the best brothers one can ask for. The learning curve was definitely there, since I had no idea even how to make a portfolio. But things kept happening, work kept coming on TV, but not the one I desired. I got the best break when I was offered the Sahara One serial, Mata Ki Chowki. Initially I was apprehensive about the role since by its name the serial sounded like a mythological drama, which was not up my alley. But when I learned more about my role, the story, it really excited me and the net result was very satisfying and fulfilling. I was playing the antagonist.

On being one of the best Bad Guy of TV?
A good bad guy (smiles !) Mata Ki Chowki worked wonders. I got awards and accolades beyond my expectations. The good can be good, but the bad has to be good too. A good bad, makes the good good seem even better so that is the challenge of being negative. The feedback i got from the producers of Mata Ki Chowki was that Moksh was one of the most popular characters, on Indian TV, so I must have done something good with my bad ! The show and the character also took Sahara One channel to a different level. Shows followed, this time it was with Zee, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijiyo and again i given to play a negative role. My character Ranvijay was a huge success too.

What defines Sachal, other than acting?
My practice of Vipassana. It gives me balance and grounding. In all our lives we will have the highs, the lows, especially in this business. Given my internal struggle, before I even entered the media line, Vipassana keeps me grounded and real and detaches me from grasping for material things. Not many people know, Iam also a voice over artist.I have done voice overs for Discovery and National Geographic. I enjoy modulating my voice to create different voice patterns.

Known for his boy-next-door good looks and natural flair for acting, Shahid’s hosting skills laced with his very own straight-faced hilarious dialogue delivery will give the IIFAs a different look this year. While the night will have its share of the awards, glitz and glam that goes with the mega event, the host for the evening will also have celebrity co-hosts.

The Videocon IIFA Weekend celebrations, presented by Videocon and organized by Wizcraft International Entertainment, will see the entire Indian film industry in Singapore for the 3-day weekend. The weekend will feature various film briefings, the IIFA World Premiere of SHANGHAI featuring Kalki, Emraan Hashmi and Abhay Deol, IIFA Rocks – a fashion and music extravaganza, culminating with the night of nights, the IIFA Awards presentation ceremony.