"I studied Medicine Only For Papa'

'Thanks to Chhaava's success, I now have the creative freedom to pick and choose.'

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“Now that success has finally come my way, it has broken every ceiling and the fruit tastes really sweet,”

You are a licensed doctor. Have you ever practiced medicine?

No, there was never time to start my practice. I maintained an attendance register similar to the one in college and as soon as I had minimum attendance, I would disappear.

I find it strange when people say you should not plan your life. Arrey, everything around you is planned. Right now, I’m driving to town (south Mumbai) and this coastal road, these buildings around me, the city of dreams itself have all been meticulously planned from scratch, hai na?

As a child, I would wake up at 5.15 am and within an hour, would do my revisions. I scored 70-80 per cent in school.

If the plan was to get into medical school, why didn’t you pursue medicine as a career?

The plan was always to become an actor. Acting was what I wanted to do and I was studying medicine only for papa.

I had promised him that I would not leave my studies and to date, I have never started something and left it incomplete. You should always have a plan, set a timetable, and follow it with discipline

You have worked with Mahesh Manjrekar, Anurag Kashyap, Laxman Utekar and Reema Kagti.

Yet success and adulation has taken a long time coming. Weren’t you ever disillusioned?

No, woh kehte hain na, der aaye durust aaye (as they say, better late than never). (Laughs) Also, as I can see now, sabr ka phal meetha hota hai.

Now that success has finally come my way, it has broken every ceiling and the fruit tastes really sweet.