There is no bigger reward than audience admiration, says Arshad Warsi, who believes the success of Asur season two proves that if viewers love a character, they root for it. Be it street smart Ballu of Tere Mere Sapne, devoted sidekick Circuit from Munna Bhai films or small time lawyer Jagdish Tyagi in Jolly LLB, Arshad's filmography boasts of memorable characters.
The actor said it is probably his "inherently lovable" personality that reflects in his on screen characters and make them more interesting. "The money one earns is a byproduct, but the main thing one craves for is appreciation. You want people to come up to you and say, 'What a film, what a character and I loved you in it'. That's my award and reward. I personally look for that," Arshad told PTI in a virtual interview.
It is important for audiences to like and relate to the protagonist, said Arshad. "If they love the character, no matter what it does, it is appreciated. If they do not like it, it's null and void. I've been fortunate enough that there isn't anyone who hasn't liked my work. When a film or series works, that's a cherry on the cake. There is no better feeling than that.”
But it is not easy, he said, adding that he used to get characters similar to Circuit from Munna Bhai films until recently. "I credit the storytellers, the directors who imagined me in a (different) role and had faith in me. When Kabir Kaushik asked me to do Seher, I asked him if he was sure. I had an image of a comedy actor. Subhash (Kapoor) was sure about me playing Jolly. I'm grateful to them for taking a chance with me and I'm happy I could live up to their expectations."
Arshad, who made his cinematic debut with 1996 movie Tere Mere Sapne, said "waiting" is also an integral part of the process of building credibility as a versatile performer. "It's tough, especially for guys like me who are not from the industry. Sadly, I've been here for almost 27 years, and I still can't say that I'm part of the industry. Everytime I give a flop, I've to take a long climb to get back to where I was," he said, adding that one has to be strong enough to say no.
Post Asur 2, the actor said he is flooded with offers for cop roles and he might take up a few. "Every second day I get a story with a cop character. But no regrets. There are some which are fabulous and I'm doing some of them," he said.
As someone who started his acting career at a time when hero-heroine plotlines were quintessential to Hindi cinema, the actor said the OTT has given artists like him a much-needed performance-oriented platform. "I think so many of us, who did not have a platform, have created a space because of the OTT and are flourishing. That quintessential hero bit is not there anymore. A commercial film still has the same approach. But there is space for everyone now. Guys like me, who don't look like hero types, are finally getting recognised," the actor said.
