I still love the fame Taare Zameen Par got me, says Darsheel Safary

He was the youngest actor in India to be nominated for a best actor award, alongside the mighty Shah Rukh Khan and it was well acknowledged that Darsheel Safary soared to great heights with his excellent role as a child actor in Tare Zameen Par. After playing a young Saleem Sinai in Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children and a role in Priyadarshan’s Bumm Bumm Bhole, Darsheel is back to his chosen profession. In a quick chat, the young actor tells us about his future plans. Excerpts:

Darsheel, it’s tough to believe you’re all grown up now. (Laughs) Yes, I’m 19 now, though I’m still recognised as the kid from Taare Zameen Par (TZP). The memory has now blurred, thankfully.

You mean you don’t enjoy being recognised for TZP any more No, not that. Of course I still love the fame that TZP got me. But nobody pulls my cheeks anymore. I’m accepted as a grown up now. People ask me, ‘Hey aren’t you the kid from TZP ’ and that’s about it.

What have you been up to since your movies as a child actor After my phase as a child actor, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue as an actor at all. I wasn’t sure of anything! My dad told me to take a clean break from acting. In classes 11 and 12, I just enjoyed my school and friends as well as my studies.

Then the acting bug bit you again Yes, once an actor, always an actor. In college, I found myself doing a lot of amateur theatre, as well as 35 odd street plays; I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be nothing but an actor now.

How did you get the chance to do your play, Can I Help You I was just coming to that. When the director, Abhishek Pattnaik offered me a chance to share theatre space with stalwarts like Dalip Tahil and Anant Mahadevan in Can I Help You I didn’t have to think very hard before accepting the offer. This was just the kind of challenge I was looking for to take me into mature acting.

Tell us about your role I play a character called Rikhab, who’s an aggressive fast bowler. I know fast bowlers are aggressive anyway, but Rikhab’s aggression goes beyond the cricket field. He’s angry, he’s resentful and he’s seething from the inside until something happens to him. The character has fantastic growth during the course of the play. I feel very lucky to have got this role.

Are you familiar with cricket Of course! I’ve played gully cricket all my life. So I’m definitely the right person to play a fast bowler.

Are you looking at a career in Bollywood Oh, absolutely. However, I’m in no hurry; I’m only 19. I won’t sign a predictable teenybopper debut where I have to dance and sing and romance a chick. I want a debut as a leading man that would be a worthy follow-up to TZP. In the meantime, I’m committed to my plays for two years.

What if you’re offered a film in that period I will be free to do films as and when I like, but I hope the play has a long life. We’re starting in Mumbai on September 18, and then we go to other cities. Hopefully we’ll take it abroad as well.