Arshad Warsi is among those in Bollywood who have evolved as the most dependable actors. Whatever the role, Arshad seems to deliver his best and certainly makes an impression. Even in his latest outing as Madhav in Golmaal Again, the actor puts his best foot forward while he still remains part of the ensemble. That's Arshad, neither an underperformer nor an overachiever, blends with the film and yet stands out for his sincerity.
Ask him what works again and again in his favour, particularly in the Golmaal series, and he says, "I think it's the characters. You don't have to change anyone. Golmaal is the perfect example of teamwork and how the characters work again and again. But credit goes to Rohit (Shetty, director) and Shahid-Farhad (dialogue writers). If you take Rohit out of this equation I don't think Golmaal will work." It's been over two decades since Arshad made an entry into Bollywood by chance and today as a seasoned actor, Arshad is sought as one of the speakers at the Signature Startup Masterclass. Sharing an insight about his journey as an actor, Arshad reveals, "I never tried to be an actor. I just got lucky with my first film and kept treating every film as a project. It was only when I acted with Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) in Ishqiya in 2010 that I actually started putting effort in my art."
Defining moments
Though the turning point in Arshad's career was Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003) in which he played the role of Circuit, Munna's sidekick, the actor never thought it would turn out to be such a success. "I liked Raj (Rajkumar Hirani) as a person and I liked the script. But I never thought the film would be such a hit. It was an absolute surprise and did bring me back into the business after my unsuccessful films earlier," he reminisces. This was the first time that Arshad was doing an out-an-out comic role. After this he starred in the Golmaal and Dhamaal series, and down the line he consolidated his position in the comedy genre. "But comedy really tires me, it takes out a lot of energy," he says candidly.
Another film that the actor will always be remembered for is Kabul Express in which Arshad played the role of a journalist with John Abraham. What was special about this film is the fact that once again Arshad who mostly works with new directors chose to work with the debutant director Kabir Khan. "I was very fortunate to be part of Kabul Express. It was an unbelievable experience to have shot in Afghanistan which I think only very few actors and filmmakers have managed to do," says the actor who starts shooting for his next film Veer Pereira.
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