My way

Rahul Bhat, actor, on Daas Dev, quitting acting and future projects

Q. What made you quit acting for eight years?

During the shoot of Nayee Padosan (2003), I realised the need to think about the kind of cinema I really wanted to do. It made more sense to produce for television than accept mediocre work as an actor. One day, Anurag Kashyap offered me Ugly, and I was back in business.Q. What was it like working with Sudhir Mishra in Daas Dev?

Sudhir gives 100 per cent to each of his projects. Daas Dev was a multi-layered experience that challenged me as an actor. Sudhir brought out the best in me. This character has been played by actors like Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, whom I admire. But when people see Daas Dev, they won't see Rahul Bhat but Dev.

Q. You didn't have to drink on the sets to get into the mood.

Yes. All that had happened while shooting for Ugly (2014), in which I played a frustrated actor. Playing Dev was a different challenge; it would be unfair to compare it with my role in Anurag's film.

Q. Tell us about your forthcoming projects.

One is Ajay Behl's movie, Lady Killer, a new age noir love story. The other, Local Hero, is a romantic thriller by a new director.