You were pitted against some of the most talented actors of Bollywood. How did you handle competition?

I won’t deny that like everyone else, I too wish to be the only one to grab attention. Yet, it all depends on the director. I might give a great performance but it depends on how the director
highlights it. An actor is always at the receiving end.

Are you trying to work on your voice or relying on the audience to accept it?

My voice is God’s gift to me. Although I’m working on voice modulation, I don’t wish to lose out on my individuality. I have a heavy north Indian accent and need to improve on my
pronunciation.

Did you miss your curly look in Metro?

I’ve always sported long curls. There were times when I wished to cut it short and get my hair straighetened. But such styling couldn’t be done in my village. Now, I believe in looking my character. In Metro, my character had to look very sexy in office. In Gangster, I had to be drunk and carefree. The curls helped in creating that image.

Whose legs do you think are more sexy — yours or Jiah Khan’s?

I never find my legs sexy. Neither have I found Jiah’s legs sexy. I think a tall model would have sexy legs.

Was it difficult to shoot when your personal life was in a turmoil?

No. I feel much stronger now. I respect myself as an individual and want to stand by my family. Work doesn’t suffer when I am facing odds.

Your character in Metro suffers from loneliness. How much of a loner are you?

I am a loner and don’t like a crowd. Partying on every Saturday night is an extra burden for me. If I have to party, I shut my windows, draw the curtains and call some of my close friends over.

Do you agree that loneliness is the reason behind a lot of extra-maritals?

I am 20 and have grown up in a village. Extra-marital affairs don’t happen in my village. But here in the metros, people suffer from an unending sense of guilt and dissatisfaction. That affects both their marital and professional lives. I might be a loner but I will have my own ways of being happy.

Like your screen character in Metro, will you face an ethical dilemma if someone chooses to go up the ladder by getting close to the boss?

Ethics come later. It’s about what an individual believes is right or wrong. A person is miserable for his or her own doings. He or she might think it’s clever to use someone else to go up. But all these only lead to
frustration.

In real-life if you met your reel avatar who is on the verge of
committing suicide, what would you say?

I’ll hum two lines from a ghazal: Ab toh ghabrake yeh kehte hain ki mar jayenge/mar ke bhi chain na payen toh
kidhar jayenge?

- timesofindia