Arya Babbar bounces back

After ‘Ab Ke Baras‘ fell flat at the box-office, Arya Babbar was lost to the doom. In 2007 he made a considerable come back with the film Guru but now in 2009 with Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Jail‘ he is certain to re-position himself in the industry. He gets candid in an interview and shares his experience of working with Madhur Bhandarkar.

Tell us about you character in the film Jail

My character’s name is Kabir Malik. He is an underworld convict. From inside the jail how he operates the underworld is what my part is all about. He is a sly guy who is more like a chameleon. He looks something, says something, behaves and thinks something else. You cannot define him that whether he is very emotional, innocent or a cunning creature. There are many streaks to this character.

So are you the main villain in the film?

I can’t give out anything like that.

How long have you been shooting with the unit?

It is made in 40 days and I have been shooting for the all the 40 days. It was not a great feeling to be in jail such a long time. It was burning hot in Karjat where we were shooting for the film. We were shooting with 250 to 300 men in the jail, look left or right only men were around. Experience though was a fantastic one, as Madhur is very entertaining person. The co-actors also made the job easy.

Any unusual experience of doing the film that you can share with us?

Most of us did not use umbrellas to guard against the sun. As in the film I and Manoj have been in the jail for quiet a long time we had to show that we use to the heat and the strokes in jail. We were not even suppose to frown, in fact we were to get the tan of prolong exposure to the sun so we avoided umbrellas on sets. Neil could have got away with it as he is the new entrant in the jail.

How was it working with the star director Madhur Bhandarkar?

He is one of the best directors I have known. Given an opportunity he can make the best films for west or international cinema and make India proud. He has the ability to make art cinema look commercial and run at the box office.

What did you carry home after doing the film?

I pity the living condition in jail. Being a part of such an intense film directed by Bhandarkar give me a content feeling. I always wished to work somebody of his caliber.

So do you consider ‘Jail‘ as highpoint in your career?

Forget high point, this is the only point in my career.

What kinds of films would you like to do hence?

I want to do good cinema. Suddenly the industry has woken up to me. I am being offered a lot of good films. But I have to be cautious enough to choose the right script after this big break.

–Deepa Mishra