To him, stardom is a side-effect of his profession. However, he feels everybody else is just “doing what they are good at” in the industry. Soon to be seen in Ang Lee’s upcoming 3D film, Irrfan is going strong with his balanced choice of mainstream and crossover films. In a candid chat with CS, the actor turns philosophical and shares his thoughts:

Journey so far...
My career is evolving every single day with every film that I choose to do and that’s a great thing. I’m not stagnating and always seeking new challenges. Over the years, I’ve grown as an actor and I hope it stays this way. I have no complaints or restlessness, whatsoever.

Who moved my script?
I should feel an instant connect with the character I’m being offered. There’s no formula for success when it comes to box-office but the story has to be good and appeal to your senses. There are many such creative considerations I take interest in. Big or small names don’t make a difference.

Say no to comparison
I’m just one of the many out there in this industry. Though I’m surviving on my own terms, it doesn’t mean that the other actors aren’t doing their job. All of us have diverse styles of acting. They are there because people love them.

Hanging around
It was a challenge to work with Ang Lee. Though he doesn’t say much, he demands a lot from you as an actor. Not only that, he’ll guide you towards achieving that point. I can say that there’s no other situation better for an actor than when you are able to completely surrender yourself to a director like Ang.

East-West divide
They are more organised and they’ve literally mastered the craft of storytelling. We have our original structure with interesting elements that includes songs and dance. We just need to be more imaginative because these are our strong points, not weak.

Favourites
I feel Gerard Depardieu is a truly gifted actor. I also love Dilip Kumar, Daniel Day-Lewis, Dustin Hoffman, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many more.

Yes, I can Khan
I dropped my surname 12 years ago, to be precise. It’s nothing new. Besides, I don’t care whether you carry the Khan or not with my name. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. It has very little to do with my religious or spiritual beliefs.