As Bob Christo, aka, the bad white boy of Indian reel looks at the 72 years of real-life drama behind him, ripples of nostalgia spread across his emotive face. “It’s been a long journey,” says the man who played the villain in ‘Mr India’.
Making way to the country with the initial intention of meeting Parveen Babi, only to end up playing the villain in more than 200 movies, Bob, now settled in Bangalore is working on his autobiography, That’s my Life, which will be out next year.
“I came to Bangalore in 2000 to work in Sanjay Khan’s hotel and spa. I began as a fitness trainer and then became the official director of health and fitness. I was also teaching yoga,” says the Australian-born actor.
But disaster struck in 2007. Bob was diagnosed with kenosis of the spine. “It’s a blockage of the spinal cord. I had to undergo a major surgery that year,” he recalls.
But with an autobiography in the making, the man has his hands full. The book has a little bit of everything... love, war, drama and blockbuster behind-the scenes. “I clearly remember World War II. I was living with my aunt in Germany. I still have memories of the war-ravaged city,” he reminiscences. It was in Germany that Bob experimented with his acting skills for the first time as a theatre extra holding a rifle on stage.
Surfing, swimming, raising kids, practicing architecture, and even driving a taxi, the man saw himself roll through Germany, Seychelles, Australia, Rhodesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines and Muscat before coming to India. He was even working with the Special Air Service in Rhodesia.
“I joined so that I could look for a missing US spy ship. You can read more about that in my book,” he winks.
The last time the audience saw Bob on reel was in 2003. But for the actor who loves to experiment with life, writing a book has become his object of fancy. “There is a lot to be written about,” he signs off.