'If Shabanaji came on board after i signed on, then i must be doing something right'
Ashmit Patel of Bigg Boss fame who was last seen in Power Couple has now been roped in for his first fiction TV serial Amma in which he plays a grey-shaded character -- the adopted son of Shabana Azmi. He talks about his role, working with Shabana Azmi and his take on getting trolled in social media for being a DJ.
You are pitted against veteran actress Shabana Azmi in the TV serial Amma Nervous?
Initially, I was terrified. For the first couple of days, I couldn’t remember my lines ... I was so nervous! I have lots of scenes with her ... more than anyone else. Fortunately, she and everyone else put me at ease.
What is your opinion of her after working with her?
She is outstanding, fantastic, very gracious and generous as an actor. She understands it’s not just her performance; everyone in the scene should perform well. To make that thing happen, she makes sure she brings the best out of you. She is helpful when I ask her what she thought of my performance in the scene ... she gives me an honest opinion and that helps me to do better.
Tell us something about your role.
I am playing Faizal, who is Amma’s adopted son. He is sharp, brash, ambitious, but also very intelligent and charming with the ladies. He is very intuitive; he observes people and learns from them. He’s a good bad boy whom people will enjoy watching.
Why is the cast of the serial being changed?
The show is taking a leap of 15 years. My character was a little boy in the previous segment of the show. There’s no replacing anyone other than
Urvashi Sharma -- for obvious reasons she can’t play my mother because she is my age so Shabanaji has come in her place.
Are you also doing films?
I have a film releasing called Six X which has six short stories. And then there is Dongri Ka Raja based on the underworld in which I am playing a gangster.
Recently, you did a gig as a DJ ... and that has made you a target on the social media.
I have been a DJ for almost 2 years now. I started playing in February 2014. I know there’s a lot of talk on Twitter. You should not judge people by what you hear, you have to see them. I am going to put out footage of that show very soon. I have every right to do what I want to. I have the right to the way I am living. Are you paying my bills? I feel sorry for people who sit on social media and have nothing better to do. You are writing about me and calling me not famous ... but you are taking time out of your lives to write about me! I am happy for them because they made me even more popular, people who didn’t know I am a DJ, do so now. Work is flooding in. I don’t have time to do all the gigs I have been offered because I am busy with the shoots.