'I didn't feel comfy standing in for Sanjay Dutt'

Dec 17, 2007 Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) He has been around for 15 years struggling, striving, pushing and plodding through the karma of villainy that Bollywood has set aside for him. But Vishwajeet Pradhan says he wasn't kicked about being asked to stand in for Sanjay Dutt in "Alibaug".

"When I got a call from Hansal Mehta, the CEO of White Feathers, asking me to come for one of their films, I was very happy. I thought they'd have an interesting role for me. But when I got to know they just wanted me to stand in for Sanjay Dutt for some scenes, I decided to give this offer the pass," Vishwajeet told IANS.

"I started my career in movies with Sanjay Dutt in 'Yalgaar' and then in 'Aatish'. And I've the greatest respect for him. But this isn't what I came to Mumbai for."

So speaks the Delhi-based theatre actor, who started his career in the visual medium with Shah Rukh Khan in the TV serial "Fauji".

"Today, when I go back home folks look pityingly at me when they say, 'Look where Shah Rukh has reached.' But I'm not ashamed of what I've achieved. I'm a self-made actor in Bollywood. And when I see actors far more good-looking and talented than me struggling for a place, I feel quite happy with my place," said the actor who's got typecast as a villain especially through the films of Mahesh Bhatt.

"I've played positive characters. But those films haven't been noticed. For a long time after I came into movies I was playing either Amrish Puri's son or Gulshan Grover's younger brother. I'm still the villainous presence in our movies. My latest villainous turn is as Amrita Singh's husband in Meghna Gulzar's short story 'Pooranmashi'."

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Alibaug