Mallika can't take away my share of limelight: Irrfan

Aug 30, 2009 IANS

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Mallika Sherawat has been grabbing eyeballs with footage of her body-hugging costumes as a snakewoman in Jennifer Lynch's "Hisss", but her co-star Irrfan Khan is unperturbed and says she cannot overshadow him in the movie.

"Mallika can't steal my limelight - never - let her do whatever she does. That's her game. That is not my game. I entertain people. I be myself, do my work in a way that I enjoy and connect with my audience so that they remember my work for at least two years," Irrfan told IANS. He was here Saturday for the launch of the seventh season of MTV's adventure reality show "Roadies".

Speaking more about "Hisss", the actor said: "It's a different kind of action adventure film - a very nice take on a story everyone has seen - 'Naagin'. But through that story, the writer and director have incorporated the elements of how we as human beings call ourselves advanced and evolved, but actually we have made ourselves blind to nature.

"We have become just a consumer of nature and are only concerned about extracting things for our use, and in the process we are creating a huge crisis. On the surface, it's just an action sort of a film with lots of nudity and sex and Mallika plays a snakewoman."

Irrfan, who played the inspector in Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire", said it would be unfair to reveal his part as it will spoil the essence of the film.

Other films that he is looking forward to include Sanjay Gupta's "Acid Factory" and "Paan Singh Tomar" - both of which have streaks of action and adventure.

Why this sudden inclination towards the genre?

"I have loved adventure, especially physical sports. When I went to South Africa to shoot for 'Acid Factory', I sky-dived 18,000 feet. It gives you an adrenaline rush. As for the choice of genre, it's not sudden. People have always taken me as a serious actor but I was dying to tell them I am not. As an actor, I need to do all - comedy, tragedy, action and adventure. I want variety," the actor told IANS.

Irrfan is also excited about his stint on "MTV Roadies 7", Indian television's longest running reality show. He will make special appearances to throw open seven twists based on the seven sins - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride - during the show.

"I agreed on this show for two reasons - because I love action and adventure and because I love travelling. Now I won't be doing action, but I will be compelling the contestants to do a lot of it. I like the show as it's a test of mental and physical endurance. It gives you a chance to challenge yourself," he said.