He is best remembered for essaying the notorious gangster Kallu Mama in Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya. He stole our hearts with his memorable performance in films like Barfi, Jolly LLB, Gunday, Kick, and PK in the recent years.

National award winning actor Saurabh Shukla took some time out for an exclusive chat with Koimoi ahead of the release of his upcoming flick Jolly LLB 2.

Read the interview right here:

Please tell us about your role in Jolly LLB 2
My role is still the same judge, Justice Sunderlal Tripathi who has travelled to another city where he finds another character who is also jolly and there is another case, which is entirely different.

You had won National Award for Best Supporting Actor for your role in Jolly LLB. Do you feel any kind of pressure to perform in its sequel?
When you play cricket, you do not go on the pitch taking the pressure of what you had done last time and what you want in the future. You have to live that very moment. I think it’s a great advice for life itself. So I don’t think about anything else, I do not have any pressure. I had great fun doing what I did. Whatever will happen, will happen!

What do you think is more critical for a film’s success— a good script or a big star?
It’s a very personal choice; everybody has a take on it. You have to think about the kind of film you are making and what you want out of it. Do you want success in terms of money, power? Then you have to look at all these things like the whole paraphernalia what makes you successful in terms of numbers. But if you are exploring art then I guess nothing else is more important than your own journey. I guess the wise thing to do is to find a balance between the two, so that you reach out to the masses, speak their language but at the same time keep exploring your art.

Why was Arshad Warsi removed from the lead role in Jolly LLB 2? Is it because bigger stars ensure higher numbers at the box office?
You should ask this question to the producer or the filmmaker because casting an actor is their call. As an actor and being a part of the same film, I feel it had to be another actor because it is a different story set in a different city and a different character. So it is bound to be another actor. And Akshay (Kumar), yes, of course is a big star. He has done several films of his choice like Baby, Special 26, Airlift and Rustom. He also loved Jolly. So it’s a win-win situation! There is no point in finding a crack in the wall. I think he has done a great job. He is fabulous as Jolly in the current one. So everything is resolved in that. Yes, of course, Akshay is a bigger star. He will bring in people and make the film bigger. What’s wrong in that?

How was your experience of working with Akshay Kumar?
It has been fabulous! This is the first time I have worked with him. He is a very charming man and extremely dedicated. Those who have not seen him at work, they should do so. He is so particular. He is not concerned with himself; he is concerned with the film. He does not come on the set as a star. He rarely goes to his room to rest. In between shots, he is either rehearsing the lines or chatting with co-actors. He is completely a wonderful person that way! He is really inspirational.

How do you prepare for a role? How did you prepare for Jolly LLB 2?
This is a mystery for me…but yes there is a process. First of all, I always take the story into consideration. I did not have to do a lot of preparation in Jolly LLB 2 because my preparation was already done during Jolly LLB. I had long chats with the director (Subhash Kapoor), who gave me lots of anecdotes about real courts and lives of people who work there. This helped me. This is how I prepare my characters. I make them human; I try to connect them with the people I know or with my own life. And then when I am shooting, I just let it go and act impulsively.

You are a theatre actor. How do you think having a theatre background helps an actor who is trying to step into cinema or television?
Because theatre is a smaller activity economically, there is not much money involved in it like cinema. Whenever big money is involved, it wants its return very quickly. So there is no time to understand or kill, it’s almost like a run where you start and finish. That’s why when you are an expert, you are successful in cinema because then you know your job, you go there, you do it and go home. Theatre, on the other hand, gives you ample time to figure out things. Theatre is a great learning process. It gives you the learning time. After that when you come to films, you are very confident about what you are doing and I think that confidence works!

Given a choice between theatre and cinema, which one would you choose?
Film was always my first dream. When I was a child, I wanted to make films. But I am equally in love with theatre. I have only one life, so given a choice, I would do b-o-t-h! (Laughs)

You have done so many roles in your career. Which one is your personal favourite?
Roles for actors are like girlfriends. You always like the latest one! (Laughs) My present girlfriend is Sunderlal Tripathi and I love it!

Your upcoming projects?
After Jolly LLB 2, you’ll see me in Jagga Jasoos. For me, it’s like going back home, because I did Barfi the same year I did Jolly LLB, and now Jagga Jasoos with Anurag Basu and Ranbir (Kapoor) again! At the end of the year, you’ll see me in Kamal Haasan’s film Shabhash Kundu. He has written it in Tamil and I have worked in its Hindi adaptation. Another film, which is very near to my heart, is Sudhir Mishra’s Aur Devdas.

Please tell us about your play Barff, which was recently staged in Mumbai
Barffi is a very special play for me. We have been doing it successfully and it’s heading towards silver jubilee. It’s special because we don’t have a tradition of thrillers in Indian theatre, where we have seen social plays, comedies, satires and love stories. It’s a rare thriller. It’s a very visual play, with snowfall, mountains etc as the story is set in winters in Kashmir. But there is a deeper story. We’ve got a great response for it!