Ashish Sharma: I am inspired by Raj Kumar Gupta and Imtiaz Ali's films

After debuting with Dibakar Banerjee's film 'Love, Sex Aur Dhokha', Ashish Sharma moved on to do TV shows. In an informal chat, the actor candidly shares his journey in showbiz, aspirations for a career in films and the kind of subjects that would inspire him to act in films...

What brought you to Mumbai?
I have been a good theatre artiste since my school and college days but when I participated in 'Cine Stars Ki Khoj', I realised that I could touch people's hearts when I performed. After that, I decided I wanted to become an actor and came to Mumbai and enrolled in Anupam Kher's acting institute. During my tenure there, Anupam Kher recommended me to Dibakar Banerjee and that's how I got to act in his film.


Did you want to continue doing films?
Dibakar has this amazing ability to extract a good performance from an actor who has just started his career. He is such a meticulous filmmaker that he used to prepare notes when we rehearsed for the film and then prepare his script. After Love, Sex... there was no specific plan of doing films. It was then, that I got a lot of TV offers; I have done a variety of roles on television, all thanks to producers Nikhil Sinha and Saurabh Tewari. TV does not offer much for the male lead actors, but I was lucky to act in shows like 'Chandragupta Maurya', 'Rab Se Sohna Isshq', 'Gunahon Ka Devta' and 'Rangrasiya'. After this, I wanted to act in anything that gave me a good scope to perform.

Most actors who debut on TV move on to doing films, thinking that they have hit jackpot. Do you plan to do the same?
I got many film offers but they were not exciting. I don't want to do roles in films which I have already done on TV. What is the point of jumping to films and doing the same thing? I am inspired by the kind of films Raj Kumar Gupta and Imtiaz Ali make. I owe everything I am today to television. And if TV was not big, then Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar would not be spending few months every year on it!

What kind of roles inspire you?
I am not a spontaneous actor and would like to approach any role after doing my homework. I am such a method actor that even if you ask me to make love to a lamp post, I would approach it the same way as I would have enacted making love to my co-actor.

You have a six-pack and also won the trophy in Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa. Do you feel this would help build a career in films?
Not at all. You need to act well. These are just the perks of being an actor. If they help build a career then Ranbir Kapoor would be showing off his body in every film. I also believe that you should never take your audience for granted.

Do you want to direct films now that you own a production house?
I want to be involved in creating new stuff. My wife Archana and I have been writing scripts and we want to produce a Bollywood and a regional film.