Recently you are mostly into movie with social messages.Does a movie with a social message affect you personally?

Yes, to a certain point, it does affect me. When you take up a film like Pad Man, you start learning about facts and real stories — this maid’s story, that villager’s story, some girl who committed suicide because somebody teased her about menstruation — and all of this makes you think. You feel so strongly about such things that you just want to push this film.

There are actors who take up such social films and work towards a cause only till their film’s release, do you also work like that?

It’s not just a film or acting for me. Once the film releases, it doesn’t mean my job is over. In about four-five days, I will shoot a documentary for the Government about sanitation. Even Bhumi (Pednekar) has been asked to do it as a public service. I decided to take it up because I believed in it. I can’t even talk about what I’ve seen, read or heard about traditional menstruation practices. Around 42 crore women don’t use sanitary pads. Even if it changes three, five or 10 per cent, I would consider it great.

There are actors who take up such social films and work towards a cause only till their film’s release, do you follow the same?

It’s not just a film or acting for me. Once the film releases, it doesn’t mean my job is over. In about four-five days, I will shoot a documentary for the Government about sanitation. Even Bhumi (Pednekar) has been asked to do it as a public service. I decided to take it up because I believed in it. I can’t even talk about what I’ve seen, read or heard about traditional menstruation practices. Around 42 crore women don’t use sanitary pads. Even if it changes three, five or 10 per cent, I would consider it great.

Your upcoming films belong to different genres. Is it exciting to juggle so many different roles?

All these things have been taught to me by my own experience. I’ve learned that if I do different genres, I won’t be tagged. When I used to do a lot of action, everyone said, ‘He is an action hero and nothing else’. So, I tried comedy, and then everyone was talking about just that. Then I decided I’ve to do different kinds of films. So, I am thankful to people, and the media, for criticising me to that point and bringing out the best in me.

Your upcoming films belong to different genres. Is it exciting to juggle so many different roles?

All these things have been taught to me by my own experience. I’ve learned that if I do different genres, I won’t be tagged. When I used to do a lot of action, everyone said, ‘He is an action hero and nothing else’. So, I tried comedy, and then everyone was talking about just that. Then I decided I’ve to do different kinds of films. So, I am thankful to people, and the media, for criticising me to that point and bringing out the best in me.

Many of your films have released globally. Does that give a sense of contentment?

It’s great to see our films being accepted globally. I hope doors are opened in all countries. There are many brilliant films that should go all over the world. I personally feel what Indian cinema is doing, and the kind of scripts it’s bringing on to the screen, even Hollywood is not doing such kind of work.

Why haven’t we seen you take up a Hollywood film yet?

I wouldn’t say I’ve not been offered Hollywood films, but whatever came wasn’t big enough or that great. And I’m very happy doing films here [in Bollywood]. If something very good and effective comes that lets me show my talent in a better way, I would love to do it.

What’s driven the change to make movies like that?

It depends on how I'm feeling. When I heard Arunachalam Muruganantham's story, as well as the facts - 82 per cent of Indian women, that's about 42 crore women - don't wear pads because they don't have the money or because they've been told to use rags or ash or hay because they want to be "closer to nature" - I felt compelled to do this story. But now I'm doing Kesari, a war film. I'm also 50 now... How much time do I have left? How much can my body take? Realistically, I probably have another five years to do action, so I'd like to do as much of it while I can.

Was the process of convincing the directors to look at you in a different light difficult?

It was a huge struggle to change my image. Very few people trusted that I could do more. But I didn't want to do what I was doing any more because I was so bored - of getting up in the morning, going for shoots and being told: Do a flying kick, OK now a roundhouse kick. It became very monotonous. The first 10 years of my career, I wasn't acting at all; I was running a martial arts school on screen. I caught a lucky break with Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri, and then things began to change. This decade is about pushing my limits and changing with every film. Earlier, I'd experiment every 3 or 4 years. Now I want to do something entirely different with each film.

What was your initial reaction when you heard/read the script for “Mission Mangal”?

When our director, Jagan, narrated the script, he told me astonishing facts that really opened my eyes. I was drawn to ‘Mission Mangal’ instantly because the fact that India launched a satellite mission to Mars in the quickest amount of time and with the smallest budget in comparison to NASA, China and Russia. It was certainly a story that needed to be told. As his sister works at ISRO as a scientist, Jagan had a clearer picture about the characters, their portrayal and the entire mission per say.

What drew you to the character of “Rakesh Dhawan in the movie”?

I was extremely proud that I was chosen to play the character of Rakesh Dhawan and to represent one of the biggest moments on India’s space history on screens. What made me even more compelled to be a part of the film was the fact that this was a real story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, achieving huge feats and inspiring generations to dream big.

What drew you to the character of “Rakesh Dhawan” in the movie?

I was extremely proud that I was chosen to play the character of Rakesh Dhawan and to represent one of the biggest moments on India’s space history on screens. What made me even more compelled to be a part of the film was the fact that this was a real story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, achieving huge feats and inspiring generations to dream big.

Can you describe the research you did for the role, regarding mission control and management, space missions, perhaps speaking with the scientists at ISRO, etc.?

I got to learn a lot about space science thanks to this role, as I play the Mission Director. Besides updating my vocabulary with scientific terms like ‘trajectory,’ the meaning of which I still don’t understand (chuckles), there wasn’t really any special preparation required for the role as such. Like with all my films, I followed my director’s instructions as he’s the one person who understands the film better than any of us.

How long did it take to prepare for — and get in the headspace of — this role?

I definitely didn’t know much about India’s Mars mission prior to the film. I didn’t realize just how magnificent the team at ISRO’s achievements were until I learned about the facts. It was a truly an overwhelming experience to sink into the character, even though I have done over 150 films. We were bringing to the screen one of the proudest moments in Indian space history, and we had to be extremely responsible in our portrayal of the scientists, as we wanted to do absolute justice to their achievement, innovation and genius. Jagan had immense clarity, and all my co-stars did their job so well that it inspired me to put my best foot forward, too.

You’re sharing the screen with so many powerful, outspoken females; do you think this will help to change Indian cinema’s male-centric views/priorities?

In ‘Mission Mangal,’ we were one big team and learned so much. Being placed in the shoes of a space scientist allowed us to investigate a completely different profession, and a small glimpse at how hard-working the people in this industry are. ‘Mission Mangal’ is neither a male centric or woman centric film — central to the film is the focus of having an empowered mind, where every human being has the opportunity to think with unlimited possibilities to achieve unlimited feats.

Was there anything in the “Mission Mangal” story or anything from your real life that inspired you to help bring awareness to more women in strong, lead roles?

I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such incredible women in my life, be it my mother, my wife or my mother-in-law, and even my 6-year-old daughter. All of them have been of immense value addition to my life and their experiences have inspired me as each day they contribute to my growth on a personal and professional level.

Like in “Gold” and “Padman,” you’ve starred in multiple films that tell the inspiring true stories of Indian figures. Why was telling the “Mission Mangal” story important to you, and what did it mean to you as an actor and as an individual?

I truly believe in the subject matters of the films I pursue and take on those projects hoping they will have an impact, which I believe they can. I have only been investing myself in projects that I am deeply passionate about, even when others may be skeptical about them. Films I have done with that mentality including ‘Toilet – Ek Prem Katha‘ and ‘Padman’ are a result of this mentality, and they were so worth the risk

Director Jagan Shakti was to make “Ikka” with you in place of this film, which is going to be made only now. Why did “Mission Mangal” get priority?

One day, while we were working on “Ikka,” Jagan casually mentioned that his sister was a scientist and told me a one-line idea of the story. I told him to work on it, and within 20 days, he came up with a brief story that he had co-written with Balki. We decided to go ahead with this story first.

Was this done so that you could again plan an Independence Day release of a patriotic film?

No, all that happened naturally. Our film is about our Mars Mission and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and we did not even know that on our release date it celebrates 50 years of coming into existence! We came to know that just a few weeks ago! I have never even visited ISRO. Now I am also proud that my company has produced the first-ever Hindi film on Space Research. Did you know that this year, 18 percent of the budget has been allocated for Space Research as against just two or three percent earlier? Chandrayaan 2 is just one example of how important Space Research has become now.

You have kept doing a lot of films today that are nation-oriented. Don’t you miss the normal entertainers you are known for?

But I keep doing them! I am doing “Housefull 4” and “Ikka.” “Sooryavanshi” and “Bachchan Pandey” are also very entertaining. I must just like the character and the script. I did not have too long a role in many of my films, like “Khakee” or “OMG - Oh My God!” and had just a cameo in “Dishoom.” I like to balance my work. There was a time, as I have been telling you guys over the years, that I was branded and did nothing but action, action and action. Then some truly good friends like Priyadarshan, Dharmesh Darshan and Tanuja Chandra made me do comedies, love stories and drama. I have enjoyed doing every kind of film.

When you first started doing unconventional roles, were you warned by well-wishers against doing some of them?

Of course, I was advised against doing half my roles! “Dishoom,” the forthcoming “Laxmmi Bomb” and films like “Khakee” and “Hera Pheri” among others like “Toilet - Ek Prem Katha” and “Pad-Man.”

Now with movies like Airlift,Gold and even Kesari which have these patriotic feels to them will all these lead to a career in Pollitics?

Do you still think of yourself as a stuntman and then an actor?

Previously you had said you went into acting because of the money, but you are already one of the most wealthiest actors in the world, how has that relationship with money changed?

Coming back to the social message movies and biopics you made, what is one of the main reasons you feel as an actor pushes you to do these movies?

You have been doing these particular style of movies based on patriotism and social messages for a couple of years and now you embark on projects like Sooryvanshi and Houseful 4 , what would you say to your fans who are concerned about this sudden abrupt change in your decision?

You have done quite a number of versatile roles, and have covered nearly every genre of movie, so why go with a movie like “Houseful 4”?

You have worked with her (Twinkle Khanna) as a co-star in many films , did you ever think that she would become a writer and how did feel about it??

You have played various kinds of characters ,from different cultural backgrounds, like in Gold you played a Bengali man, how do you go about to perfect the mannerisms and portrayal of the characters ?

You also recently said that you wanted to make a biopic of Hima Das the olympic sprinter , there were also some tweets following that stating that the character should be played by an Asamese actress, how important to you think a person’s ethnicity is when portraying a character?

How difficult is it to pull off a comedy?

It’s difficult to pull off humour when you have to rely solely on physical comedy and keep logic away. Only Charlie Chaplin could do that. Without dialogue he could make people laugh. Or even Laurel And Hardy. We’ve grown up watching them. An actor can churn out dialogue and make people laugh. But to make people laugh without words is the toughest.

Do you feel comedy as a genre has been ignored?

I’ve been trying to find the answer to this since the last 30 years. I still don’t have one. Everyone believes comedy’s easy. Ask anyone in Hollywood and they will tell you comedy is the most difficult genre.

Your transformation from action films to the comedy genre… was it a planned process?

It’s not some thought out method. I just go with the flow. I didn’t go to any acting school. I just add what I’ve gained through my own experiences. Like just after Mission Mangal released, I started shooting for Laxmmi Bomb. After giving interviews about a scientist’s character, I jumped into another film. You take a full U-turn. I tend to hold the director’s hand because he knows the film a thousand times better than me. He leads me and that’s why he’s called the captain of the ship. (Laughs) You can only pray that that ship doesn’t turn out to be a Titanic.

What made you take up Gold?

It’s the story about our first Olympic gold medal, which we won in 1948. There was so much happening in the country that the gold medal wasn’t given priority and this news got submerged. I feel lucky to do a film like this. Also, it’s not just about hockey. What I want to say through this film is that every girl and boy in our country should pursue one sport. Croatia, which is such a small country, has made it compulsory for every child to play a sport. And maybe because of a culture or compulsion like that, the country made it to the Football World Cup final this year. Sports should be an important aspect in every individual’s life. It can keep you away from drugs and alcohol as your fitness-oriented mind will not allow such bad habits.

Talking about songs, film music has lost its enduring quality.Why?

Youngsters like new-age songs. Punjabi songs have become a rage even though most don’t understand the lyrics. Then there is South Indian music too. On radio, they don’t even play the full song. The audience doesn’t have the patience to listen. Things have changed. If a song works even for a month, great. Even films meet the same fate. Earlier, they would celebrate silver, golden jubilees. But now 50 days is good enough. There’s no breathing space between releases. At times, there are around nine releases per week including English films. Given this scenario, even the audiences expect a variety. that’s why you can never plan or guess what the audience will want in the next few months.

How important is the Fit India movement according to you?

What do you have to say about your movie Housefull 4?