There's always distance in what you get and what you desire: Vipin Sharma

New Delhi: Actor Vipin Sharma, whose performance as a defence counsel in "Sirf Ek Hi Bandaa Kaafi Hai" has garnered critical praise, says the biggest struggle for a performer is to find characters that resonate with viewers.

Sharma, known for his roles in "Taare Zameen Par", "Paan Singh Tomar", "Pataal Lok" and "Saas, Bahu aur Flamingo", is happy to have found acceptance from audience with "Bandaa...", opposite Manoj Bajpayee.

"There's always a bit of distance in what you get and what you desire. It's a struggle because a director might think a role is good for you, and you might think it is not. You have to strike a balance and yet find these roles," Sharma told PTI in an interview.

"(But) when your work is recognised, it means you are able to share something with your audience. It humbles you and helps you realise that you are on the right path as an actor," he added.

In the movie, currently streaming on ZEE5, the 61-year-old actor played an advocate who is representing a godman accused of raping a teenage girl.

Sharma said normally such characters are portrayed negatively in cinema.

"I wanted to humanise this guy who is not totally black. We are all like that. We have our negative traits, our monsters, the dark side of us," he said.

Sharma said going forward, he wants to do projects that help him stay true to his craft without bothering about the screen time of the character.

"Whatever work I do, it should come from my heart... I want to be honest and if a role does not connect with me, I don't want to do that. That's the biggest challenge - to find an appropriate part.

"Like 'Raanjhanaa', I had a small role (as Dhanush's priest father) but I was appreciated for it. It felt good that I contributed something to the story. It does not matter if I'm there for 60 minutes or for two minutes in a film, what matters is that the role should move me," he said.

The Delhi-born actor, a National School of Drama (NSD) graduate, said he wanted to pursue acting since childhood but there came a time in his life when he did not act for almost 12 years and he decided to move to Canada.

"I didn't have the confidence when I started. I was praised in newspapers for my plays, but the confidence always has to come from within you. I did not trust that part of me. I did not trust that I am actor," he said, recalling how late Irrfan Khan, his NSD junior, convinced him to come back.

"Irrfan and I were very good friends, whenever I came to India, we chatted. And then 'Maqbool' happened. Irrfan told me, 'Watch Maqbool', Hindi cinema is changing. I saw 'Maqbool', I was very impressed. Then I told him that I have not forgotten acting and I want to do it again.

"I went to an acting teacher in Canada who transformed my life. I took her acting classes in Toronto. After that, I packed my bag, threw everything else on the streets and bought a one-way ticket to India. My journey has been quite adventurous that way," he recalled.

And then "Taare Zameen Par" happened.

Sharma played the role of a strict father in the Aamir Khan-directed 2007 movie that became a critical and commercial hit.

But the popularity of the film also led to typecasting, the actor said.

"I struggled to break that and had to say no to a lot of films. Many came to me with similar roles, but I put my foot down. I wanted to brace for a longer race. I did not want to use that success immediately." The streaming boom has led to a world of opportunities and Sharma believes it has led to a variety in the kind of roles he gets to portray, whether it is his role of Sambit in "The Family Man" or as DCP Bhagat in "Pataal Lok".

"People are slowly realising that they want to see stories with some kind of believability in it. Stories are becoming more powerful and now people are looking for actors who fit in those roles. I, myself, have seen so many OTT stories and web shows that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. The pandemic opened that window. It is brilliant what's happening right now.

"Everything is changing and that's good for writers, actors and everyone," he said.

The actor has an exciting slate in the coming months, including an international project with Dev Patel, a film with filmmaker Tarsem Singh as well as movies starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Gulshan Devaiah.

Sharma has also written a screenplay, which he plans to direct later.

"I want filmmaking and acting to go parallel for me. I also enjoy writing. Being an actor is great but exploring writing and filmmaking is also thrilling. It feels like a natural extension," he said.