Actor Irrfan Khan who was trained from NSD (National School of Drama) had to bear a long frustrating struggle to make his place in Bollywood till his outstanding performances in ‘Haasil’ and ‘Maqbool’ came to light. Now he is scaling bigger challenger by acting in prestigious assignments like Mira Nair’s ‘Namesake’and Naseeruddin Shah’s ‘Yun Hota To Kya Hota’. Recently some foreign film magazines and noted filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar refered to him as Hindi cinema’s latest Sex God. He talks about it and his films.

How do you feel been refered to as Hindi cinema's latest Sex God?

I wonder how true that is, I can just smile over it. Such glorification fulfills my basic human need to be known and to be accorded due importance. But then, I am well aware of the fact that these tags and titles are for a while and I cannot depend on them for a lifelong. I take it as a moment of glory in my life.

You grew to be an actor after watching Naseeruddin Shah’s films and now you are acting in his directorial debut ‘Yun Hota To Kya Hota’. How do you feel?

My mother would often lament Naseersahab saying, “Issi ne bigada hai mere bete ko.” After watching his films I was left with no option but to act. Then I couldn’t bear to spend another day in Jaipur, I just wanted to join NSD and learn the craft. Fortunately for me, I was selected in my first attempt. Since I came to Mumbai, I have met Naseersahab several times in the theatre. But to be doing a role under his direction was a completely thrilling experience for me. Initially when we started to shoot, he had his ideas and I had my views. He just told me to trust him, which I did and then the shoot went off smoothly.

Tell us about Yun Hota To Kya Hota.

It is an episodic film with four stories; it is only in the climax that all the characters from four stories are brought together by a twist of fate. I play a Muslim stock broker who has a crush on an older woman being played by the lovely Suhasini Mulay. ‘Yun Hota…’ will be a film to watch for.

So will be Mira Nair’s Namesake. What is your role in the film?

I play the part of Ashok, Gogol’s father. This has been the toughest role of my life. As opposed to ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Haasil’ in which I had a powerful persona, Ashok is a very subdued character. He’s so unobtrusive that he’s there and not there. He is dealing with the trauma of an accident silently. Furthermore, I found it very tough to deal with the age factor in a dignified manner. I was scared to play an old man.

Namesake will see you back again with your Maqbool co-star Tabu. Both of you appear to have formed a Fame Jodi of sorts?

Initially Mira Nair wanted to cast Konkona since she is a Bengali and so is the character in the film. Moreover, she also was looking for a fresh pairing; however Konkona was busy with ‘15 Park Avenue’. The next option was to cast Tabu and the audiences like to see us together on screen.

After all the crossover glory, you are flashed on the posters of the apparently sleazy film Mr 100% about gigolos. Whatever made you take it up?

When the makers of Mr 100 % approached me with several files of research work on the subject, I thought it may turn out to be something substantial like Chakra. I agreed to pitch in a guest appearance and I shot for four days. If they choose to put me on the posters for it, what can I say? Years ago I played the full length part of the main antagonist in Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Gunaah’, to my great dismay I was nowhere to be seen on the posters. And now, for a four-day guest appearance - I am flashed all over the town. Look at the irony of fate!

Indeed! Wasn’t it also the irony that you were on the verge of quiting up your acting career just before Haasil?

It is true that I wanted to quit and go away. I thought of doing something else for a living. I was fed up of the routine roles in TV; it was turning out to be a dreary job. There was no excitement in my career. Just then my good friend Tigmanshu Dhulia came up with Haasil. And the scheme of things altered and how.

And now you are doing crossover, regional and mainstream cinema with the equal proficiency.

This is an interesting phase of my career and I am doing a variety of things. I have signed my first Telugu film by the jubilee director Guna Shekhar. I am doing Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Killer’ with Emraan Hashmi - it is a one-night flick, ‘Deadline’ is a on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, Matrudeva Bhava co-starring Manisha Koirala in which I play an amusing character and then there is Tigmanshu’s Sunny Deol-starrer ‘Tevar’, Navneet’s ‘Vivash’ and a few more delectable offers.