Life & Style | People
Fardeen's the man
With a directorial debut in the pipeline, Fardeen Khan is looking to spice up his career. Watch this space!
- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:15 November 19, 2008
- Fardeen Khan will soon launch his directorial debut
- Image Credit: IANS
With a directorial debut in the pipeline, Fardeen Khan is looking to spice up his career. Watch this space!
It's been more than a year since Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan has seen any of his films released in the theatres.
Though many in his fraternity may consider it sacrilegious and term it as professional suicide, Khan displays no signs of nervousness about his prolonged absence. Lounging on the terrace attached to his plush room at the Al Qasr Hotel, Khan was instead enjoying the view of the glittering Burj Al Arab hotel.
It was obvious that Khan, the son of the legendary flamboyant actor Feroz Khan, was enjoying his privileged lifestyle with an in-built nonchalance that only the super-rich posses. But he was by no definition a brat.
Impeccably dressed and painfully polite, Khan, who was in town to unveil the Crescent Star development project in Ajman on Wednesday evening, went about answering my questions with a dizzying diplomacy.
"I took some time off last year, since I had to attend to some personal affairs. But 2009, is going to be different. I am in the process of wrapping up my projects Acid Factory, Dulha Mil Gaya and Life Partner. So you will see a lot of me next year. And I am sure to make up for the lost time," he says.
But prod a little closer about his sabbatical, and the actor, who made his Bollywood debut in 1998 with romantic drama Prem Aggan, comes clean.
"I am thinking of producing and directing a movie. It will happen sometime next year. I think I am ready to take the plunge and I am ready to tell a story," he said.
Although he has not worked out details like the script or cast, Khan, 34, is confident that his film will be wholesome and entertaining.
"I have always wanted to direct a movie and have always been fascinated by movie-making. But it so happened that I stumbled into acting first, so this was only a natural development," he explains.
It's an inside joke that if an actor runs out of acting offers, then the next best thing is to jump onto the directing wagon.
"This is not any desperate attempt to salvage anything. I love to experiment. Even when it came to my roles, I love mixing things up — be it comedy, thriller or action," he says.
'A natural development'
So did mixing things up also extend to the sordid episode where he was allegedly caught buying nine grams of cocaine from a drug peddler near Juhu beach in Mumbai in 2001?
"I can't believe you just asked me that question. I will not dignify your question with an answer. And please do not believe all that you read. I still can't believe that you would bring it up!" bristled a visibly-furious Khan.
In all fairness, Khan — apart from this blip — has maintained a squeaky clean record. He is one of the few celebrities bestowed with a Mr Faithful tag. His wife of three years Natasha (daughter of acclaimed actress Mumtaz) is widely regarded as one of showbiz's luckiest women.
"I have become more responsible after tying the knot. Like they say I had all the fun before my marriage. But jokes apart, I think we work well together and we are very happy in each other's company," he says.
His ecstatic state is not limited to his personal life. He is quite happy with his career that is dotted with successful movies such as Jungle, Fida, No Entry and Heyyy Baby.
"I have no regrets whatsoever. But I believe in learning from my mistakes."
Fardeen's take on:
My ideal role: I would love to be a part of a period drama. It need not necessarily be a big budget film.
My favourite on-screen idol: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Denzel Washington.
Actor turned directors
Fardeen Khan isn't the first actor to turn his hand at directing. Here is a list of actors who have donned the captain's cap.
- Sushmita Sen in Rani Laxmi Bai.
- Jugal Hansraj in Roadside Romeo.
- Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par.
- Nandita Das in Firaaq.
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