Actor Rahul Bose doesn't take the 'thinking actor' tag too seriously. "I don't over-think about it, and I suggest you don't either," he laughs. What he takes seriously is his work, his rugby and his charity. He talks to CS:u00a0


WHO: Rahul Bose
WHAT: Speaks on being an unconventional actor
WHERE: At his Prabhadevi residence

The road less travelled
For starters, I am not offered too many commercial films. And when I am, I don't know if I could play those roles with the same profusion as other actors. How often do you find a regular, commercial actor sporting shorts and a tee for an interview? But, this is me. I know commercial films might increase the nucleus of my audience threefold, but the popularity of art house cinema is also increasing.

Aparna Sen cast me in the Japanese Wife only because she felt that I command au00a0 certain audience. A few days ago, I got news that my film had run two houseful shows in Kolkatau00a0-- and it's the 1,000 seater multiplexes that I'm talking about! The success of films like this and Love, Sex Aur Dhoka are proof of the changing viewer tastes. And it is more widespread than just the metro cities like Kolkata or Mumbai.

Past perfect
Once a journalist asked me a very offensive question: Why I wanted to be Mr Perfect? I told her that if I did want to be Mr Perfect, I would be doing commercial films instead of art house ones or playing cricket instead of rugby and probably taking care of some AIDS charity instead of going to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to help Tsunami victims.

Just because I do charity, doesn't mean that I care to piece an image together. A lot of actors are now taking to social work, for reasons genuine or fake. But their intentions don't matter as long as good work is getting done. What disturbs me is when they over-promise and then don't deliver on it. We need to treat people with respect because after all, we all breath the same air!

Life is beautiful
My philosophy has been to carve the life that I want to live. Which isn't the easiest thing on earth. Every film contract forbids me to play rugby, but I still do it. My closest friends are from my pre-acting days. I do what I want to do be it films or social work. I feel you should never say no to that voice within.