Comedy may not always receive the same acclaim as drama, but few understand its demands better than Tusshar Kapoor, who made his debut opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan in Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai 25 years ago. “Twenty-five years passed in the blink of an eye,” says the actor as he returns this year with two comedy franchises, Welcome to the Jungle and Golmaal 5, while also stepping into unfamiliar territory with Prakash Jha’s political thriller Janaadesh.

Kapoor is glad that the choices he made years ago continue to pay dividends. “I feel blessed that these universes have stayed with me,” he says, adding that he hopes to always be associated with the Golmaal and Welcome franchises. “Franchises are a great thing as long as you can keep up with the audience’s expectations. I’ll never stop doing the Welcomes and the Golmaals. They are my bread and butter. And the reason why I’ve became a household name, connecting with children and older people. However, I have to keep reinventing myself and doing different roles.”