My encounter with Saqib Saleem happens as he converses, overcome with nostalgia, with his college cricket coach Jai Pal Singh about the good old days. His eyes survey the familiar area of the Hindu College staff room as he leads me to the Sports Complex where he ‘lived, ate and slept’ during his stint as a cricketer. So, he used to play cricket? His coach corrects me and says he still does. “Once a sportsman, always a sportsman.”

“The college has changed a lot, yet the air is unchanged”, remarks the actor seeing the new administrative building cornering the famous Virgin tree. With searching eyes attempting to gather the familiar, he spots Manish pakodewaala where he used to come in the middle of practice to satisfy hunger pangs.

Entering the sports complex, he sits at the higher end of a staircase, good enough to give him a panoramic view of the landscape. Quite seemingly distracted by the urge to relive the experiences of the college, Saqib intently looks at the field reconstructing the space for us.

Composed, yet gushed, his manner is amiable as he talks to some college students in between. He wears aviators concealing his gaze lest I intervene in his reconstruction of a personal journey. Going back in time, Saqib talks about his experience as a college student, his journey to Bollywood and his upcoming film.

Excerpts:

Tell us about your time in college.

College was the best time there could be. I used to come at 7 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m. It had become my second home. Even today I tell my friends in Mumbai that if given a chance to go back in time, I would like to relive the three years of college.

I was the president of Nakshatra, the fashion society of the college. We did fashion shows across different colleges and participated in competitions. I didn’t want to be a model or actor in the beginning but walking the ramp gave me a temporary high. I used to get the best model trophy everywhere. I thought, maybe what I do, people like that, and as a result garnered confidence. It all started with Nakshatra!

You’ve also represented Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir in cricket. Didn’t you want to pursue a career in the sport?

My love for cricket started early. I wanted to be a professional. But as I got exposure, I got a reality check. I saw better talent around me. There is no harm in accepting there are better people. Appreciation for others and recognition gives me the boost to work harder in life. I wanted to figure out something I was best at and could prove my mettle in. I wanted to carve my own niche. Thus the detour happened, Mumbai happened.

Any particular interesting incidents that you’d like to recall from your college life.

There are many. You need to be there on Valentine’s Day in the college to see the spectacle. I was active in university politics as well. My support for candidates used to be agenda-based, irrespective of party affiliations. It is necessary to indulge in campus politics as it completes your college experience. It is a huge learning experience. You get to meet interesting people and learn public dealing.

Although I was a day-scholar, I rented a flat near campus with a few friends which acted as our ‘crash pad’ in case we didn’t want to go back home after a party. I also had plenty of friends in the hostel. The annual college festival Mecca was the best time of the year. You could feel the energy of the college in just three days.

How did you end up going to Mumbai? Did you have anything to fall back on there?

Well, you won’t believe me, but I went there for a girl. I was dating a senior who wanted to be an actress, so she went to Mumbai after college. At that time, I was working with my father managing the restaurants. She called me one night and said that a long distance relationship won’t work. I asked if I could move to Mumbai to be with her. She said yes and I eventually moved hoping to make a career in modelling. But, we broke up in three months. Yes, so that’s how I stayed in Mumbai and ended up being an actor.

How was your experience in the advertisement industry working with different directors and brands?

The experience was very interesting. As an actor, I don’t really enjoy doing ads. But there are some really brilliant ad makers who make your realise your true potential and help you throughout. They make you see things you never really thought you had. My whole education in acting was through advertisements. It taught me how to face the camera. I had no background in theatre or acting. Ads helped me better my craft. People who don’t have any professional background in acting can use the medium of ads to get recognition and move forward.

You’re in the city for the shoot of your upcoming movie, Koroli Loves Sumit. How has the experience been working with Aleya Sen?

Well, I worked with her in a music video called “Tum ho Toh”. Both Taapsee Pannu, my co-actor in the movie and I featured in the video. She offered us the movie after the video. It is exciting and interesting to work with her as she also comes from the advertisement industry, and has a unique style.

I was excited as I was asked to play a Lajpat Nagar gym trainer, a role quite close to my experiences in the city. The movie is a love story about two people who’re not meant to be. It will hopefully hit the screens in the first quarter of next year.

As a new age actor, what advice would you like to give to aspiring actors and people wanting to enter the industry?

You just got to believe in yourself. If you respect yourself, others will respect you as well. There is no rocket science to it. You have to enjoy what you do. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. You should always be ready to learn new things and acquire experiences.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Sidharth Yadav / December 17th, 2016