y Subhash K Jha

His heartwarming sunshiny performances make you wonder about the blindness in Bollywood. Sushant Singh is one of those truly competent actors who make you wonder why he isn't doing more work.

"You tell me!" he laughs. "I'm open to playing all kinds of characters except the ones that don't make sense. And that, you'll agree, narrows down the options. But I'm happy with my role in Raj Kumar Santoshi's Family.

Raj-ji gave me a dream role in The Legend Of Bhagat Singh. When he approached me for Family I was aware it was a launch pad for the producer Keshu Ramsay's son.

But that's okay. I've a role which carries the the plot forward. It'd be hard for me to play a prop."

Another role that has Sushant charged and revved up is that in Mani Shankar's Mukhbir where Sammir Dattani plays the title role.

"When Mani narrated it I realized it was one of the best scripts I had heard in a long time. That's why I did it. Every actor whether it's Sammir Dattani, Suniel Shetty, Om Puri or me, plays a well-defined character.

I think Mukhbir defines the changing face of our cinema. There're no conventional heroes and villains any more."

Content with the selected work, Sushant is of course in search of the lead. "And that's exactly what I play in T.R Rajiv Kumar's Freekick. It's a small film about a common man who gets sucked into the medical racket.

Our health and medical care instutions are so screwed up. This film is an expose of sorts on the whole health-care syndrome."

Sushant has also completed a children's film Tsunami 81 for the CFSI. "It's directed by Naeem Shah who made a film called Officer many moons ago. I'm the father of a 2-year old daughter.

I really think there's a need for films for kids in this country. I liked the idea of sharing screen space with a child specially one as talented as little Ankur who makes his debut.

We've such fine child actors now—unlike earlier when every producer had to go to Baby Guddu or Master Babloo."

Sushant is looking hopefully at the future. "A film like Mukhbir where a talented non-industry actor like Sammir Dattani gets to feature so pivotally proves a point. It's not just about who you are. It's also about what you can do."