Actor, choreographer, voice artist or a producer Jaaved Jaaferi has done it all. In a freewheeling chat with CS, Jaaved reflects on his journey so far, and throws some light on the changes he's observed in the perception and formulation of villains and comedians in Hindi films

Exciting challenges
Anything that has complication written all over it is what I enjoy the most. For me, what matters is playing different characters in whatever capacity possible. In Besharam, I played a proper villain after a long time. As an actor, you keep yo-yoing between different characters. I love roles where I'm forced to forget who I am in real life.

Villainous streak
Interestingly enough, I made my debut playing a grey character back in 1985! However, over the years, onscreen villains have turned comical. We don't get to watch hardcore bad guys anymore. With changing times, such villains are seldom given a chance on the big screen.


Laugh out loud
In the early days, we used to have this uniquely Indian format -- not just in Hindi films but also in Tamil and Telugu ones where a comic track would balance the serious plot. The set template of hero, heroine, villain and comedian carried on for decades. Now, a comedian isn't an integral part of the flow. There's no separate slot for him with the lead actor or supporting actors doing comedy.

Active and kicking
Reinventing is a fancy word but I believe that if you're trying to do different things, you are noticed. Like back in the late '90s, I came up with this song called Mumbhai because at that point of time, I felt I should do that. I keep honing my talents, or else I will rust.