You’re a forever evolving actor. What impact has playing such eclectic roles had on you?

It has helped me explore so many different characters and genres! In Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, I played a happy-go-lucky type of character, whereas in Shanghai, I was a stoic South Indian IAS officer. Dev.D was contemporising a sort of misogynistic, alcoholic character, and I was a boy- next-door in Socha Na Tha. As far as independent cinema and breaking the mould are concerned, that was true to who I was and still am. Stories such as Manorama Six Feet Under resonate with the public, but, initially, there was a resistance towards making that kind of cinema, especially when I started out. I was put into a box of being the face of independent cinema. People mostly understand full-on commercial or completely art-house films. Mixing the two gets difficult; they don’t have a box for that. That’s where I come in!

You recently debuted as a DJ…

I’ve played in a few cities now, but I wouldn’t call myself a DJ. I do a little bit of mixing, but it’s all about the curation and selection of songs and how you go from one track to another. Every now and then, I like to indulge myself because it’s fun. I play mostly house music when I DJ. I like what the artiste Ayybo is coming up with.

You divide your time between Goa, Mumbai, and LA. What’s the best thing about living in different cities?

Each place gives me something different. I was born and raised in Mumbai and I have an apartment there—plus, my home and family are there. That being said, my main home is in Goa—I’ve been visiting it since I was a teenager. I bought land in the Assagao neighbourhood in 2010 and built a home in a forest, away from all the noise, and all it takes is a long walk to reach the hustle and bustle. I have the best of both worlds here. I also rent an apartment in Los Angeles. I went to college there so it is like a second home in a sense. I went back there in 2014 and stayed put, made some friends, and created a community. I also got a manager, helmed two movies as an executive producer, and even acted in one. I love going for long drives in LA.

A place you’d visit again and again?

I like to just keep changing it up. But since I’m a beach person, I’m more likely to pick that over the mountains.

A life-motto you swear by?

If I’m going through tough times, then the motto is ‘This too shall pass’. When I am in my creative space, ‘Go with the flow’ works for me.

What can we see you in next?

There’s a new feature film called Bun Tikki, in which I star with Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman. It has been produced by Manish Malhotra. I’ve known Shabana for a few years now and absolutely love her. She has this quality about her that is both intimidating and welcoming. I have a lot of respect for her work. And Zeenat has a vulnerability to her that is so attractive. She’s extremely polite, humble, and approachable. There’s so much to learn from both of them!