Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

You have so many offers coming to you so as an actor it is all about finding which project to invest your energy in.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

To be honest, making films is so expensive and their shelf life is limited. On the web, content remains... you can watch it after five, eight, 10 years... There's a huge audience and content on the web is accessible at the click of a phone.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

If I get a call from Imtiaz Ali or Zoya Akhtar to star in their films, I won't think twice.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

Empathy is much bigger than sympathy. When the character is empathised with, that means you have succeeded as an actor. So even if it's a villain, the audiences don't hate you... they understand why you have turned into a villain.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I'm a self-taught actor, which means that I had to learn everything on my own, as I wanted to know the craft deeper and deeper.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I am confident that I am capable of leading projects, which are even complex.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I don't know if I can call myself the poster boy. But yes, I am fortunate that a lot of work that I did was on the web. It has definitely got me some really good roles and a great audience.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I do not like to label the characters I am doing or even myself as a particular type of actor. I try to do different kind of roles which are not the same 'hero' or 'villain' kind.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

In most of our love stories the people are quite young in age. 'Once Again' is a love story about two mature people looking for companionship.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

Adopting mannerisms is called mimicry. That is not a good way to do things. You don't start to imitate somebody, the way he walks and talks, that is a very irrelevant element of acting.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

In all these years of doing theatre, I've been a very physical performer - physically demonstrative, yet sticking to the realism of the piece.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I'm trying to do work that makes meaning and sense to me and the audience. But I have no qualms. I'm always willing to be a part of commercial cinema.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I've always looked towards mainstream. Many offers have come but they've been the wrong kind of offers. They are not the right business decisions for me to take.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I like characters that are complex. I don't like people who are simple to play and are either black or white.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

I only like playing people who are completely different from me. I try to mould myself into that character.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

The whole process of acting is transformation. What is your power, quality and level of transformation, define you as an actor.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

Actually, I came to Mumbai from Jamshedpur in 1991 to become an actor. I began searching for work and I was all alone and absolutely empty-handed, no craft and nobody that I knew.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

My biggest inspiration has been life for me. Basic survival has been my biggest teacher. Surviving in Mumbai for so many years has been a huge ordeal.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

Every choice I'm making now is so that I can keep working for the next 30-40 years in this industry. These are not creative choices. These choices are to stay in the business, for many years to come.

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi

But I'm very keen to work with directors such as Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Bhardwaj, Abhishek Chaubey, Anurag Kashyap and Abhishek Kapoor.