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On the roles he hasn't done:

About the roles one wants to do, one used to ask in drama school, that I want to play Hamlet, Othello… I came to theatre and then to films with some idealism.

I want to play not only the heroes of the past but the heroes of today. I consider Kiran Bedi a hero of today. I consider G R Khairnar [former Mumbai deputy municipal commissioner] a hero of today. T N Seshan -- a hero of today. There is T Chandrashekhar [former Nagpur municipal commissioner], Arun Bhatia.

All these people who are contributing so much to life without compromising or sacrificing their own interests. Not bothering that politicians will be vindictive towards them, not caring about this.

See Kiran Bedi -- she says I don't give a damn, what can you [government] do? You can only transfer me, fine. Wherever you want to send me, send me. Isn't this is a pity? She was called 'Crane Bedi' [Bedi was in charge of traffic during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and earned that name due

to her strict enforcement of discipline]. You gave her a responsibility and poor thing if a crane took away some influential guy's car, it's not her fault! It is the law, the law should be same for everybody.

On the films he wants to do:

I want to do films like Tamas, Ardh Satya, Drohkal, Aakrosh, Discovery of India...

These are the kind of films I want to do but it is not in my hands. I have to choose from what I am offered. Like Dhoop. It was based on a true story of young soldier who was killed in Kargil. His father was given a petrol pump in his memory and had to go through the bureaucracy to get it because everybody wanted money. He refused to pay a penny. Finally, he got fed up, went to the prime minister and told him -- 'I have given my son for the country and this is what happened to me. You can take your petrol pump back, I don't want it.' Fourteen people were suspended.

It's a serious film, the producers didn't have much money to publicise it, it wasn't distributed very well, but at least your government, your national awards -- they could have at least mentioned the film? I'm not saying technically, it's a super film but it's a film that speaks the conscience of its people, talks about the harsh realities so at least it should have been mentioned. Maybe some people would have heard of it and seen it on DVD, VCD -- there are wonderful performances.

Anjan Shrivastav and Om Puri in Discovery Of India

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