But where did I go, asks Farouque Sheikh

Farooq Sheikh on his comeback movie Saas, Bahu aur Sensex, remake of Chashme Baddoor and Umrao Jaan, interviewed by Nikhil Taneja.

Farooq Sheikh on his comeback to movies

You are back in the movies with Saas, Bahu aur Sensex.
To come back, first you have to go away, no? (Laughs) I hadn’t gone away. I don’t find it convenient to do both television and cinema at the same time. Saas, Bahu aur Sensex is produced by the same people who made Chashme Buddoor. They are old family friends.

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What’s the movie about?
It’s about housewives who invest in the stock market to make some extra money.

They approach a stockbroker, played by me, who is very honest and committed towards his job but is very uncomfortable with women around him. The movie doesn’t have big names.

What are your expectations from it?
I think people will enjoy it because good movies still do well. Khosla ka Ghosla did quite well even though it wasn’t publicised much and didn’t have a big star cast.

There is talk about a Chashme Buddoor remake. Would you like to be associated with it?
I have heard about it very vaguely. My association with it will depend on who is making it and what they want to offer me and if the script is as outstanding as the original.

And of course, Rekhaji was phenomenal. As for my performance, I think it failed to strike the right note.

Will we see more performances of your plays Tumhari Amrita and Aap ki Sonia?
Yes, very much. Whenever Shabanaji (Shabana Azmi) and I or Sonaliji (Sonali Bendre) and I get time, we keep staging them. But next year, I will probably think of another theatre production. I keep reading theatre scripts too.

Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai was highly appreciated. Why aren’t you anchoring more shows?
The show was quite unscripted. I should get something that I would enjoy doing as much as that. I’d rather wait actually since television is a very taxing medium.

Is your other business — in garments — keeping you busy?
My only business is the business of acting.

Now that you are doing movies, is it goodbye to TV?
Until I am done with acting, I won’t be done with either television, theatre or films.