My patience has paid off : Shreyas Talpade

From a deaf and dumb aspiring cricketer in Iqbal to a junior artist in OSO, Shreyas Talpade has come a long way. Preview: Welcome to Sajjanpur

From a deaf and dumb aspiring cricketer in

HT Image

Iqbal

to a junior artist in

Om Shanti Om

with Shah Rukh Khan, actor Shreyas Talpade has come a long way and considers himself fortunate that his patience has paid off.

"Even though

Iqbal

brought me to limelight, there were apprehensions and scepticism whether I can say my lines in front of the camera. I was offered similar kind of sports-based films. I preferred to wait. My next film

Dor

was also critically acclaimed. With

Apna Sapna Money Money

and

Om Shanti Om

, I proved that I suited the mainstream commercial genre as well," Shreyas told PTI here.

He said he had no reasons to complain and still feels that he has a long way to go in terms of achieving excellence in performance.

"Different genres of films have come my way. I have done my best to suit into them with conviction. But, I know my limitations and will improve upon them as I mature as an actor. I have a lot to achieve and I know I can do it," Shreyas said.

The actor noted that

Om Shanti Om

gave him worldwide recognition. "There was so much to learn from Shah Rukh's energy at the time of giving each shot. He approaches a scene or gives every shot as if he wants to prove a point," he added.

Shreyas said prior to

Iqbal

he had made a conscious decision not to take up television daily soaps. "I was actually out of work before

Iqbal

. I had put lot of hopes in

Hangman

but it has still to see the light of the day," he recalled. Speaking about his next release

Welcome to Sajjanpur

directed by Shyam Benegal, Shreyas said he plays Mahadev who is the only literate man in the village. He works in the post office and writes letters for the villagers. The story is about how he puts his own emotions in the letters he writes and even manipulates them at times," he said.

Speaking about his character in

Welcome to Sajjanpur

, Shreyas said Mahadev is a letter writer who wants to be a novelist. "Since, he is not able to become one, he writes letters for illiterate villagers in the local post office," he added.

The actor said he was honoured and privileged that Benegal chose him to play the protagonist. "He encourages improvisation and will appreciate if the additions go well with the film," Shreyas said.

Benegal's passion for films is unbelievable, Shreyas said. "he is more of a friend and a young man at heart. His knowledge of world cinema is amazing. There is so much to learn from him."

Shreyas said he has no qualms about fitting into characters with a rural background-be it

Iqbal

,

Dor

and

Welcome to Sajjanpur

.

"I have also done

Apna Sapna Money Money

and

Om Shanti Om

. I fit into both genres with complete conviction. This is what Farah Khan told me when she signed me for

Om Shanti Om

. I felt it was a good compliment," he said.

Shreyas said

Welcome to Sajjanpur

was a fresh, unique story which is a satire on various social issues of today. The actor said out of the seven releases he has had, five of them were box office successes.

"Even in

Bombay to Bangkok'

my performance was appreciated despite the film not doing well," he added.