Arshad Warsi has spent three decades in the Hindi film industry, playing several memorable characters. For many, he remains synonymous with Circuit from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, while others remember him for his roles in the Golmaal and Dhamaal franchises, among several other comedies. However, Arshad says becoming an actor was never part of his plan, and there was a time when he wanted to break away from the comedy tag.

In an interview with SCREEN, the Ghamasaan actor looked back at how he entered the industry “by default”, landed his first film without a screen test despite not knowing how to act, and learned by watching the legendary Pran on set. He also recalled a phase when he had grown tired of comedy and wanted to be taken seriously as an actor, only to later realise why he could never leave it.

‘I got into the industry by default’

Arshad Warsi said that when he first entered the industry, he did not see himself as someone who could become an actor. In his mind, actors were people who were somehow different from everyone else.

“When I came in, first of all, I got into the industry by default. I never wanted to be an actor. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I thought I wasn’t made to be an actor. I felt actors were specially made by God, they were special people, divine beings. So I said, I don’t fit in that category. And by default, I became one. Then I just loved the job so much, and even today, I just love my job. I will never leave it, never. I’ve come in and out and all that has happened, but I also feel that if you know your job, you’ll work your entire life. It’s the people who fake knowing their job who have a short career,” said the actor.

Arshad Warsi’s first film was Tere Mere Sapne, produced by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation. The film also featured Chandrachur Singh, Priya Gill, Simran and the legendary Pran. For Arshad, however, landing the movie did not immediately make him feel like an actor.

‘I didn’t know how to act’

Looking back at how his first film happened, Arshad admitted that he had no idea what acting required. He had never acted before and was still trying to understand what he was supposed to do. “I got in, and I didn’t know how to act because I’d never done it before. I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve never acted before.’ I didn’t understand what I was supposed to do, I was just figuring things out.” The film, he recalled, came to him in the most unexpected way.

“So, I had just come home. We were having a Saturday party, so I came along with a friend. I was just hanging out and chatting with everyone, and then she (Joy, director of Tere Mere Sapne) asked me if I’d do a movie she was making in a couple of days. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? Who just randomly asks that?’ I thought she was joking. Then she said, no seriously. Just talk to ABCL and send some photos at least. So, I sent her some passport-sized photos. I was like, I’m not really meeting anyone.

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Then she said, “The guy who’s there for my role is Arjun Rampal.” I was like, “Arjun Rampal? What connection do I have with him? And at that time, I knew Arjun was this supermodel and the most good-looking guy on the planet. So, I told her, ‘What do I have to do with him? Forget about it.’ Then, Joy Ji called me into the office, and I thought she was going to give me a hard time for sending those photos, like I should be ashamed. But no, she took me there without any screen test or anything, just took me in the film. That was it.”

Arshad Warsi’s fear of failure and learning acting from Pran

Getting the role was one thing. But Arshad Warsi said the bigger challenge was his fear that people would eventually realise that he did not know how to act. “That fear was way too strong, but I finally realised it when I couldn’t get out of it. So, I took a crash course for four days. On set, I used to sit and watch Pran sir acting. I watched him, I’m not even kidding, he was my school. I saw how he did it. I saw the discipline he had, walking on set, sitting on his chair, and never leaving until the shoot was over. He would get up only at lunchtime, go eat, then come back and sit again. He wouldn’t move otherwise. And I saw how he was doing it, how he was preparing himself. I watched him.”

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For Arshad, watching Pran became his own kind of acting school. Pran was already one of Hindi cinema’s most respected performers by then, known for playing villains as well as memorable character roles over a career that spanned decades. Arshad said that after spending those few days observing the veteran actor, something changed once he finally began working.

“Four days. And I swear, when I started, I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt. How comfortable I was. I did it like I was meant to do this. This was what I was made to do. Even now, I don’t feel any pressure about any kind of scene or anything. Nothing. I just go to the set like I’m meeting a friend. Hang out there, chat a bit, say a few lines, then come back home, literally just like that. No stress.”

Over the years, Arshad Warsi became one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable comedy actors. While he began his career with Tere Mere Sapne, his popularity grew further with films such as Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, Hulchul and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? His biggest and most loved comic character, however, remains Circuit from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai. His work in comedy continued with films including the Golmaal series, Dhamaal, Double Dhamaal, Total Dhamaal, Dhamaal 4, Krazzy 4, Welcome to Karachi and Pagalpanti, among others.

‘I got fed up with doing comedy’

Arshad went through a phase when he wanted to move away from comedy and take on more serious roles because he felt that he wasn’t being taken seriously. “There was one time, once, when I got fed up with doing comedy. I said, ‘That’s enough, man.’ And you know, I realised, which is actually true, that most actors go through this phase when they realise, ‘Hey, I should be a bit more serious.’ I told myself, ‘I’m not gonna do comedy anymore.’”

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There were two experiences during his trip to Ladakh that completely changed Arshad’s mind about comedy. “Two things happened to me during that time that completely changed my mind. One was, I went on a trip to Ladakh. I love driving, so I went there. While I was there, I met this reincarnated monk. It’s difficult to get time to meet him, but he gave me a lot of his time. The first thing he told me was, ‘It takes so much effort and so much help from everybody to make a few people laugh when I’m doing my discourses but you do it so easily. You make the whole country laugh. How blessed are you’,” shared Arshad.

The little girl who changed Arshad Warsi’s mind about quitting comedy

The second experience was an encounter with a young girl at a programme for children. Arshad said the interaction gave him a completely different perspective on what his work meant to people. He said, “Then I met a kid, there was some show going on for kids, and I went there. These were all disabled kids, who were visually impaired, had hearing problems. So one of the girls, she couldn’t hear, and she said, ‘I really enjoy your work.’ I joked, ‘How would you even know what I’m saying?’ She said, ‘By looking at your expressions, I feel so good. I understand what you’re doing.’ I died, this was the best interaction ever, and I told myself, ‘I’ll never leave comedy. I’ll keep doing it all my life, I’ll do it.’ Seriously though, I’m not going to quit. It makes so many people happy. It just makes me feel blessed that I can do it so easily.”