Hard work and grit got him here

You must have seen him in ads like Close-Up, Ponds, Hero Honda CBZ, Nescafe, Killer jeans, Levis jeans, ICICI, Sunsilk and Feast, and wondered why the macho man is being neglected by the Hindi film industry. So, here comes Raman Lamba, finally, making his debut in a role that has negative shades.

"I'm proud to be a part of this project as my wife is the director. She is my biggest support. Of course, Shona hasn't cast me because I'm her husband, but because of my work in ads like Close-Up, Hero Honda CBZ and Feast. She has seen my potential and extracted the best work out of me. She has pushed me to new heights and a different level," he says.

"I believe that hard work certainly pays off. I agree that the character I play, Rizwan, has negative shades. But, there is a journey and an evolving process in the role that makes it more interesting."

"Mine is more a supporting role than that of a villain. Rizwan is a rich father's son who runs a pub - it's like he has fun while also working," he elaborates.

Are there any more projects in the pipeline? "Not as of now. I'm going a bit slow. I want to wait for the release of this film and then see if I can market myself well and get a better deal before signing films offhand," he says.

And how does he feel about being paired with Rati Agnihotri in the film - a seasoned actress who is much older than him in real life?

"Great. And, she doesn't look old at all... she is still the same. She is brilliant, beautiful and at her best. Actually, in the film she is a pompous lady, Almira Kochchar, and my ladylove but I'm not her husband - Tinu Anand plays the role. Ratiji made me feel very comfortable and I got to learn a lot - not just from her but also from other veterans like Om Puri and Tinu Anand. From being in awe of them to being great pals, the journey on the sets was pretty smooth. I feel in some ways, these seasoned actors are younger than us," says Lamba who loves Mirchi ka salan, seafood and Goa, next to his darling daughter (who is a true "papa ki beti") one-year-old Mokshali, "the stressbuster on the set."

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Sober and Macho!

In an almost true-to-life character, Zulfikar Syed plays the hero, Varun Arya - the reserved son of a millionaire father who runs a software company. The Gladrags 1997 title winner, Zulfi is among the most popular supermodels of the country, and has taken the modelling world by storm. After a brief appearance in Pyaasa, the macho man makes his debut as a full-fledged hero.

"I'm almost 75 per cent close to my character in this film," admits the sober model, "I'm pretty level-headed, reserved and quite into the family. I don't party much."

How was the experience of Taj Mahal and working with Akbar Khan? "It was great. We finished shooting 80 per cent of the film. Akbar Khan is a fabulous director who knows what he wants and how to get the best from an actor. And it was good working with Sonia, my co-star in the film who is the granddaughter of legendary singer Noorjahan. I did a little bit of study before portraying the role of Shah Jahan - he is a decent king, who loved Mumtaz beyond words and was against waging wars. The historic character really fascinated me," says Zulfi.

But are the present-day Indians prepared for a historical film? "Why not? Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has an interesting history behind it. The concept of a man building Taj Mahal to be dedicated to his wife is unbeatable. It is a good lesson for people to learn from - about love and relationships. We do not actually know what happened within the dynasty, about the kings and their successors. This is just an attempt to capture the inside story in our own small way. It is a one-time role and a big project," he says, beaming with satisfaction.

If he were not an actor/ model, what would he be? "I've done my Masters in Hotel Management. So, I would have been abroad learning more about the subject," he smiles.

His regime for that great body includes "working out for at least one-and-a-half to two hours. And I consciously try to control my diet by eating food which is less oily though I love tandoor dishes," says Zulfi who believes that an actor's filmi background helps only to a certain extent and it is always better to come out the hard way.

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