Don't see myself doing a lead role: Badshah on acting (IANS Interview)

Popular rapper-composer Badshah could have made his acting debut with Karan Johar's segment in "Lust Stories". Instead, he focussed on his debut album titled "ONE". He wants to hit the gym and get fitter to act, but says that he doesn't see himself playing a lead role in a film.

The anthology film wasn't the only one offered to the rapper, known for chartbusters like "Saturday Saturday", "Chull", "DJ waley babu" and "Abhi toh party shuru hui hai".

"I got acting offers in the past. 'Good News'... the one that Diljit Dosanjh is doing with Akshay Kumar, was offered to me. I was offered Vicky Kaushal's role in 'Lust Stories', which I had declined," Badshah, whose given name is Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia, told IANS here.

"I have got other offers too. My focus was on my album. After this, I will probably go to the gym, work out then you will see a different Badshah."

Something like singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya, who lost weight for a film?

"I am not going to change my look. I will become a bit fit. Somehow, I don't see myself doing a lead role. Lead actors either do romantic or action (films). I am bad at romance and action," he said.

He thinks so despite getting lauded for his acting skills in the over seven-minute-long video of his song "Heartless" from the new album that had a live online launch on the music app Gaana earlier this month.

"I think that I can act. Having said that, we have got great actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I feel that if I play a role, it should suit me," said Badshah.

Would he want Karan to launch him?

"Who wouldn't like that? But I never asked him to launch me... this is why a lot of people think that nepotism exists. I am not his relative. My family was trying to become middle class all their life. I was just around him for some time which helped him read me.

"He doesn't prefer star kids. It's just that they are around him. He is from a film family as well. He is such a sweet guy and I love him because he is honest -- and honest people are the funniest," said Badshah, who has worked with Karan in films like "Kapoor & Sons", "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania" and "Baar Baar Dekho".

While his acting debut is yet to happen, his fans can enjoy listening to 17 tracks of his album "ONE" (Original Never Ends).

"I had a lot of songs and I wanted all of them to be heard by people. There are few love songs, sad songs, songs about my life... primarily about different emotions," he said.

Talking about his musical journey which found space in his album, he said: "I don't have an MBA, I don't have a qualification in music, but I am doing both -- business and music -- and I am doing quite well. So it's about how I have been able to come here."

This month, he even turned a producer. The digital entertainment platform ZEE5 has launched "Lockdown" -- in collaboration with Badshah. The show marks his debut as a producer under his banner Afterhours, co-produced by One Digital Entertainment.

But he feels he has just begun.

"There is a lot more (to do). The tangible benchmark for me is to be the number one guy on the Forbes list. You need to have a few businesses running and influence and you have to be great at your skill. I want to inspire people to... become dynamic," said Badshah, who also has his own clothing brand.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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