Need discipline to succeed in Hollywood: Indian-origin Australian actor

Indian origin Australian actor Mahesh Jadu, who makes his Hollywood debut with "I, Frankenstein", says the only way to succeed in Hollywood is to be disciplined, focussed and well-planned; otherwise you'll be forced to quit.

"You have to keep at it. You should know where you want to be and where you want to go with your career...work on the steps you want to take and focus on those steps - that is the secret to continue; otherwise you will come across opportunities to quit during your journey," Jadu told IANS on phone from Melbourne.

Prior to fantasy-action drama "I, Frankenstein", the 31-year-old was seen in Australian film "Taj", which was directed by Winston Furlong, as well as in Australian TV series "Neighbours".

According to Jadu, hard work, discipline and passion helped him survive in Hollywood.

"Working with people in Hollywood, one of the biggest film industries, you have to be honest to work successfully. You have to be hard working, disciplined and passionate. The thing I love the most is their love for the script," he said.

Directed by Stuart Beattie, "I, Frankenstein" features Aaron Eckhart in the lead role, while Mahesh plays Ophir.

He says that he was nervous at first, but ended up learning a lot. "It was a great experience. It was my first studio action film. It gave me the chance to work with American producers as well. That was good. I learned a lot while working with amazing actors and director," he said.

"I think it is natural to have nervousness," he said and added that the best way to deal with this is to "focus on the job. There is so much happening around you, you forget about that and prepare (for your role)," he added.

Jadu's roots are in Kashmir, but the last two generations of his family have been living in Melbourne. Despite being born and brought up there, he is connected to Bollywood and said that he "grew up" listening to "Hindi numbers".

"I have watched Hindi films all my life. I am familiar with them and I love Hindi songs. I used to sing them with my family," he said.

The actor is an Aamir Khan fan and would love to work with him if "given a chance".

Apart from auditioning for roles, the actor is also busy developing an animation film as well as penning a novel.

"The novel has been in my head for a while. It is a detective story and should be completed by this year," he said.

(Anjuri Nayar can be contacted at anjuri.n@ians.in)